Federal Judge Ruling: Slaps Biden for Efforts to Combat COVID “Disinformation”

Anti-vaxx; no masks; no lockdowns & 2020 Big Lie

(All “Free speech NOT disinformation” )

I totally agree with the outrage from the Western District Federal Court Judge in LA for his July 4^th opinion for attacking and warning the Biden administration for their efforts to combat and stop “disinformation during the COVID pandemic.” 

I believe it is government’s duty and right and obligation to try and stop at all costs “disinformation especially as it pertains to protecting public health that we faced during the that pandemic.” 

The Judge in this ruling shows that he probably is a staunch anti-vaxxer.  His way of explaining his ruling shows the mark in MAGA-leaning la-la land set of opinions on issues and his irrational illogical thinking and the words in his ruling show (my notes below highlight what I mean).

The article is from SALON.com with this headline:

“Abuse of power: Experts rip Trump judge’s ‘deranged and dangerous limits on anti-disinformation’ efforts”

A Federal judge in Louisiana on July 4^th ruled that the Biden administration likely violated the First Amendment by targeting COVID disinformation on social media and blocked the administration from having any contact with social media firms about discouraging or removing Frist Amendment-protected speech.

District Court JudgeTerry Doughty, a Trump appointee, issued a wide-reaching 155-page opinion in a lawsuit brought by Republican-led states on July 4 – a holiday when most federal courts were closed. 

He wrote citing a range of topics saying they were suppressed on social media at the behest of administration officials, including posts expressing opposition to COVID vaccines, masking, lockdowns, and the lab-leak theory as well as posts disputing the legitimacy of the 2020 election, and posts pushing content related to Hunter Biden's laptop. 

He wrote in detail: “During the COVID-19 pandemic, a period perhaps best characterized by widespread doubt and uncertainty, the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian 'Ministry of Truth.’ This targeted suppression of conservative ideas is a perfect example of viewpoint discrimination of political speech. American citizens have the right to engage in free debate about the significant issues affecting the country … the evidence produced thus far depicts an almost dystopian scenario.”

DOJ lawyers argue that government officials had simply urged the social media companies to police their own platforms and that their communications were protected by the First Amendment.

Biden in July 2021 warned that social media companies were “killing people by not policing anti-vaccine content” adding: “The only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated, and they're killing people” he said at the time.

I note: Biden was was trying to head off the disinformation spreading over social networks adding to the pain and misery and death rate of COVID.

The judge’s order bars numerous administration officials, including all employees of the FBI and Justice Department, from contacting social media companies for the purpose of removing constitutionally protected posts.

I note: Disinformation is NOT protected speech – it is more than that – it can be deadly and cause dangerous reactions and that is the purpose of disinformation: “To cause, harm, disruption, distrust, and chaos.”

This ruling can still be appealed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals but the administration has not said whether it will do so.

I note: I hope the administration does appeal and that the judge is blasted for his opinion which is as I said way, way off the mark in any logic and I believe legal department as well.

I further note: FOX News of course weighs in with this wild and far out video that they broadcast on the same topic [click here to watch]:

FOX of course and right in line misses the point of stopping disinformation NOT curtailing free speech rights… congrats you FOX  morons for making the case even stronger in my view (my free speech view – now you can get lost).

Various legal experts weigh in:

Ryan Goodman, NYU Law Professor, marveled at the judge's saying: “Extraordinary and far-reaching order, noting that it carves out an exception for the administration to continue to contact companies about national security threats.”

Anthony Kreis, GA State Law Professor, tweeted: “A federal judge telling willing parties they can't chat as a constitutional problem is mind-boggling stupid and an abuse of power.”

Sherrilyn Ifill, Civil Rights attorney and former head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said the decision was deranged & dangerous to label efforts to ask tech executives to act responsibly and publicly urging the need to end tech immunity as censorship, and then she tweeted: “The evidence cited by the judge doesn't add up to govt censorship. Unless the govt is muzzled from calling out disinformation or reaching out to corporate leaders during a global emergency to ask for care & caution. But it's a nice set up for 2024 for Republicans.”

Lisa Rubin, MSNBC legal analyst, wrote: “This is a truly astonishing ruling that will compromise the health, safety, and yes, liberty of some so others can spread false, harmful information in the name of free speech.” 

She then added: “Remember, no district court judge issues a 155-page opinion on a federal holiday (much less July 4th) unless he intends to make a career-altering statement and craves major media attention.”

My 2 Cents: Nothing that I did not already say in my notes above and as the legal experts all noted, too. This judge simply got it wrong.

His personal almost totally an all MAGA-leaning view on issues that he states in his ruling defiles any ration legal opinion. That to me is as clear as a bell. I could be wrong, but I don’t think.

Disinformation of any kind is flat out dangerous, and the GOP rightwing these days has mastered that more than ever.

FYI: Disinformation quick background:

“Disinformation” is the English transliteration of the Russian word:дезинформация which itself was derived from the former KGB’s “Black Propaganda Department” handbook that shows how Joseph Stalin coined the term.

Stalin even gave it a French-sounding name and falsely claiming it had Western origin, that also being a false statement itself. Precise Russian use of the word began in the now defunct USSR’s “Special Disinformation Office” in 1923.

Another example that the former Soviets used was: Operation INFEKTION (Operation: Infection) to influence opinion saying the U.S. had invented and spread AIDS.

Ironically, the U.S. did not actively counter Soviet disinformation until around 1980, when a fake document reported that the U.S. supported apartheid and moved us into counter-action.

Thanks for stopping by.