The FBI is misinformed if it thinks that prosecuting persons who misinform solely for misinforming is consistent with freedom of speech.
The utterance of false statements, whether unknowingly or willfully, is nothing new in human history. And such utterances are impossible to avoid in any kind of discourse — for example, political debates — in which people disagree with each other about facts as well as values.
Indeed, one often hears both true things and false things. We must evaluate claims as best we can, using observation, logic, common sense and so forth.
But, somehow, the FBI has decided that “misinformation” and “disinformation,” chronic in campaign ads, political pronouncements, and domestic quarrels, are a crime when communicated in the context of an election.
An FBI document leaked to Project Veritas wants to explain “What Are Election Crimes.” This document lumps misleading speech with such actual crimes as electoral fraud and intimidation of voters.
Robert Spencer has questions about this assumption for the FBI’s, ahem, Election Crimes Coordinator, Lindsay Capodilupo. For example, how does the FBI determine what is and is not misinformation? Will there be an appeals process given the fact that certain notorious so-called “misinformation” — like the once-upon-a-time contested claim that Hunter Biden’s laptop is indeed Hunter Biden’s laptop — has turned out to be true information?
And — most important — how can wrongspeak as such be classified as any kind of crime in light of the First Amendment?
Stay tuned for the FBI’s answers. But not with bated breath, okay?
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
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12 replies on “The FBI Is Misinformed”
In the absence of unelected state officials being sent to prison for violation of the First Amendment, such violations will continue indefinitely. Lindsay Capodilupo has something to gain and nothing to lose.
Pick one:
FBI – The Gestapo wing of the DNC
FBI – Fraudulent Bureau of Intimidation
Not so Smart has an opinion. Ignore it!
Pam, do you have anything to offer here beside a bald insult?
Do you understand that your rhetoric simply alienates anyone who is not in your general ideologic group, and even alienates many who are in your tribe?
You really are an idiot. Most, if not all, all, of the few on here are right-wing idiots with soup for brains.
Those insults are even more counter-productive for you than the previous insults.
Am I losing votes, friends? I have only seen one other person on here who I respect.
Most of the comments about entries to this ‘blog are actually made at a different site. And the total volume of visits to each entry is much greater than the sum of the number of commentators at this site and the other.
So, yes, you’re repelling far more people than you imagine.
Now, were that not the case, were this ‘blog only read by the people who actively comment, then one would have to wonder why you would come here simply to offer abuse and talking-points.
Anyone who is offended by my comments is a right-wing nut. Their minds can’t be changed! There are few, if any, on here who are not right-wingers who actually believe the conspiracy theory lies.
People in the center — who would be the only significant sources of converts to the left — are generally offended by bald, personal insults. And, even to this day, some people remain on the left remain offended by the use of such insults directed at almost anyone. A wider share of those on the left wouldn’t actually mind your insults except that they know how such insults alienate those in the center.
And, again, recognizing that you don’t understand all of that, one still has to wonder why you didn’t find something more productive. (I can merely speculate.)
People in the center and on the left hate liars and that is what the Republican Party has become. Those who claim to be religious support one of the most ungodly people ever, Donald Drumpf. They give him a pass no matter what he does. He mocks gold star families (pity his made-up bone spurs), mocks gold star families a n assaults women. Drumpf couldn’t find a church if his life depended on it! Where are all the pictures of Drumpf at church? The people who support him are despicable. Just my opinion. I have long-time friends who I no longer associate with. I HATE stupidity.
You should look up “Paige Laurie”. “Wal-Mart heiress Elizabeth Paige Laurie, accused of paying a fellow college student $20,000 to do her homework, has returned her USC degree, officials said.”
That explains Drumph’s schooling.
Pam, we’ve been discussing your use of bald personal attacks against people who comment here, not whether Trump’s professed religious beliefs are sincere nor whether he or Elizabeth Paige Laurie or Edward Kennedy paid others to do their work in college.
Again: People in the center are repelled by the use of bald insults; some on the left hate them too, and many on the left know that they make those on the same side as the insulter look bad by association.
If you have proper arguments, then use them and stick to them. If you don’t and instead just keep calling people stupid, then you’ll simply seem coarse, foolish, and to many people wrong.