First off, let’s define why it’s nonsense. Facebook is a large, wealthy corporation. Large, wealthy corporations lean Left because they love and can afford big government protection. Facebook is run and staffed largely by younger people. The youth generally lean Left due to academic and pop culture indoctrination along with inherent utopian idealism. Facebook resides on the Left coast. The Left coast is so far Left it’s about to tip into the ocean just like Guam. Facebook’s founder was caught on a hot mic assuring Angela Merkel news criticizing the German government’s response to the “refugee” invasion would be censored. All of these general points, plus flat out admitting to the practice last year, and it’s a wonder these most recent revelations are a shock to anyone. Thus, utter nonsense.
However, the nonsense matters. Firstly, because it’s exposing the growing number of people and groups on the Right who are beginning to act more and more like those on the Left. As Erick Erickson puts it,
“The behavior of some conservatives on this issue is shameful. We should start trying to figure out who the Jesse Jackson and the Al Sharpton are of the conservative movement considering many in the movement are turning into shakedown artists.”
If the Right is still going to claim the mantle of right and Right, there can be no calls for government intrusion, investigation, anti-trust action, or any other such nonsense. For some on the Right, even organized boycotts are shaky ground; rather, shine the light of truth and let the people make up their own minds.
There is most definitely a need for light, and here is where the story is most definitely not nonsense. Most tangibly, because Facebook may be guilty of literal fraud. In the original story, Steven Crowder was one of those Conservatives specifically named as being suppressed. Since then, Crowder has revealed a long running dispute with Facebook regarding billing for advertising purchased by Crowder as well as posts which has become so egregious he was forced to file a motion for information. Bizarrely, despite numerous statements on social media, despite interviewing his lawyer on his podcast, Crowder has been repeatedly lumped in with the bad actors on the Right. Having said it ad nauseam without it seeming to matter, I’ll risk reiterating what Crowder has been pointing out: he is not suing Facebook, there is no lawsuit for damages, he is a small business owner seeking information through a court filing due to Facebook’s failure to even address let alone resolve a business dispute. And that matters. And that is getting lost in the hype and headlines. If Facebook is taking advertising dollars from news and opinion sites on both the Left and Right, and then suppressing the sites on the Right, that is actionable fraud and worth investigation.
On a broader level, the focus of the media, especially on the Right, should be consumer advocacy. Facebook has a billion worldwide users. Facebook’s success was built entirely upon the assumption of a free and open community; and, a forum for that community to share within itself. As I started off saying, that Facebook leans Left should surprise nobody, but how Trending topics were determined did shock some who assumed some kind of unbiased, mechanical formulation. Glenn Beck admitted to thinking this, and says now, rather than thinking Trending news was what the American people were interested in and talking about he will now view it for what it is: the news Facebook wants the American people to think and talk about. This is useful consumer information. And it is up to Facebook to decide if it wants to change that and up to its users to decide if they believe Facebook and want to continue their patronage. That’s what matters. That’s what’s consistent with Conservative, Free Market, principles. Sadly, that’s being lost in the Right-eous indignation as the Right becomes more and more like the Left in tactics, then ideology.