Good Riddance — Full Stop!

The headline to a CNN opinion piece reads thus: “Good riddance to Milo, Jones and Farrakhan. But the Facebook ban offers a false sense of security.” While the author, S.E. Cupp, correctly acknowledges this is not an issue about censorship, I have heard many other raise consternation about corporate censorship of this sort. They couch their caution about Facebook’s decision to censor certain speech as if it infringes on the “public square.” Let me make something clear about corporate censorship: it is perfectly legal! This is not government censorship, which is unconstitutional and something other critics seem to forget. This notion that Facebook has somehow become the new forum for public debate is f***ing ridiculous! It is amazing how others are so willing and ready to elevate Facebook to the new street corner. It is not. Last I checked the street corner is not in the business of making a profit (unless a hooker occupies it). Last I checked the street corner is maintained, policed, and indeed brought into existence by the collective will of the public (aka the government). Facebook is not the collective will of the public; it may be the collective repository of expression of the public. Otherwise, it is the collective will of management (i.e., Zuckerberg). Un-f***ing-believable.