The New York Times has managed, on purpose I am sure, to tie together two of the hottest hashtag-meme topics today: #pizzagate and #fakenews
I note that a nothing to see here, move along, move along article by Cecilia Kangnov with contributions by Doris Burke dated to November 21, 2016 AD is titled thusly within the URL “fact-check-this-pizzeria-is-not-a-child-trafficking-site” and thusly on the actual text “Fake News Onslaught Targets Pizzeria as Nest of Child-Trafficking.”
Google, Facebook—two of the most influential sources of info today—, et al. are hard at work pushing the idea of censoring “fake news” and the sites, pages, posts which promulgate it. But pray tell, what is fake news? Well, you see that is what make the idea appealing and vague. For example, the concept of censoring fake news is making a lot of people suddenly favor censorship—and censorship by unelected unaccountable personages (really, soulless corporations).
Now, I would say great, censor fake news beginning with the New York Times, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, MNSBC, etc. I would also say that of course there are fake news promulgators and they are a menace (for example, see Did the Supreme Court prove that the Smithsonian destroyed giant skeletons). Yet, who watches the watchers? Who will determine what is and what is not fake? It is not a simple as it may seem. For example, very complex and fact based claims can be shrugged off as “conspiracy theories” and with a few one liners can be said to have been researched, weighed and found wanting, and that’s all folks. Of course, why even bother? When you censor, particularly via high means such as those at Google and Facebook’s disposal they need not reply in dealing with the issue but can simply make the “fake news” invisible.
Here are examples of censorship by various means by Google and Facebook.
To the New York Times fake news article about fake news, note some of the emotive statements, “a storm of fake news…the gusher of false digital information…fake news fallout…the fake news tide…The misinformation campaign.”
The story is that “Days before the presidential election, James Alefantis, owner of a local pizza restaurant called Comet Ping Pong, noticed an unusual spike in the number of his Instagram followers” and the issue is the claim “that Comet Ping Pong was the home base of a child abuse ring led by Hillary Clinton and her campaign chief, John D. Podesta.”
Fake news comes into play with the statement that “dozens of made-up articles about Mrs. Clinton kidnapping, molesting and trafficking children in the restaurant’s back rooms.”
And what is the New York Times’ conclusion? Simply, “None of it was true” and James Alefantis “does not sell or abuse children.” Now, these are not actually conclusions since they are simply asserted. There is not reporting, no investigating, no journalism in the article but literally the mere assertion that there is nothing to see here so we need censorship.
The article notes that Alefantis “is not being investigated by law enforcement for any of these claims” but also that “The F.B.I. said it ‘does not confirm or deny the existence of investigations.’” Although, I grant that they are not very specific as to whether the FBI was replying to whether they are investigating Alefantis or investigating those who are accusing Alefantis since, “Mr. Alefantis has contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the local police, and he has asked Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Reddit to remove the articles.” Indeed, Reddit has simply removed its forum on #pizzagate as I found out when I attempted to post thereto.
Note that, in part, Reddit states, “We don’t want witchhunts on our site.” Great news, now I can demand that Reddit take down their Atheist forums since they are 99.99999999999% anti-Christian witchhunts.
The article notes that James Alefantis was listed as “No. 49 in GQ magazine’s 50 most powerful people in Washington in 2012” now I do not know how selling pizza makes someone one of the most powerful people in Washington but hey, I guess lots of people are hungry and pizza is scarce in Washington—or, something.
The New York Times article notes that Alefantis restaurant, which is called Comet or Comet Ping Pong Pizza “has kid-friendly features” indeed, the pizza joint’s website states, “…we offer a myriad of exciting activities and extras that no other birthday party will have…You can even rent out the whole restaurant! We are open to all ideas of course…type of party (kids, adults, or a mix of both).” In light of pizzagate this may mean a lot more than it seems.
You see, part of the issue is not that many people said, “Hey, the Podesta brothers like pizza and Alefantis sells pizza therefore that proves a child trafficking pedophile ring.” Rather, John Podesta’s emails included vary many key terms that are employed by pedophiles in order to hide that which they are saying to those in the know. For example, pizza, cheese, pasta, hot dogs, chicken or chicken lover refers to pedophilic activities. But how do you know when they refer to mere food and when to pedophilia? The same manner whereby any term is understood: by context.
The fact is that when taken as references to mere food the email simply do not and cannot make sense. For example, Susan Sandler (who went by Susaner) writes to Podesta, “The realtor found a handkerchief (I think it has a map that seems pizza-related. Is it yorus [sic.]? They can send it if you want. I know you’re busy, so feel free not to respond if it’s not yours or you don’t want it” and Kathryn Tate wrote “I just came from checking the Field house and I have a square cloth handkerchief (white w/ black) that was left on the kitchen island. Happy to send it via the mail if you let me know where I should send it.”
So, Podesta drew a map to a pizza place on a handkerchief and they cannot simply inform him that he can use the same high tech he is using to email with them to search for an address and view a digital map? That handkerchief is so very important that they think he may want it mailed to him?
This is merely one single example of oddities. Either Podesta and his cohorts are utterly obsessed with Italian food and discuss it within grammatical structures the likes of which no common person would ever imagine constructing or they are constructing phrases that are meant to be read between the lines. An email dated to March states, “will not make it tonight, I am sad to say. Have to settle for the pasta john gave us at Christmas. Really sorry to miss”—yummy, three month old pasta! Another notes, “Thanks again for a great feast. I prefer a PASTA dinner made by you to going out somewhere!”—they just LOVE their “PASTA”! Another, “Meat and cheese!! Boy, do you both sure know the way to my heart!” Also, “We can have late night pasta.” And “…you sleep in the bed. Should I wait for you and cook some PASTA?”
How do these people not weight 300 lbs. each due to all of those carbs?!?!
Well, “one supporter of the Pizzagate theory shot a live video from within the restaurant during a busy dinner shift. Local police, who had parked across the street after Mr. Alefantis filed a report about the fake news stories and threats, told the man to leave.” So now you cannot even shoot your own video of yourself and your surroundings—censorship before it even happens.
One of Comet Ping Pong Pizza’s “friends” as listed on their website is the band “Heavy Breathing” a member of which, Amanda Kleinman, noted, “We are at a dangerous place in American culture where a good percentage of people aren’t distinguishing what is a real news source based on real reporting and fact-checking and only reinforcing pre-existing ideas they have.”
Agreed! And this goes both ways—and in every way actually. By the way, the very first thing I saw on the “Heavy Breathing” website is this image of a man presenting his rear end for all to see (which I censored indeed).
Lastly, there is a LOT more to all of this than that since there are tied between John and Tony Podesta and Marina Abramovic and various and sundry other people who seem to think it is fashionable to display art and simulate cannibalism, child bondage, etc., etc., etc. see Hell’s Kitchen – Spirit Cooking with John Podesta & Marina Abramovic, Was John Podesta “Spirit Cooking” with Marina Abramovic just a conspiracy theory? and Spirit Cooking Pizzagate: on John Podesta, Marina Abramovic, cannibalism & child trafficking.
One of the focal points was James Alefantis’ Instagram account wherein he was called Jimmycomet. The New York Times claims that he and his buddies posted photos of their children therein as advertisements for the restaurant, that these have not been spread through the internet and that sites that host them should be taken down.
Well, here is a tip: when posting photos of your children (if they are theirs) maybe do not have a little girl having her arms taped down to a table, or a little girl standing on a wire basket like a product, or grown up who are completely naked except of a slice of pizza covering their private parts, or how your pizza shop for some reason needs a dungeon underneath it—and on it goes.
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