Update: The Washington Post has issued a correction, saying they misidentified Farrakhan as a far-right leader.
Correction: Louis Farrakhan is an extremist leader who has espoused anti-Semitic views. An earlier version of this story and headline incorrectly included him in a list of far-right leaders.
Original story below:
Louis Farrakhan has been banned from by Facebook’s network of social media, along with Alex Jones, InfoWars, and Milo Yiannopolis.
The ban has presented the media with the new and exciting opportunity to re-write history and present Farrakhan as being a problematic member of the right.
https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1124013741648039936
Facebook said on Thursday it has permanently banned several far-right and anti-Semitic figures and organizations including Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, Infowars host Alex Jones, Milo Yiannopoulos and Laura Loomer for being “dangerous,” a sign that the social network is more aggressively enforcing its hate speech policies under pressure from civil rights groups.
Facebook had removed the accounts, fan pages, and groups affiliated with these individuals after it reevaluated the content that they had posted previously, or had reexamined their activities outside of Facebook, the company said. The removal also pertains to at least one of the organizations run by these people, Jones’ Infowars.
I am wondering what definition of “right wing” the Washington Post is using here, because the “right wing” has spent a lot of time pointing out just how many Democrats love to pose with and praise Farrakhan.
Do Linda Sarsour and Ilhan Omar know they’ve been rubbing shoulders with a notorious, right-wing extremist? Do the countless other Democrats who have been shrugging off or defending themselves against attacks about their association with him know he was a right-wing provocateur all along?
Words still mean things. Except, apparently, to the people who make money writing words.
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