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August 18, 2021
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Blessings on you and your family, and from all the Huckabee staff!

Today's newsletter includes:

  • Bible Verse of the Day - 1 Peter 2:24 NIV
  • Twitter, Facebook and the Taliban
  • Bipartisan "Infrastructure"
  • Gun regulations in Hawaii
  • Some Perspective
  • America The Beautiful
  • Hypocrites
  • Narrative Buster
  • Important Challenge To A Biden Executive Order

Sincerely,

Mike Huckabee


DAILY BIBLE VERSE

24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

1 Peter 2:24 NIV


Twitter, Facebook and the Taliban

By Mike Huckabee

No matter how we feel about social media or what our level of awareness is about how it operates, its algorithms still manage to shape our conversations, if only by inspiring us to find work-arounds against the political censorship we know is happening.

In time, it starts to become second nature to refrain from using “trigger words” and go only so far, not over the line on certain subjects, even if we have solid reasoning behind what we want to say. Over time, we start to build a lawyerly sense of where that line is. The distinctions can be very subtle. For example, a person comes to understand that it’s permissible to say there was some evidence of voter fraud in the 2020 election, but not that there is evidence that Trump really won the election. That will be labeled by agenda-driven “fact”-checkers as “misinformation” and “conspiracy theory” and get that person suspended, demonetized, perhaps cast adrift to find an “alternative” platform.

To cite another example, for a long time, it was not permissible to say there was evidence that COVID-19 originated in a virology lab in Wuhan, China, where they were studying bat coronaviruses, rather than a nearby “wet market” as the CCP continued to insist. That would have been labeled by “fact”-checkers as “misinformation” and gotten a person similarly suspended, demonetized, etc.. If a person wanted to communicate candidly about this, it was necessary to find another platform, one with far less reach.

Oh, but then it turned out that this “misinformation” about the origin of the virus was most likely true.

Were the “fact”-checkers chastened by this turn of events? Did they say, “Oh, we’re so sorry! We realize the error of our ways and from now on will respect your free speech rights and leave you alone to present your own opinions and evidence, and just stay the heck out of it”? No, they went right on as they had. No apologies.

And the scrutiny never stopped. Over time, we of the conservative persuasion gradually learn to sense automatically when we need to pull back from what we wanted to say. If we’re still going to be on, for example, Twitter, we know this is what we have to do. It becomes an unconscious process.

And that’s exactly what Big Tech wants of us, especially if we are conservative. Their goal is for us to exercise self-censorship, as automatically as Winston Smith did in front of the telescreen. (I know, I apologize for yet another Orwell reference.) They’re training people to do it. It makes their job SO much easier.

Even some people on the left have figured this out, after becoming victims of the left's obsession with ideological purity and its inclination to eat its own. Glenn Greenwald and Naomi Wolfe are two who come to mind. And that’s what makes them worth reading. This link introduces you to Wolfe, if you don’t know her, and also provides links to various alternative social media platforms.

https://www.nationandstate.com/2021/07/30/naomi-wolf-on-censorship-vaccine-passports-and-the-reversal-of-my-body-my-choice-teaser/

All of the above is primarily to set the stage for a story in the WASHINGTON FREE BEACON about a function of social media that apparently is not being interfered with at all: organized Islamic terrorism. As this report says, Taliban leaders have had no problem spreading propaganda and establishing control over Kabul as they continued their takeover of Afghanistan. It was easy; they used Twitter. Also WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook.

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/taliban-leaders-used-twitter-and-whatsapp-to-help-capture-kabul/

While conservatives on social media were busy trying to find a way just to say what was on their minds, members of the Taliban were using it to pave their own way into Kabul after President Biden abruptly left it to them, boldly spreading lies to the citizens there to get them to give up with little resistance. As they entered the city, a Taliban spokesman tweeted out that the residents of Kabul were welcoming them in.

Their propaganda apparently even snowed observers in our own country and around the world. As Ned Price, our State Department spokesperson, shakily announced, the U.N. Security counsel issued a joint press statement calling for a new government that was “inclusive” and involved the “full and meaningful participation of women," as if that's going to happen. He went on to say that “the Council spoke with one voice, to underscore that Afghanistan must abide by its international obligations, including international humanitarian law for the safety and security of all Afghans and international citizens.” Also, pigs must fly.

I wonder what President Biden is going to do when the Taliban fail to follow instructions. Make them pay, after we just pulled out? After they've taken all the military equipment we just left there? Biden won't do anything. The Taliban knew Trump would've hit them hard, but, as with China regarding Taiwan, they don’t have to worry about him now.

But back to social media, and the role it plays here. As the FREE BEACON reports, the Taliban have been using WhatsApp and Twitter for years, to share their official statements. Now, they’re using these platforms to announce new rules to the people of Kabul. They even used WhatsApp to set up an emergency broadcast system. Isn’t technology wonderful?

Twitter and Facebook regularly ban ISIS from their platforms, but they appear to be letting the Taliban broadcast without incident. This is happening even though Twitter has a policy banning “hateful conduct” as well as “threatening or promoting terrorism.” The spokesperson who told this to the FREE BEACON did not say whether or not they consider the Taliban to be a terrorist organization. A Facebook spokesperson weaseled out of a specific answer, saying that they take action against accounts belonged to “sanctioned” groups but refusing to comment on specific cases.

To quote the BEACON: “Several Taliban spokesmen have maintained Twitter accounts for years, regularly tweeting updates on negotiations and regional battles. The accounts often post photos and videos from frontlines, which are then copied and shared by pro-Taliban accounts.”

The ultimate irony: This is going on while former President Donald Trump continues to be banned by both Twitter and Facebook, who blame him for the unrest at the Capitol Building on January 6. The reason: “incitement to violence.”


Bipartisan "Infrastructure"

By Mike Huckabee

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was trying to delay a vote on the $1.2 trillion bipartisan “infrastructure” bill so that she could tie it to passage of the Democrats’ bloated $3.5 trillion spending orgy “reconciliation” bill. But it looks as if she doesn’t have the votes to block it, because there is enough support from centrists in both parties to pass it.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-rep-fitzpatrick-pelosi-house-infrastructure-reconciliation-moderates

Someone still needs to explain to me why Republicans in Congress think it’s a victory to pass a $1.2 trillion “infrastructure” bill that funds a lot of leftist wish list items and intrusive government expansion while spending only about 20% of its cost on actual infrastructure. If that’s what they consider a victory, I’d hate to suffer what they consider a defeat.


Gun regulations in Hawaii

By Mike Huckabee

A judge has struck down two gun regulations in Hawaii, citing grounds that I wish we’d see courts consider more often.

https://reason.com/volokh/2021/08/16/two-hawaii-gun-regulations-struck-down/

Backers of the laws claimed they were “common sense” gun laws that promoted public safety. But the judge found that the state was unable to show how these laws advanced public safety, nor could it show that the legislature considered any evidence whatsoever that the laws would increase public safety before passing them.

I commend this judge for going against the prevailing wisdom of “Do something, even if it’s wrong!” If legislators were forced to look at evidence and prove that a law would actually do any good before they passed it, we’d have a lot fewer laws.


Some Perspective

By Mike Huckabee

Via Instapundit, a Twitter thread reminding Americans who’ve spent the past year complaining about how “oppressive” America is that they are seeing a horrifying example of what real oppression looks like. The Afghans at the Kabul airport are desperate to get here by any means possible. I hope, but don’t count on, this making some of our spoiled anti-American agitators think a little harder, get some perspective, and start thanking God that they were lucky enough to be born in the USA.

https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/468195/


America The Beautiful

God's creation is all around us. To learn more about Kenai Fjords National Park, visit its website here.


Hypocrites

By Mike Huckabee

Wait, so they’re saying a member of “The Squad” is a big hypocrite who preaches one set of rules for other people while personally benefiting from the opposite? Well, knock me over with a feather!

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ayanna-pressley-cancel-rent-thousands-dollars-income

Oh, by the way, I’m not talking about the one who preaches defunding the police while paying heavily for private armed security. This is a different hypocrite.


Narrative Buster

By Mike Huckabee

Politicians and the media tell us that Americans were demanding an end to the US involvement in Afghanistan. But an analysis of the polls suggests that opinion was divided on that. It seems that the average American was more astute about the potential downsides than President Biden. Not that that would be a high bar to clear.

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2021/08/did-the-american-public-want-the-u-s-out-of-afghanistan.php

Important Challenge To A Biden Executive Order

By Mike Huckabee

The College of the Ozarks, a private Christian school, went to court to challenge a Biden executive order banning gender-separated dorms, bathrooms and showers – because that’s SO much the business of the executive branch of the federal government. And while it’s rare to see any amicus briefs filed in a case before it reaches the Supreme Court, the college’s lawsuit has already received support from three conservative legal foundations and the attorneys general of 14 states.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/multiple-amicus-briefs-support-colleges-challenge-of-biden-administrations-order-to-have-unisex-living-quarters_3951556.html


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Comments 1-10 of 26

  • Joan Kugler

    08/20/2021 09:32 PM

    When, WHEN are we going to get something done about Twitter and Facebook censoring people? Does the U.S. Congress think that what they are doing is OK? We are slowly losing all of our freedoms and it seems no one is standing up to stop this. What should we be doing to stop the craziness and get our former United States of America back?

  • Gary Stilwell

    08/19/2021 09:07 PM

    Wanted to read the College Of The Ozarks brief--couldn't do that without passing off all my personal info--the "right" is getting just as bad as the "left" I can't read conservative stuff without giving up my grandchildren's names addresses,sex,age,hair color, or how many pimples they have on their face--the conservative choice is shooting itself in the foot----

  • Jacqueline Johnson

    08/19/2021 04:57 PM

    I am happy to know that CofO is standing up to the gender related EO. My niece is currently attending CofO and it is not in her or anyone else's best interest to have to share a dorm or shower with anyone of a different gender.

  • Floyd A Unger

    08/19/2021 04:26 PM

    Thank you

  • Jodi Sutherland

    08/19/2021 03:15 PM

    I am not getting my Morning Bible Verse, my Morning Edition, or Evening Edition. The Bible Verse stopped after Mon., I only received Morning Edition yesterday. All my other subscriptions are coming fine, CBN, Todd Starnes, etc. Could someone there at Mike Huckabee's fix this? Thank you and God Bless...

  • Shawn

    08/18/2021 09:43 PM

    I have left two comments since I signed on. I got a smartphone 11/2yrs ago and kinda wished I shouldn't have. I had a feeling that gov always did what they wanted and my conclusion was right. I never thought they would go this far, and to take us back to our primal fear and instincts. Generations of our past were not always good and our creators plan takes time in our paths of life. Upon this moment I am dismayed by the ultimate evil I see and hear.
    My eyes have turned to fire for the unneeded sacrifice of the innocent spirits. I have changed as of others. The pandoras box has been unsealed and it's master will take all as servants. Our moral emotions are being over run by the sublimated messages they feed us. The point of no return hopefully has not been.

  • Gary Stilwell

    08/18/2021 08:18 PM

    Ah, yes, the taliban--Kabul has now been taken over by the (who would you guess)--the very same individual that obama(and Biden) released to Qatar to be incarcerate forever(including the four detainees that are now the lts. of the regime --good job joe!!!)--they also have all the high tech weapons biden left behind--another good job, jerk!
    This is the same 'gotcha" that crooked hillary got away with in the Bengazi attack--she and obama miraculously escaped incarceration for causing the deaths of four US Citizens, when it was Chrystal clear they effected this.)
    We now have nutcases questioning the immigration status of the Afgan interpreters---These folks were vetted long before they now seek amesty--our Military took care of that security long ago--the left is questioning this because they know those folks are US allies(for the most part)--they do not come here for handouts, but for a better life that they can work towards--they(left)know that these folks are not seeking handouts--thus their objection----they want sheep--not independent people.

  • Marie Krause

    08/18/2021 07:49 PM

    Most of the folks I know still get together in lawn chairs under the oak trees and say whatever we want. And will continue to do so.

  • Joseph Healy

    08/18/2021 06:45 PM

    There IS evidence that Trump really won the election!
    So there. ;)

    Exercise your free speech today!

  • Paul Kern

    08/18/2021 06:06 PM

    As a veteran I am deeply saddened and disturbed at the hatred the shadow government is displaying to our military and allies. Russia and China now see clearly they can do anything. Biden is a great propaganda puppet.The
    Republican Party left Lincoln decades ago and are now a party of grifters like Jaime Butler in my state of Washington. Since they do ballot harvesting and vote switching here she will likely steal the next election. Most of her money comes from out of state.
    I suggest they raze all apartments in DC. Instead build townhouses so both groups can schmooze daily over cocktails as they continue their forward march to destroy what's left
    I agree with my pastor that the Church has caused this. Like me he knows his history.
    After WW 2 the Church reverted to Pietism so now only 6 percent of " Christians" have a Biblical world view.
    Our only hope is returning to God in repentance. He may grant us relief. If not it means His approach it s nearer than many think.
    After much reading and listening to others I have come to believe many "religious" truly believe Marx's social workers paradise will bring in permanent peace and harmony.