It began with right-wing political advisor Hårek Hansen and a few beers on the evening before the Progress Party (FrP) national convention. Perfect timing. After forcing FrP leader Sylvi to utter the word “racism”, the field of impact could be expanded. Then it is useful to have media darlings Eivind Trædal (Green Party) and Gaute Skjervø (Labour). The debate appeared staged. A controlled debate triggers voices from the underground. Then one can mobilise a peripheral journalist to say what the authorities wish to hear: Democracy is in danger!
Then it is merely a matter for Digitalisation Minister Karianne Tung to roll the ball into the net: We must introduce the EU’s censorship framework as soon as possible. Under it, the tech companies are held responsible for what they disseminate. That is the recipe for a totalitarian society.
Those directing this show know what they are doing: Find a provocative statement, and let the ball roll.
Produce examples of unrestrained language in the comment sections. They did exactly the same thing after 22 July.
Take note of this: They extract the worst outbursts and highlight them. Those that should have been sunk to the bottom of the sea are lifted up so that everyone sees them. As though people today were unfamiliar with this uncontrolled language.
They attach these outbursts to a person they wish to target: journalist (and Listhaug’s former advisor) Espen Teigen and his current employer Document.
But this Kent André Ottesen, news desk editor in Norwegian tabloid VG, is a piece in a much larger game concerned with destroying Document’s success.
Those who claim to care about democracy have no respect for the fact that it requires an opposition.
They want a controlled opposition.
That is what exists out in Europe.
Those who refuse to be controlled are called “far right” or something even worse. Skjervø and Trædal excel in this arena.
They speak only about who is to be disciplined, about who are enemies. They operate with enemy images under the guise of caring about decency.
But decency is a foreign word in the society they have created.
NRK, Skjervø, Trædal and the government demand that we lobotomise ourselves. We are not to connect robberies, shootings, rape and organised crime with population replacement. We are to refuse to believe our own eyes.
That is the real attack on democracy. Democracy is being rendered legally incompetent by those who hold power.
NRK is aware that it is playing with fire and that resistance is growing. That is why they exploit a situation such as the one involving TV 2 and Hårek Hansen.
This is a foretaste of what awaits us, and they are going to tighten their grip as resistance grows.
Many of the comments are repulsive. They are the howls of the powerless. In former times such howls were allowed to die in silence.
Today the media place them on the front page.
They have use for them.
They inflate themselves in order to appear so important and concerned that they believe we will bow to their arguments.
But we know that they are wrong: Online hate does not signify the death of democracy but is, on the contrary, a sign of life.
It is the vulgar version of a freedom of expression struggling to breathe.
The combination of massive immigration, great disparities and deliberate polarisation creates the pressure cooker that releases some of its pressure into the comment sections.
It is ugly. But the thumbscrews Tung and the government wish to tighten are far worse.
Karianne Tung is hunting much larger prey than Document and Espen Teigen:
Digitalisation Minister Karianne Tung (Ap) is shocked by the examples that have emerged. She places much of the blame on the tech giants, whom she believes have “avoided responsibility” for too long.
– I am thoroughly tired of the tech companies not taking responsibility. They facilitate hate crime taking place, says Tung.
Tung states that the government is working to introduce the Digital Services Act (DSA) in Norway. This is an EU regulatory framework intended to force platforms such as Facebook and TikTok to remove unlawful content more quickly and provide users with genuine points of contact.
– We are also considering age-verification solutions for social media. That will at least ensure that there are real people behind the accounts, says the minister.
https://www.nrk.no/norge/slar-alarm-om-netthets_-_-dette-dreper-demokratiet-1.17874243
https://www.nrk.no/ytring/jeg-er-sa-lei_-1.17870382