The Internet: Making Mice Into Men, Since 1996

The Internet: Making Mice Into Men, Since 1996

January 10, 2016

I try to imagine what my life would be like without the Internet. I do a lot of my research electronically, spend a lot of money online, keep up with friends near and far, and have met lovely people who have become fast friends. I spend many hours everyday on the Internet, largely because I'm still a student and have the luxury of time at the moment. It's a blessing and one that I am aware hopefully won't last forever.

That having been stated, the Internet is also a place that enables anonymity. I'm not talking about pornography or file sharing. I refer to something common and mundane: commenting on Youtube videos, Facebook posts, and Twitter battles. Anonymity isn't relegated merely to the commenting on posts either but includes reporting 'abusive' behavior to website moderators. You may be thinking 'so what?' but this is very important when we consider that the ownership of these sites are themselves very politically driven and often SJWs themselves, as in the case of Mark Zuckerberg and the ownership of Twitter.

Some commentators are simply trolls, who seek nothing more than to get a rise out of people whom they dislike and best ignored. But others are Keyboard Warriors. Consider them an addition to my list of Social JusticeWarrior archetypes or an add-on to any archetype, as being a Keyboard Warrior is almost an alternative identity due to the inherit anonymity the internet provides. In face to face encounters a Keyboard Warrior may be a coward or too polite to engage in conversation with the venom used online because face to face dialogue is by definition not anonymous.

Again, so what's the big deal? People being jerks on the internet shouldn't be a cause for concern for people since it's so common, right? The thing about this is that when the Keyboard Warrior is driven by more than merely the glee derived from pissing people off on the internet tangible problems can result. Ideology is a dangerous motivator for anyone. An example of this is the case of a man in Beaverton, Oregon, who will go unnamed because I don't feel the need to pile on to him. The manwas caught on video screaming racist epitaphs ata woman on the road. The video was uploaded to the internet and went viral on social media. Social Justice Warriors on the internet demanded his head...or at least his job. Soon, vigilant Keyboard Warriors found his personal information including his place of employment and managed to get the man fired. FIRED. Those who went on this Holy Crusade of NeoProgressivism didn't stop to ask if he had a family or kids to feed. That isn't the concern of SJWs. I can't believe I have to defend someone like this because what he did was reprehensible. But in the age of Orwell's nightmare, privacy is a thing of the past. Any mistake made or dirty deed can destroy your life and the lives of those who rely on you. But hey, at least some SJWs got to add a confirmed kill to their tally, right?

Credit for this masterpiece is due to Agent X Comics.

This treatment isn't limited to those who can't defend themselves from the authoritarian onslaught. Take the case of famous provocateur and conservative journalist Milo Yiannopoulos, who has been in the habit of retweeting angry and threatening tweets he receives, as well as responding directly, telling one SJW that they deserved to be harassed. For this, Twitter (who is notoriously owned by SJWs) unverified hisTwitter account, making it difficult to discern his account from those who copy him. Unlike the miscreant in Beaverton, Yiannopoulos was able to use his platform to retaliate by simply being himself: bombastic. Within hours the hashtag #JesuisMilo was the number 1 trending hashtag in the world. Why? Because even people like myself who do not agree with some of what he says went to his defense because free speech is critical to maintaining a democratic society. The biggest indictment of Twitter's behavior in the attempt to silence Yiannopoulos was their total silence on why he was unverified, save for the email sent to Yiannopoulos himself, which was vague. Again, anonymity is the trademark of Keyboard Warriors, whether individuals or corporate.

Like the SJW modus operandi in other arenas, the net effect is suppression of speech. Perhaps the neanderthal in Beaverton deserved what came to him; certainly he was in the wrong. But the expression of power used by an angry mob who didn't have to go to the lengths angry mobs have in the past (actually grabbing pitchforks and forming an actual mob) is what concerns me. When a few people have hurt feelings and faux-outrage they can use social media to destroy the lives of people they dislike. A few retweets and shares on Twitter or Facebook and damage is done. Again, I can't help but wonder if the barbarian in Beaverton has kids. I really hope not because since he was both fired and made internet-famous his chances of finding a job anytime soon are slim.