Is This a Conspiracy, or Just an Innocent System Glitch?

Social Media has gone through a number of changes. The interacting of human beings over distances dates back centuries. There was written correspondence delivered by hand, and traced back to 550 B.C., what we can consider the earliest postal service. With the introduction of the telegraph in 1792, pony express, the stagecoach, and by other means, messages between people were delivered faster over generations, and then computers came along and the rest is history.

Since the election of Donald Trump, however, social media has gone through another kind of change, more a transformation, not involving the means of communicating, but the content of information. Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms have assumed a position that they will determine what is acceptable to transmit. Even though they may deny it, many have an agenda, and one that often leans left and manipulates the discussion. We’ve all heard the stories about conservatives and Republicans whose commentaries for one reason or another have been censored, and the individual or group suspended from further use of the platform. 

The CEO’s of these social media networks have appeared before congress, and have been questioned as to whether they are ideologically biased and are applying policy standards and terms of service that are antithetical to conservative and Republican ideological thinking, and comments and opinions on issues. There can be little doubt, based on the actions of these social media platforms, and whatever the excuses of their leaders; they have programmed algorithms that are in fact bias toward the right.

Although not on social media, I am well aware of both the advantages and the pitfalls of what many believe to be a toxic environment, where lives can be upset, threatened with violence, even destroyed.  People have gone through great trauma and hardship for what they believed was an innocent comment made on social media, and have had to endure the malicious and hateful anger of certain groups whose idea of free speech is that only theirs and similar speech can be countenanced.

Again I do not partake in this hyper-sensitive, woke, virtue-signaling world of sycophants and crazies, but I do a good deal of communication, for business and other matters, through email that is serviced by America On Line (AOL). And this is where my story begins. I receive on the average about 100-150 Emails each day from any and all senders; business matters, media outlets, politicians, charities, catalog sales, and occasionally a foreign entity that wants to introduce me to some gorgeous young woman looking for “companionship.”

America On Line is also a news service, and judging by the content of their stories, it is apparent that they do in fact tilt left of center, and the president is usually the object of negative reporting. A couple of months back, I became aware of something that seemed out of the ordinary, to say the least. It involved emails from the president, his family, Republican politicians, and supporters of the administration.

Whenever I opened an email from any of the above that was asking for a contribution, and upon clicking the donate button and opening a new window, this statement appeared “This site cannot be reached.” This only occurs when the email is from a Republican, and with no other sender asking for a contribution, or anything else, does this happen. Was this a conspiracy? Perhaps not, but I suspect something seems amiss.
 
Based on AOL’s political slant, and this rather unusual situation, I decided to take action. I contacted a number of Congressmen by email and also left messages on their voice mail. In one case, I was fortunate enough to speak with an assistant in the office of Congressman Steve Scalise, who, among many others, has sent numerous emails asking for contributions to the Republican Party.

Just recently I went to the website of Congressman Peter King of New York, a highly respected statesman, one of the few politicians whose reputation for honesty, decency, and trustworthiness is recognized by people on both sides of the political aisle.  Within minutes I received a response, noting that the Congressman receives hundreds of requests for help, but that he will, as soon as possible, respond personally by either phone or email.

If in fact, as I suspect, AOL is blocking anyone interested in responding to the Republican cause, then perhaps they should also be brought before congress, and/or the A230 provision that absolves them from lawsuits, should be revoked. This kind of political bias and its resulting infringement on the people’s freedom is, I believe, both illegal and unconstitutional. I will keep you updated.