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You think AppNexus ceasing to do business with Breitbart is a sign of a totalitarian society? And you're not being hyperbolic? Genuine question, not trying be c

You think AppNexus ceasing to do business with Breitbart is a sign of a totalitarian society? And you're not being hyperbolic? Genuine question, not trying be clever. Arguably it's a sign of a free society, free association and all that. What would a society where people and firms weren't free to boycott and disassociate from firms they didn't like be like?

tomohawk 10y ago
They're not just ceasing to do business. They're making baseless accusations. A totalitarian world view is one in which someone no longer feels obliged to just offer their services or goods in free exchange, but to also insist that those they do business with also subscribe to their way of thinking. These things are rarely related.
- tedajax 10y ago
  So now you want to force businesses to associate with businesses they don't want to associate with and you're calling them totalitarian?
  - tomohawk 10y ago
    Of course not. But cutting ties and making baseless accusations? This is false shaming and participating in a false narrative. This is exactly how totalitarianism takes hold.
    - tedajax 10y ago
      No totalitarianism tends to happen when you have a state run media apparatus which is run by a media mogul with a position close to a demagogue leader who has floated the idea of not giving press credentials to other media organizations. Starting to sound a little familiar?
      - tomohawk 10y ago
        Yes. http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-hillary-clinton-restricts-the-press-2014-7 http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-hillary-clinton-res...
  - briandear 10y ago
    How about businesses being forced to do business with individuals that hold views with which the owners of those businesses disagree. A wedding cake baker chosing not to make a cake for a gay couple gets crucified and held legally liable -- yet the same exact behavior when an ad network chooses to do business with a company holding ideas with which they disagree -- that's allowed? I personally think businesses should be allowed to discriminate for any reason -- the marketplace can answer that discrimination by not supporting those businesses.
    - kristjansson 10y ago
      There's a bit of a difference between discriminating against a human on the basis of a immutable aspect of their person and one media business refusing to associate with another media business on the basis of their content. I'll admit, your solution sounds nice, but how do you account for regions where the market supports discriminatory businesses and ostracizes marginal groups?
  - um_ya 10y ago
    It wasn't too long ago that liberals were screaming that a cake company that refused to make a cake for a gay wedding "has" to make the cakes for them... I agree, the business owner should have the sole discretion of who to do business with, but don't be two faced about it.
- mdarens 10y ago
  This is an interesting (made up) definition of totalitarianism. When I buy fair trade beans from the local coffee shop so I can feel better about my yuppie lifestyle, is my resulting denial of business to Folgers totalitarian?
  - tomohawk 10y ago
    It's more like you went into the local coffee shop but they won't serve you unless you sign a statement that you're not a racist. Some people would sign that even though it's none of the coffee shop's business. Other people will just walk out because they just wanted a cup of coffee.
    - mark_edward 10y ago
      And how is this totalitarian?
- AnOscelot 10y ago
  So this ad company is not allowed to criticize Breitbart and should be forced to do business with them? And this would somehow be "freedom" and not totalitarianism?
antonioevans 10y ago
why is it every dissenting opinion is equal. I could say crazy stuff does that make it even? Breitbait is a tabloid. It does some news but not "hard" news. I have seen a few things obviously sensitization on it and some really bad news. I wouldn't advertise on it and I have a massive budget to do so. I love customers but I wouldn't want to associate my brand with them.
- tzakrajs 10y ago
  Not sure if that was a pun or Freudian slip, but the expression is, "dissenting opinion".
  - antonioevans 10y ago
    thanks, for that. but as a pun would work out way better :)

tomohawk 10y ago

They're not just ceasing to do business. They're making baseless accusations. A totalitarian world view is one in which someone no longer feels obliged to just offer their services or goods in free exchange, but to also insist that those they do business with also subscribe to their way of thinking. These things are rarely related.

tedajax 10y ago
So now you want to force businesses to associate with businesses they don't want to associate with and you're calling them totalitarian?
- tomohawk 10y ago
  Of course not. But cutting ties and making baseless accusations? This is false shaming and participating in a false narrative. This is exactly how totalitarianism takes hold.
  - tedajax 10y ago
    No totalitarianism tends to happen when you have a state run media apparatus which is run by a media mogul with a position close to a demagogue leader who has floated the idea of not giving press credentials to other media organizations. Starting to sound a little familiar?
    - tomohawk 10y ago
      Yes. http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-hillary-clinton-restricts-the-press-2014-7 http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-hillary-clinton-res...
- briandear 10y ago
  How about businesses being forced to do business with individuals that hold views with which the owners of those businesses disagree. A wedding cake baker chosing not to make a cake for a gay couple gets crucified and held legally liable -- yet the same exact behavior when an ad network chooses to do business with a company holding ideas with which they disagree -- that's allowed? I personally think businesses should be allowed to discriminate for any reason -- the marketplace can answer that discrimination by not supporting those businesses.
  - kristjansson 10y ago
    There's a bit of a difference between discriminating against a human on the basis of a immutable aspect of their person and one media business refusing to associate with another media business on the basis of their content. I'll admit, your solution sounds nice, but how do you account for regions where the market supports discriminatory businesses and ostracizes marginal groups?
- um_ya 10y ago
  It wasn't too long ago that liberals were screaming that a cake company that refused to make a cake for a gay wedding "has" to make the cakes for them... I agree, the business owner should have the sole discretion of who to do business with, but don't be two faced about it.
mdarens 10y ago
This is an interesting (made up) definition of totalitarianism. When I buy fair trade beans from the local coffee shop so I can feel better about my yuppie lifestyle, is my resulting denial of business to Folgers totalitarian?
- tomohawk 10y ago
  It's more like you went into the local coffee shop but they won't serve you unless you sign a statement that you're not a racist. Some people would sign that even though it's none of the coffee shop's business. Other people will just walk out because they just wanted a cup of coffee.
  - mark_edward 10y ago
    And how is this totalitarian?
AnOscelot 10y ago
So this ad company is not allowed to criticize Breitbart and should be forced to do business with them? And this would somehow be "freedom" and not totalitarianism?

antonioevans 10y ago

why is it every dissenting opinion is equal. I could say crazy stuff does that make it even? Breitbait is a tabloid. It does some news but not "hard" news. I have seen a few things obviously sensitization on it and some really bad news. I wouldn't advertise on it and I have a massive budget to do so. I love customers but I wouldn't want to associate my brand with them.

tzakrajs 10y ago
Not sure if that was a pun or Freudian slip, but the expression is, "dissenting opinion".
- antonioevans 10y ago
  thanks, for that. but as a pun would work out way better :)