Youtube Censors: Demonetization is government censorship

Youtube content makers are livid, and rightly so.  They are being censored for making content that does not meet youtube's extremely vague "terms of service" rules for video content. 

What's that you say?  Google and youtube are private companies, not the government?  Private companies cannot censor?

I agree, private companies cannot censor, only governments can.  But if a company silences people at the behest and by the order of a government (as part of the price of doing business with said government), then it IS government censorship.

Google abandoned the Chinese market in 2010 but in 2016 has decided to go back.  One of the conditions set out by the mass murdering Chinese dictatorship in 2010 was the censorship of search results, prevention of certain topics online.  In order to re-enter China's markets, google will have to do the corrupt government's bidding and censor user content.  And judging by the new "terms of service" for youtube, google has already started.

These are their five "rules for unacceptable content":

"Sexually suggestive content, including partial nudity and sexual humor"

What constitutes "sexual content"?  LGBTQIA kissing?  Transgender people's videos?  People at the beach?

"Violence, including display of serious injury and events related to violent extremism"

Does this include video showing police and governments violently assaulting and murdering peaceful human rights protestors (e.g. the corporate and government violence against protesters in North Dakota)?  Does this include video exposing war crimes by corrupt governments?  Very likely, it does.

"Inappropriate language, including harassment, profanity and vulgar language"

So, it's perfectly alright for advertisements to appear in hollywood movies full of profanity and racist language, but a youtube video with a much smaller audience cannot say them?

"Promotion of drugs and regulated substances, including selling, use and abuse of such items"

Meanwhile, advertisements by multinational pharmaceutial industries will still be perfectly legal.  Discussing and advocating the legalization or decriminalization of drugs, or even discussing countries where drugs are legal, will remain a banned topic.

"Controversial or sensitive subjects and events, including subjects related to war, political conflicts, natural disasters and tragedies, even if graphic imagery is not shown"

China Uncensored is a youtube channel based in Hong Kong which factually (while humourously) reports on serious events in China such as human rights abuses, the mass murder of falun gong members for "organ harvesting" and transplant tourism, the silencing of the press, arrests without trial and torture, etc.  Would it surprise you to hear that China Uncensored has been "demonetized" (read: demonized) for reporting facts?  All at the behest of Beijing and likely other governments.

Unfortunately, it's not just the corrupt Chinese regime that likes these rules.  Other governments which mass murder and commit war crimes (e.g. the US, Israel, the UK) would be just as happy to see these rules imposed, to silence whistle blowers and help cover up their crimes against humanity.

How many other topics will be deemed "sensitive" and silences by google for the benefit of governments?  Systematic racism in countries like the US and Australia?  Climate change?  The corporatization of the entire world with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)?

"Not censorship."  Yeah, right.

Holocaust Recognized: Turkey livid after Germany calls it the Armenian genocide

In a long overdue move, the German government has officially recognized the mass murder of a million and a half Armenians as genocide.  It shouldn't have taken this long, considering how aware Germany is of its own history.

Denying the Armenian genocide is as appalling as denying the genocide of six million jews during World War II.  How strange that Israel has been one of Turkey's strongest backers in denying the Armenian genocide.
 Knowing better doesn't guarantee that people will do better.

German MPs recognise Armenian 'genocide' amid Turkish fury

The German parliament has approved a resolution declaring that the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War One was a "genocide".

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their people died in the atrocities of 1915. Turkey says the toll was much lower and rejects the term "genocide".
[...]

In the latest response:

- Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim blamed a "racist Armenian lobby" for the resolution

- Armenia's Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said it was a "valuable contribution" to the "international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian genocide"

[...]

More than 20 nations, including France and Russia, as well as Pope Francis, have recognised the 1915 killings as genocide.

Being Nickel-And-Dimed: The elimination of voters in the US

There are a plethora of news stories from the US that make absolutely no sense to anyone who lives in a functioning democracy.  This is only a partial list of such things:

A twelve year old child being bodyslammed into a floor.
Police threatening violence and arrest without any justification or crime. 
Adults threatened with jail time for loss of a library book.
Usury "fees" that goverments force people to pay before paying fines or tolls.
Nationalizing local incidents that do not merit the effort.
Militarism of civic policing.
Seizure laws that presume guilt until innocence.
Governments steal more private property than criminals do.

The goal of the 1%ers in the US is, and always had been, to turn the country into a Plutarchy or dictatorship.  But doing it overnight is unlikely to be accepted without a popular revolt.  The only way to do it is a slow, gradual elimination of the general populace from the voting lists and taking away their rights.  So how can that be done? 

By catapulting the propaganda about "getting tough on crime". 

By redefining minor acts into criminal acts. 

By creating a Soviet-style legal system ("Anything that is not explicitly permitted is forbidden."). 

By criminalizing as many of the population as possible.

By revoking the right to vote from people with criminal records.

With enough laws and enough time, the majority of Americans will no longer have the right to vote.  Only those with wealth and lawyers will have rights. 

The US is turning into a feudal society where the working poor pay taxes while the rich pay none.  The poor can be arrested, jailed or subjected to violence for questioning the hierarchy.

Warning Shot: I'm reminded of what it takes to live in a free country

It's tempting to think of Taiwan being free of danger, considering how safe a place it is to live.  There are low amounts of violent crime (other than low life gangsters and road raging drivers), free speech and a lot of protections and respect for the rights of women and LGBTQIA people, among other things.

Then once in a while, you're reminded of the danger only a plane flight away, one of the most brutal, ruthless, corrupt murderous, militaristic and amoral dictatorships in the world.  And I don't mean the US, that's in the other direction.

Northern Taiwan traffic to be halted in Monday's air defense drill

An annual air defense drill during which people are required to stay indoors and traffic controls are imposed will be held in seven cities and counties in northern Taiwan on Monday, the National Police Agency (NPA) said Saturday.

The Wanan drill will be held in Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, Taoyuan and Hsinchu cities and Yilan and Hsinchu counties between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. on April 18.

The agency said that during the 30-minute period, those who are at home should shut their doors and windows and turn off the electricity and natural gas lines.