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Comment by notechback | Hacker News Reader

There is a difference between silencing dissenters in a scientific discussion and silencing dissenters trying to push a viewpoint to the masses that may or may not result in tens of thousands of deaths if it gets sufficient traction. This is exactly the kind of thing Russian propaganda always tries to achieve: provide confusion and semi-legitimate experts spreading false narratives so that the population does not believe the government anymore - or simply doesn't believe anyone anymore.

See eg the EU's take on it:

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/eeas-special-report-disinformation-on...

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/

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> There is a difference between silencing dissenters in a scientific discussion and silencing dissenters trying to push a viewpoint to the masses that may or may not result in tens of thousands of deaths if it gets sufficient traction.

It's the oldest trick in the book. Millions will die! You can't seek the truth in an non-transparent environment.

> This is exactly the kind of thing Russian propaganda always tries to achieve

How two Californian doctors talking about their own data and the reading of other counties data Russian propaganda?

> See eg the EU's take on it: https://euvsdisinfo.eu/

Form the website: "EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position"

Yes, especially when massive organized efforts of bots and astroturfing is involved. Some governments have been found to post hundreds of millions of fake social media posts per year.

Interesting.

So.... forbid all speech that could result in a revolution, then? Say... An American one? Or maybe a Spring one. Or a French one.

I mean.. that's the standard you set up. In before "ARE YOU COMPARING A VIRUS TO A REVOLUTION?" blah. At the risk of overstating my case, life isn't the only valuable thing on earth.

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