He scoffed, but Alex Jones defamation debt will dog him for life

insider.com

3 points·pseudolus··7 comments

Well, that's what you get if the establishment doesn't like you

Meanwhile companies that caused actual damage, even death, to thousands (not mere defamation) have paid less in damages...

It's not about who is more wrong, at least someone that was clearly wrong was brought to justice.

It's about proportion.

We don't just pick up random people (or worse specific people for non-justice reasons) among offenders and celebrate that we "brought them to justice".

Especially since what's disproportionate is not just about what X got vs what Y got as a penalty, but also the size of the penalty itself compared to the offense...

A billion dollar penantly is like the death penalty, just delivered financially. Civilized societies don't do those two.

Alex Jones will forever live in piety of the institution. That's fair recompense for terrorizing the lives of innocent people and encouraging thousands of others to do the same.

I'm all for free speech and civil conduct, but the legal system must allow room to prosecute concerted harassment campaigns like this one.

Is Alex Jones a nut case? No doubt. But I think this should be scary for anyone expressing heterodox opinions. And whatever you think, it will be heterodox before long if you don't constantly amend it.

he wasn't expressing an opinion, he was lying about a factual event for profit, and calling the parents actors.

You're right, and I don't mean to minimize it.

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