Social Media Witch Hunt

Jon Del Arroz points out how "inclusive" and "diverse" are actually code words for "conform...or else" as the usual suspects launch into the typical mob witch hunt.  This time, against a 14 year old YouTuber, for badthink and wrongspeech.

She’s 14.

She’s a child.

With opinions she posted.

The internet hasn’t been around all that long. I started posting when I was about 14-15 to various websites, and even though there were strange adults who might stalk around then, there wasn’t a danger due to big social media of these mob echo chamber coming after me to try to ruin my life at such an age.

Now there is.

And they’ll get the police involved. It won’t surprise me either if they “find something”, in order to put a stop to what Soph is saying.

http://delarroz.com/2019/05/21/theyll-jail-you-over-your-opinions/

The Publishing Industry

Jon Del Arroz explains--probably a lot better than I ever could--why I chose to focus on self-publishing instead of trying to get in with big major publishers.  This is in regards to a memo DC comics sent out to their employees and freelancers regarding what was "okay" to say on social media.

Of course some people's mean spirited speech will be more equal than others.

DC wouldn't hire me in a million years, because I don't toe a company line, I am an independent thinker, and they don't allow those in t he comic industry. It'll be interesting to see how it goes later this year when my The Ember War adaptation hits amazon. If/when that sells well, what then?

Even a smaller publisher like Angry Robot doesn't care about anything other than their political signaling. They didn't even dignify me with a response when I emailed Mike Underwood about The Stars Entwined, which I'll be putting out March 20th. Of course, I'm blocked by him on twitter -- despite sharing a drink with him at a convention several years ago. It's all about the political signaling, even if I outsell the vast majority of their titles already...

This is why it's imperative to build your own platform if you want to have any semblance of free speech. You can't do it through these companies, they'll never let you. They hate you at the end of the day, and this is how they begin to show it.

"Build your own platform."  Excellent advice, and definitely worth listening to.

Vox Day commented on the same memo, and nailed down the problem; as usual, "what's okay for me is not okay for thee."

This is why SJWs always prefer nebulous Codes of Conduct and Community Police to clear, objective guidelines that can be impartially applied. You see, the "rules" are supposed to be applied only to those who violate the Narrative, while allowing complete freedom of action to the SJWs.

As a non-leftist, free speech and anti-censorship, straight white male, who has written for Lew Rockwell and works at the Mises Institute, I'm fairly well convinced that anything I did try to submit to the big publishing houses would hit the round file faster than you can say "censored."  I will continue to follow the advice of Jon and Vox and grow my own platform.

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Looking forward to Arkhaven!

As a long-time comic book fan--heck, I can remember when the entire X-Men team was made up of five white teenagers and their bald mentor--I'm definitely looking forward to Castalia House's new comic book imprint.  They've got scads of comics raring to go, starting with Quantum Mortis and expanding from there.  Check them out!

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Worldcon: Arroz is in good company

Jon Del Arroz discovers there is a historical precedent set by Worldcon to ban people they didn't want speaking.

The Futurians were kicked out of the first Worldcon because organizers feared that they would distribute communist propaganda. The group included a number of luminaries including Asimov and Pohl.

Because  of their fear of not Asimov hurting anyone...but spreading political ideas that they found too dangerous for the times...WorldCon banned Isaac Asimov.

The implication is clear. The elites in science fiction believe I have the potential to be the next Asimov. They want to ensure I’m deplatformed as much as possible because they fear the influence I’ll have politically to change their stodgy, outdated culture, which would change science fiction into something that’s thriving and fun. In the process, they’d lose their control over the kinds of stories that are published.

...that's the kicker, isn't it?  Somehow, it always comes back to the gatekeepers.

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Worldcon Ejects Arroz

That's right, the World Science Fiction Convention committee has decided to "downgrade" the membership of writer Jon Del Arroz from the "attending" level to the "supporting" level.  This comes across as censorship, since Jon has been critical of the industry, and the fact that he's a Hispanic writer speaks volumes also.

In slightly related news, there will be a new set of awards to be handed out around the same time as this year's Worldcon.

UPDATE:  PJ Media has picked up the story.

"With Worldcon's statements about 'intent' to violate their rules, and failure to specify rules, this is a clear targeting over my politics because I'm a vocal Christian and Hispanic Trump supporter," says Del Arroz. "The left claims I should be banned for controversial political opinions, but the only opinion I espouse on a regular basis is that artists should not be blackballed for their politics. That shouldn't be a controversial topic. It is imperative that artists be free from fear of retaliation of their industry in order that they might create great works of art. This is the ultimate free speech issue."