Facebook Bans The System Is Down (And Related Accounts!) Occurred on 6 Jan 2021

Facebook took drastic action against Dan Smotz, host of a podcast called The System Is Down, after he published an episode titled 204: Is Cue A-non Dead? Is Epstein Alive? Where’s The Kraken? #TrustThePlan? w. Scott McElroy. Facebook not only banned Smotz’s personal account and all of his other separate business pages, but also his wife’s personal account and her own separate business page. Speaking with BigTech.fail, Smotz confirmed that Facebook did all of this without contacting him once, meaning there was no warning, no explanation, and no possibilty for appeal.

As many of you know, my podcast page The System is Down, got banned from Facebook this week… But it wasn’t just the podcast… It was my personal page, my forums, my many business pages, my music pages, and 10 YEARS of work that I poured into a platform that doesn’t respect any of us enough to even give us an explanation when they’re done with us, or even let us file any kind of appeal…

Oh but that’s not all. They also banned MY WIFE’S personal account (which she needs in order to do her job) along with her business page as well, seemingly just because she was an admin on my page.

– The System Is Down 2, 8 Jan 2021

Therefore, Smotz and his wife had to infer from recent events and news articles that they were banned due to the discussion of QAnon despite Smotz himself not subscribing to this theory and largely pushing back against it in the episode. Ironically, in the opening of that episode, Smotz explained the importance of exploring different avenues of thought and thinking for ourselves:

I think it’s important to have these conversations that are deemed inappropriate […]. What if, just hypothetically, what if the people who are shutting down all these crazy conspiracy theorists, what if there’s a little bit more behind it? What if the people who are saying that you’re not allowed to dig into one topic, maybe there’s more of a reason than “it’s false.” If you think that exploring different avenues of thought […] [is] dangerous, then that’s just because you don’t know how to think for yourself.

A few weeks later, Facebook reinstated Smotz’s personal account and most of his other business pages, as well as his wife’s business page (but not her personal account). They also took down the second podcast page, The System is Down 2. This had all been done, still, without a single communication from Facebook.

In a statement, Smotz pointed out that these technology corporations are essentially functioning as new branches of government, and that this is not so much about a particular set of political beliefs, but rather “if you question the power.” His full statement can be read below:

First they came for Alex Jones and I said nothing… for I was not Alex Jones…

I think there’s something wholly unifying in being able to have civil uncomfortable conversations on taboo topics. That’s what I do on my show. I talk to people I disagree with and seek truth, regardless of how inconvenient it may be. In the last year, I’ve been called a “left wing commie”, for trying hard to understand certain points of view. I’ve been called “alt-right” for questioning the narrative of liars in the media. I am neither of these things… I am a libertarian and as a libertarian, I believe every individual has value, even if they have bad ideas.

This social media censorship fad, that my wife and I got hit with and continue to fight, isn’t a simple case of property rights. It is more akin to “book burning” than “cake baking” and more-so, it’s unlike anything at all that we’ve ever witnessed before. We’re talking about thought crimes, guilt by association, and removal from what have become the largest communication devices in known human history, without warning and without explanation. We’re talking about haphazard contract agreements with the technology industrial complex, where the rules can be altered at will without notice (by only one side of the agreement) and terminated without reason. We’re talking about the digital public square, while the literal physical public square is also on lock down by government edict. We’re talking about 10 years of work and business poured into a platform that will gather and sell your information to the highest bidder and cast you and all of your work and progress out, the moment you’re no longer convenient for their politically biased narratives. We’re talking about silicon valley cronies, who have no medical background, deciding which doctors, scientists, and medical experts get to share their findings and innovations with the public. We’re talking about corrupt individuals in power, directly limiting our ability to converse, unite, and advance as a species.

I’m not calling for more government intervention. I’m calling for less government protection. We’re essentially watching new branches of government and propaganda destroying small businesses with impunity, for having different if common political leanings.

While some libertarians dance on the social media graves of people they disagree with, people like former CIA Director, John Brenan is pushing a narrative for President Biden’s administration, on daytime television, that broad brush lumps ALL libertarians in with terrorists and we continue to see libertarian after libertarian forcibly removed from the conversation… It’s flagrant divide and conquer of all dissenting opinions. Regardless of your political leaning, if you question the power… you’re probably next. Stop celebrating the punishment of free thinkers, no matter how “crazy” you think they are. You may still have more to learn. The only way we unite as a species, is by having the conversations. There are those who would prefer we do neither. Stop giving them power. #youarethepower