By Stanley Kurtz
Monday, May 06, 2019
Ryan P. Williams of the Claremont Institute has a horror
story to share about his experiences with Google:
We wanted to advertise our 40th
Anniversary Gala on May 11, at which we’re honoring Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo, to readers of our own online publication, The American Mind. But Google
refuses to allow us to do so. . . .
Google, either its algorithm or
some individual, had a look at my essay launching our new campaign for a
unifying Americanism, “Defend America—Defeat Multiculturalism.” They decided it
to be in violation of their policy on “race and ethnicity in personalized
advertising” and shut down our advertising efforts to American Mind readers. We
weren’t “advertising” anything in the essay, of course, but the relevant
section of their policy lists “racially or ethnically oriented publications,
racially or ethnically oriented universities, racial or ethnic dating” as examples
of violations.
Somebody must have determined we
were offering “racially or ethnically oriented publications.” This is news to
us. The Claremont Institute has spent forty years teaching all who are willing
to listen that the meaning of the proposition that all human beings are created
equal is the central, animating principle of American political life.
One of my colleagues spent two
hours on the phone with Google to determine whether we could appeal this ruling
or determine which section of the essay was in violation. The response, in
short? There is no appeal; we recommend you remove the content to bring
yourself into compliance.
This appalling decision must not stand. Claremont is
rightly highlighting the contradiction between the constitutional principle of
individual rights and the premises of identity politics. It is this
contradiction, not gerrymandering or talking heads on cable television, that
lies at the root of America’s growing polarization.
Whether you agree or disagree with the thrust of
Claremont’s view, if Google can censor it, then conservatism itself is banned
in this country. To prevent conservatives from defending constitutional
principles as they understand them is to ban America itself.
Ah, but you say, this is just about an ad, it’s not a
total defenestration. Don’t be silly. If the Claremont Institute can be
censored, we are rapidly tumbling to the bottom of the slippery slope. Google’s
action is intolerable and must be reversed.
The crisis has arrived. It is time for people of good
will on all sides of the political spectrum to speak out against this attack on
fundamental liberties. I understand that the precise legal status and
regulatory situation of companies like Google is a matter of continuing
discussion. Regardless of how the details of such policies are resolved,
conservatives and everyone else who believes in free speech need to
energetically protest Google’s decision.
If we are silent now, conservatism is over in this
country.
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