Spotify, SoundCloud and other platforms have pulled the song, but its spread underscores the challenges tech platforms face in removing content that violate their policies.
Spotify, SoundCloud and other tech platforms have worked to remove a new song from Ye that praises Adolf Hitler, but the song and its video have continued to proliferate online including across X, where it has racked up millions of views.
On various mainstream and alternative tech platforms this week, Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has been able to share his latest song, titled “Heil Hitler,” along with its companion title, “WW3,” which similarly glorifies Hitler, the architect of the Holocaust.
While some platforms have taken steps to attempt to pull down the song, others have seemingly let it spread freely.
Your belief that I don’t understand these ideas or haven’t encountered them is incorrect. In fact I used to prioritize those ideas myself, and encouraged others to do the same.
I don’t even really disagree with most of that, I’m not talking (at all) about clamping down on free expression in a general sense. I’m saying that a free society must not equally allow every possible expression, and that anything invoking and glorifying Nazism in specific is beyond the pale and must be stopped, including violently when necessary. My point of view is not extreme, nor is it authoritarian (by my measure). There are thriving democratic nations who do exactly this right now, Germany being the example I have in mind (though I do acknowledge their special history with regard to that precise topic).
I’m also saying you seem far more interested in splitting hairs and discussing theory than solving problems. And that works fantastically for the right-wing folks who only care about winning. They don’t argue ideology in good faith, they instead exploit the willingness of others to do so (like you’re insisting on here) because it drags them into unproductive conversations and creates feuds (like we’re doing here).
I’m not advocating for anything I’d call authoritarian, but that word means something different to everyone. I am saying tolerance must have its limits, or the spread of intolerance over time is guaranteed. I’m really uninterested in going further with you. You are not bringing me anything new or that I find valuable. You are bringing me points I have considered, largely accepted, and in narrow cases, have chosen to reject. I didn’t say I’ve never gone into a scholarly direction on this stuff. I said I am uninterested in doing so here. My original comment about paradox of intolerance is something that person needed to hear. I never had any intention to be rigorous with my telling, and I stand by everything I said regardless.
I can tell that you feel really strongly about this stuff and I think we’re on the same side. I think I probably agree with you more than you realize. I want to say one more time - I’m not interested in discussing these details. It isn’t that I don’t find them valuable, can’t understand them, or never have learned about them. There are other valid reasons for not wanting to, and I’d appreciate a little intellectual charity from you. But that’s yours to give, not mine to demand. I do wish you well.
Edit: softened tone at the end