What's happening with me is that I don't trust USA news sources on this topic. It is possible something is horrible is happening but there is so much propaganda people who might normally be concerned with this suspect it's a misdirection or scapegoating because of the US's catastrophic response to COVID19
It's the same reason a lot of right wing people who wouldn't be in favour of police brutalizing don't speak up - we become cynical and come to be believe we're being manipulated by selective reporting so when we should stand up for our values we don't because it looks like ceding ground to the enemy.
Now my account will probably shadowbanned because of emotional HN users but I don't think I'm mistaken about why there is apathy.
Values! Let's talk about what is happening this minute. Somebody just talked to me and then disappeared. All sorts of people with political opinions are self editing and deleting their own comments - or being banned or shadowbanned because their opinions don't fit consensus.
It is difficult for anybody to stand for their values in these conditions. China does not pretend to be a politically free society - but I believe I'd have a better shot freely talking about Western politics on a Chinese service than an American internet service today.
People with my opinions are not a threat to the CCP - so I would be left alone. The number of times I've been banned for speaking simple opinions that just don't conform to the consensus of the hour is more than I can count. All from American web services. Even Sam Altman - who owns some of those services has said the same. It's the synchronization that is causing all the overreactions and underreactions to events.
There's a big difference between government censorship and internet company censorship. Both are problematic but other than that they aren't in the same league.
Why a difference? Internet company censorship is at scale and often works to further censorship by other organizations - some of them are even governments.
Ignoring governments - who can have valid political and strategic reasons to be censors - the social media censorship is more serious because it is operating at the social layer - all those capillaries. Social consensus enforcement touches more people in everyday life.
It's the same reason a lot of right wing people who wouldn't be in favour of police brutalizing don't speak up - we become cynical and come to be believe we're being manipulated by selective reporting so when we should stand up for our values we don't because it looks like ceding ground to the enemy.
Now my account will probably shadowbanned because of emotional HN users but I don't think I'm mistaken about why there is apathy.