There nothing like targeting the biggest fish in a global giant like Meta on charges of suppressing free speech to get a rapid result – and Alexandra Forwood is now back on Facebook after an outcry over her suspension driven by the lamentable Lynda Tabuya, the Coalition’s Minister for Disinformation, Bonking and Weed.
It is a humiliation for Tabuya and her lackeys at the Online Safety Commission, who couldn’t help crowing about Meta removing Alex Forwood only to see her restored and back in the business of making their lives hell within the space of less than 48 hours.
Worse for the government, Alex has taken the first steps in setting up her own blog site outside Facebook. First it was to circumvent the Facebook ban – as Grubsheet has been able to do in these columns after I was kicked off Facebook on a complaint from Lynda Tabuya. But now Alex seems poised to launch a two-pronged campaign to keep the bastards honest on both Facebook and her new blog site.
Lynda Tabuya now has a great deal of egg on her face, along with her patron, the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka. And both now face the possibility of Grubsheet also making a reappearance on Facebook inspired by Alex Forward’s enterprise.
I am a week away from shutting down altogether here as my left shoulder is replaced but when I eventually return, I will be making my own representations to Meta to be readmitted to Facebook and start re-recruiting the 30,000 “followers” I had before I was terminated.
So on more than one front, Lynda’s attempt to silence Alex Forwood has backfired in spectacular fashion and empowered, and emboldened, the government’s critics at the worst possible time as the days count down relentlessly to judgment day at the hands of a restive electorate.
Pride comes before a fall – as the old saying goes – and Lynda has humiliated herself and her government colleagues through her hubris and total lack of judgment.
It wasn’t a good look and it will have taken Meta very little time to realise it.
A public relations disaster. And all self-inflicted.
Well done Alex, a true champion for free speech. We have all seen what’s happening in America and I’m sure nobody wants that in Fiji, apart from Lynda and her cronies.
Good luck with the op, GD. I think I can speak for all of your readers when I say that the time you are away will be devoid of any true journalism in this country and you will be sorely missed by all.
Please take care, recuperate and come back to us when you are ready to fight the good fight and tell us what’s really happening in the halls of power.
You are very kind. Thank you.
Hear! Hear! For real.
In a world where all “mainstream (steam?)” media has become more and more beholden to the ruling class and ass, (cnn,bbc, anyone?) independent, non-commercial, non-corporate blogs and pod casts are reporting true facts that keep speaking truth to power.
In our little corner of the world we have despicable characters whose sense of self-importance is equally abhorrent, to wit, a porn, weed, and bonking queen, a half-cast bastard – appu simpson, karia dacoit baiman and his band of 5 indo traitors, rolex rambo, Mr 10% kamikamica, yu lailai tudravu, saleshni, baboon ag, pedo prez and the rest of the bastards in the same clown car must called out at every opportunity.
GD, as the song goes, please don’t go. Continue to hold the mirror up to these clocksuckers.
Free speech has prevailed— for now at least, but we can never take it for granted, We now know that this is an Orwellian government that fooled us voters with promises of not only a free media, but a pay cut, and various other pledges.
While they repealed the media act, they are devising other means to control the media and expunge freedom of expression. Instead of a pay cut, they have themselves massive pay increase and humungous duty free concessions. Lynda Tabuya was the mastermind behind both these moves, with Rambuka’s full blessing.
Biman is another culprit. The Fiji public has seen him for the bare faced liar that he is. In fact, they’re all greedy bastards, including Manoa Kamikamica, who said they should be given more money to perform better. He never said that in the election campaign.
Another culprit is Vosarogo who vigorously supported the pay increase and other benefits, but was singing a different tune during election campaign, but as we know, he’s a thrice barred lawyer so we should’ve never trusted him in the first place. The resource owner should never trust him either.
In fact, the Fiji voters should give this government a collective kick in the arse in the next election. They’re all greedy, lying, hypocritical bastards.
It is comical that Lynda claimed Alex’s account had been removed when it hadn’t been. It had been suspended based on Lynda’s complaint. Lynda doesn’t even fact check her own statements. This is her 2nd blunder at trying to create a false narrative (1st being the CWM elevator only broke down once). Another skill for her resume – Queen of disinformation.
Hullo GD! The corruption of this government is scary! The Chinese govt has bribed them left right and center! Last year they took the children of Ministers on a 2 week trip for summer camp in China all expenses paid ! Included in that trip was kids of Commander Kalouniwai; Humphrey Tawake and even Lynda Tabuya’s niece !
Last week another lot went and this time around Rabuka’s grand daughter (Salome, who’s Aseri Radrodro’s daughter and her husband Brendon) went to China all expenses paid along with other military officers kids !!
Power corrupts absolutely and these kids who live with Rabuka traveled with his permission!
I forgot to mention that Filimoni Vosarogo’s daughter Serilini went to China too last week.
Stunning. Beyond belief.
This goes to show how essential it is for electorates to be properly informed and engaged, rather than being propagandised by the millionaire class media owners bending the knee to power.