"The only winning move is not to play." It's one of the most quoted lines in alt media and one we're fond of reiterating. Not playing requires alternatives, as in - you know - change.
Change can require a nudge, even for the most committed Alternativistas, and that came recently from one of the Mainstream Behemoth Data Merchants, PayPal when it blatantly imposed total Stasi censorship and colonial theft on its paying users through its TOS (terms of service), claiming the right to withdraw $2500 directly from their bank account if they make any statement which PayPal decides is "misinformation".
This rightfully caused a bit of a stir:
Market Watch: ‘Delete PayPal’ searches spike after $2,500 misinformation fine controversy
Entrepreneur: PayPal Faces Backlash Over 'Mistakenly Published' Policy that Prohibited Misinformation With a Fine of $2,500
And, then:
Crowdfund Insider: PayPal Brings Back $2500 Penalty for Violations of Acceptable Use Policy
RT: PayPal reinstates $2,500 misinformation penalty
...followed by the obsequious MSM cover-uppers, aka "fact checkers":
USA Today: Fact check: No, PayPal hasn't ‘reinstated’ policy to fine users $2,500 for misinformation
Politifact: No, PayPal isn’t fining users $2,500 for spreading misinformation
Verify: No, PayPal did not reinstate a $2,500 fine for spreading misinformation
It would be funny if it weren't so sad. Happily, some websites actually stick to factual, deeper-than-surface reporting, at least on this:
Mind Matters News: PayPal Can Still Fine Its Users $2500 for Wrongthink
Regardless, PayPal remains smack in the middle of the top 5 Merchants of (your) Data and has just outed itself as willing and able to make you and your data stick to the party line while profiting from your payments, your donors' payments, and your data. (Here are some ways your data is collected and sold by these billionaire behemoths.)
Titanic Lifeboat Academy used this little demonstration of totalitarianism as the needed "nudge" to finally find a different donation processor: Announcing Stripe! When you visit our DONATE page, you'll see Stripe's simple payment box. Please do click on the DONATE button, as our little "nudge" cost us in total about $650 for software in purging and replacing PayPal, and we could use your help.
We think it was worth it. We'd like to know what you think, so give it a try. Or, we also accept checks by snail mail, a true alternative. Either way, your gift is eligible for a federal tax deduction (depending on your tax return) as Titanic Lifeboat Academy is a 501(c)3 nonprofit.
"The only winning move is not to play." Share your alternatives in the comments section.
