Woke Policies vs. Chickens: A Libertarian Facebook Saga

Girchi is a libertarian party from the country of Georgia and, by electoral success, could be considered one of the most successful libertarian parties in the world. Girchi is famous for its internet presence and popularity across social media. In the chaotic digital realm of Facebook, Girchi’s private group has long stood as a beacon of civilised discourse, having 25k members and still growing.

In this group, we take great satisfaction in our ability to have thoughtful, civil conversations about a wide range of subjects and to promote an open exchange of ideas. However, our peaceful corner of the internet has recently been disrupted by an unexpected villain: a chicken.

You read that correctly, but it’s not because we’ve suddenly taken a keen interest in poultry farming. Our private Facebook group, known for respectful and thoughtful debates, has had posts mysteriously disappearing simply because they contained the word “chicken.” It turns out this term has been flagged because, in a very specific and limited context, it is derogatory slang for gay individuals. This usage originated from Russian prison culture, where the term “петух” (rooster) was used pejoratively. Despite its origins, this slang is not widespread in Georgia and is very rarely used in general public discourse.

Yet, Facebook’s algorithms, influenced by overzealous woke standards, have been flagging and deleting our posts, even when the term “chicken” was used in entirely innocent contexts. Our posts, some of which were as harmless as casually talking about the famous chicken or egg conundrum, have been removed as a result (see the picture below). Furthermore, if our members continue to use what appears to be offensive language, we risk having our group banned.

It’s an odd turn of events when a libertarian party finds itself defending the uncensored right to say “chicken.” This circumstance serves as a clear reminder of the difficulties and ridiculousness of modern woke politics spread across social media.

An additional ridiculous aspect of this woke agenda is that Facebook moderators removed our posts even though the word “chicken” was used in a different context and had nothing to do with the LGBTQ community. This makes you believe that the purpose of wokeism is not to confront issues of aggression or so-called hate speech, but rather to paint themselves as victims and fabricate stories of oppression, even when it was in no one’s plans to do so.

As a libertarian party, Girchi values free speech and the open exchange of ideas. The recent trend of hyper-sensitive wokeism, however, often leads to a suppression of dialogue rather than its enhancement. Although progressives assert that they support true inclusivity and understanding, they are the least receptive to ideas that run counter to their worldview.

The entire purpose of free speech is to safeguard the freedom to say things that other people may find upsetting. After all, what good is it to defend the right to say something that everyone already sympathises with? Thus, the only actual target of free speech protection is so-called hate speech.

Join us at Girchi’s bubble, where respectful and principled conversations from politics to economics are welcomed.