My nationality is American, which means I believe in the First Amendment.
My profession is commentator, which means I require the First Amendment.
There are no exceptions to either of these tenets.
So when I am told, by possibly well-meaning but at best indoctrinated and at worst imbecilic individuals, that Freedom and Democracy require Censorship and Suppression it is my duty to fight against such buffoons.
That does not particularly mean I support Russia or oppose Ukraine but it does mean anyone claiming to be an American who encourages the restriction of speech is my avowed enemy.
Since the beginning of this military conflict there has been endless propagandizing from both Court Historians and Controlled Media that the government in Kiev is a bastion of independence and liberty.
This is false.
Last year alone in Ukraine President Zelensky banned no less than three media broadcasters because each disagreed with his policies. They are 112Ukraine, NewsOne, and Zik. The claim was made these were pro-Russian channels which is entirely beside the point given that all anti-government outlets in any nation could likewise be characterized by autocrats as mouthpieces for a foreign regime.
Those news organizations which opposed our own disastrous Iraq War Two could as plausibly have been alleged to be supporters of Saddam Hussein.
On a more fundamental level, President Zelensky similarly imprisoned political opponents based on dubious claims of funding separatists.
To which, the Western Media would likely assert in Russia conditions are not so different. To which, Americans should reply that Russia is not being endlessly hyped as a paragon of Jeffersonian virtue.
If we are being asked to court World War Three then Americans should at a minimum know on whose behalf they may be vaporized.
Unfortunately the corruption of the modern era goes much deeper, with various "democracies" all across the Western world lining up to endorse the most extreme punishments for dissent not seen in generations.
In the democracy of Slovakia the National Crime Agency warned residents might face 10 years or 25 years or even life in prison if caught promoting “war propaganda”…meaning anything considered pro-Russian.
In the democracy of the Czech Republic the Prosecutor General indicated expressions of support for the Russian action would be grounds for a 3 year prison sentence. This included any physical demonstration, those on the internet space or social media posts.
In the democracy coalition of the European Union the European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen announced members throughout the entire continent would ban Russian media outlets RT as well as Sputnik from broadcasting. She claimed this censorship was a “tool” against “disinformation”…by which she meant contrary opinions.
In the democracy of the United States there has been seemingly no end to the allegations of Treason simply for demurring from the war hysteria. Notably, Tucker Carlson has been denounced by fellow "journalists" for questioning the defense rationale, as well as now $1 Billion in spending, on a country most Americans could not find on a map at the very time they face 40 year high inflation. Former House Representative Tulsi Gabbard was heckled by the harpies on "The View" as well as the harridan Senator Mitt Romney for daring to mention the more than twenty biological and bacteriological facilities which were operated in Ukraine by the United States government for unexplained reasons.
In the democracy of the Ukraine apparently incontrovertible President Zelensky signed legislation which would put anyone accused of assisting Russia in prison for 15 years. The law includes such offenses as making public statements of support for the military action. At least one political ally has commented this punishment would include at least 20 Members of the Ukraine parliament. Over 30 investigations have already commenced.
Expect mass book burnings to be approved in all of these nations sometime in the next week.
The tiresome response to these atrocious actions across the “democratic” world?
Russia, Russia, Russia! Those evil Russians also passed a law sending any who promote a contradictory viewpoint of the conflict to 15 years in prison!
As always, nuance is ignored. Russia, is only a tenuous democracy. Russia, is not seeking our assistance in the billions of dollars. Russia, is not the entity relentlessly advertising itself as the citadel of freedom.
Anyone who claims there is no distinction is a fool or a liar.
Either way, what a censured Russia does internally is none of my affair. That the past several generations of my family have fought in order to preserve the very Rights being cavalierly confiscated by the “democratic” nations of the globe is absolutely my affair.
If asked to die for anything it will be a death for the Inalienable Right to Speak Freely.
As far as I am concerned there is only one war which concerns me and thus far all the aggressors originate other places than Russia.
Our true authoritarian threats are much closer to home.
Guy Somerset writes from somewhere in America.
