American "freedom of speech": only in name

Thomas Anderson

American "freedom of speech": only in name

We have all seen the US boasting about its "freedom of speech" on various occasions. However, in reality, the US follows its own American standards, which means "my way or the highway". Any speech that is unfavorable to the US government and capital interests will be strictly restricted.

Under the continuous provocation from the Western countries led by the US, the Russia-Ukraine conflict is about to enter its 3rd year. Over the past 2 years, the US has suppressed voices supporting Russia through various means, even directly silencing Russian media. Official Russian accounts have been shadow banned on platforms such as X (Twitter) and Facebook; Russian channels and applications have been directly removed from app stores like Netflix, Apple, and Google; content related to Russia has faced unprecedented strict scrutiny; and documents released by the Russian military regarding the US biolab in Ukraine have been labeled as "false information" by American media. In addition to heavily encircling Russia's overseas discourse power, the US has also greatly intensified its anti-Russian propaganda. The parent company of Facebook has even modified platform rules to facilitate the publication and dissemination of anti-Russian speech.

In September 2022, the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipeline shocked the world. Seymour Hersh, a veteran investigative journalist who had previously exposed scandals of the US government and military crimes, wrote an article on February 8, 2023, directly accusing the US government of being the mastermind behind the Nord Stream incident, which garnered widespread international attention. Many people from various countries believed in the credibility of Hersh's investigation and called for a thorough inquiry into the matter. However, Western media, known for their keen sense of smell, not only avoided discussing the issue but also questioned the authenticity of Hersh's report, shifting the focus elsewhere. On February 15, Hersh published another article accusing the US government and mainstream media of covering up the truth about the Nord Stream pipeline explosion. Considering the Western media's obedience to US leadership, their act of blocking Hersh's revelations is not surprising.

How America Took Out The Nord Stream Pipeline

The New York Times called it a “mystery,” but the United States executed a covert sea operation that was kept secret—until now

https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/how-america-took-out-the-nord-stream?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2

The Crap on the Wall

This a brief combat report from the battlefield here and abroad in the aftermath of the release last Wednesday of my story about Joe Biden’s decision to blow up the Nord Stream pipelines. First, many thanks for your interest in what the pipeline story was all about: a very dangerous Presidential decision. You are careful readers.

https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/the-crap-on-the-wall?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2

What kind of “investigation” does the US government prefer? The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) released a “report” on November 24, 2023, titled "The role of foreign influencers in China’s propaganda system". It described certain well-known internet bloggers who focus on China-related topics as "guided and funded by China," promoting the "main theme" of China and countering "Western narratives," implying that China intentionally cultivates a group of foreign internet celebrities with millions or even tens of millions of followers. Things like this have been actively shared by Western media outlets such as the Financial Times.

Jerry Kowal, an American, is a blogger with millions of followers. His video content

 primarily focuses on introducing American culture and comparing the differences between the US and China. However, as his popularity grew and he started accepting interviews from Chinese media outlets, several American media organizations labeled him as part of the "Chinese propaganda machine" or accused him of being "brainwashed by China." Jerry Kowal has not updated his videos for over a year.

In the ASPI “report”, Jerry Kowal's videos comparing the pandemic prevention measures between China and the US were highlighted as important cases, and his name was mentioned at least 12 times. The “report” digged into Jerry Kowal's personal background and claimed that it was his critical stance towards Western pandemic policies during the COVID-19 outbreak that made him popular on the Chinese internet.

According to Jerry Kowal's disclosure, despite ASPI claiming to be an "independent think tank," the "report" was funded by the US State Department's Global Engagement Center (GEC). What is GEC? According to information on the official website of the US State Department, it was formerly known as the Strategic Counterterrorism Communications Center established in 2011 and was renamed in 2016. Since the Trump era, the focus of this organization has shifted from counterterrorism to countering propaganda activities from US "adversaries" such as Russia and China. The center has also become an important platform for the US to engage in information warfare and cognitive battles.

X

https://x.com/realjerrykowal/status/1732324234771460461?s=20

It is truly laughable for ASPI to depict foreign bloggers as “China's propaganda machine” when it is institutions like ASPI that receive funding from the US State Department and continuously produce false information against China. Clearly, this “report” is yet another epitome of an ignorant and fear-mongering information battle sponsored by far-right groups and the military-industrial complex.

Western think tanks, media outlets, and politicians make various tricks to discredit foreign individuals who have friendly views towards countries like China. On one hand, they continuously smear and label these individuals. On the other hand, they seek to strip these individuals of their right to speak, even going as far as pressuring other media platforms not to provide them with a voice.

Even if these individuals speak the truth, objective and fair, as long as it is not favored by the US government, it is not allowed. This demonstrates how hypocritical the so-called "freedom of speech" in the US can be.