US Defends 'Free Speech' by Banning Critics
The U.S. State Department, ever the champion of democracy abroad, has reportedly sanctioned five Europeans with visa bans for engaging in 'digital hate' and 'extremism.' The Hill frames this as an escalation in the fight for 'free speech,' which is quite the rhetorical pirouette. This comes from the same government that often funds 'democracy promotion' outfits globally. One might wonder if the
definition of 'extremism' conveniently excludes, say, lobbying efforts that funnel billions of taxpayer dollars into foreign militaries. OpenSecrets shows AIPAC has poured over $450 million into U.S. elections since 1990—is that not influencing public discourse on a grand scale? It appears 'free speech' is a flexible concept, heavily dependent on whose strategic interests are being served. When
foreign agents effectively buy influence in Congress, it's called diplomacy. When European figures express views deemed undesirable by Washington, it's 'digital hate' worthy of a travel ban. The hypocrisy is so glaring, you could use it to signal aircraft. How many U.S. politicians who rubber-stamp military aid packages to countries with questionable human rights records have been banned for
promoting 'hate' via legislative action? Zero, apparently.