Glenn Greenwald Profile picture
Journalist ; Author; Host, @SystemUpdate_; Columnist, @Folha; Founder: @TheInterceptBr; Co-Founder: @FreedomofPress, @idm_org; @abrigo_hope; Vegan.

Nov 4, 2022, 10 tweets

I spoke last night on Fox about a woefully under-covered story:

The EU made it *illegal* for any platform to air RT or other Russian media. Now France is demanding US platforms, such as Rumble, obey this and remove RT. Rumble refused, defending its right to air what it wants:

Here's a despotic French minister, @jnbarrot, *boasting* of how he's trying to force Rumble to remove outlets which EU has banned.

Why would a French citizen want their leaders empowered to decide what news they can and can't hear? Either way, keep that repression in the EU:

Remember the liberal view on censorship from the 1980s? "If you don't like it, turn the channel?"

If you don't like RT, you don't have to watch. Why would you want states to have the power to force sites to remove news outlets disliked by those leaders?

reuters.com/world/europe/e…

If some little wannabe tyrant in France can now dictate to US social media sites who can and can't be heard, then so can Iran, China, Russia, or whatever country you think is most Bad.

Should Iran or Russia be able to force US sites to ban anti-government outlets or dissidents?

So often, Big Tech -- and Hollywood -- will change or repress content at the direction of China or Saudi Arabia, etc. That's why this fight Rumble has decided to wage - they'd rather be banned in France than be told by French politicians what they can and can't air - is so vital.

I also spoke last night on Fox -- in the context of the great reporting by @lhfang and @kenklippenstein showing how the US Security State is dictating to Big Tech what to censor -- how Dems like @SenatorDurbin are trying to re-define "free speech" so they can wield this power.

As I noted on Fox, Chomsky often says: "Even Herman Goering was in favor of free speech for those he agreed with."

All these episodes - DHS appointing that deranged #Resistance fanatic as "disinformation czar" - are because US Govt wants the power to decree Truth and Falsity:

And yes, of course I wish CNN and NBC/MSNBC would cover stories like these but they don't because:

1) They employ US Security State operatives and thus serve as spokespeople not critics.

2) Dems love *state* control of the internet and DHS/CIA/FBI so their audience would revolt

And, even if CNN and MSNBC hosts weren't petrified of their liberal audience and were willing to cover issues like these, it's still the case that if you want to speak to people under 55, the only alternative, at least on TV, is Fox:

Here's the polling data that last tweet referenced. Just ponder this:

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