A US judge has finally ruled what we knew all along — that it’s not OK for The US Government to collude with Big Tech to silence critics and political opponents.
It’s a reminder that Australians have no right to free speech. It’s time we had our own “First Amendment” written into the constitution. Instead of a referendum for a Voice for some Australians (which is happening this year) we need a Referendum for a Voice for All Australians — one that guarantees their right to speak, no matter what color their skin is, where their ancestors lived, or which team they vote for.
Newseum Tablet of the First Amendment | Photo by DBKing. Amended.
The US Republican States may yet save us all — the Attorney Generals of Louisiana and Missouri accused the Biden bureaucracy of actively colluding with the Tech Giants to suspend critics or remove comments. Finally, a judge in a District Court has ruled that this must stop.
Judge Delivers Major Blow to Biden Admin in Social Media Censorship Case
By Tony Ozimek, The Epoch Times
A federal judge has made a historic ruling by partially granting an injunction that blocks various Biden administration officials and government agencies such as the Justice Department and the FBI from working with big tech firms to censor posts on social media.
Finally, something that slows the Industrial Censorship Complex — look how many government agencies are named:
Judge Terry A. Doughty of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana wrote in the July 4 ruling (pdf) that various government agencies, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the State Department, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are prohibited from taking a range of actions regarding social media companies.
Effectively immediately, these agencies are not to phone, email, message or communicate with the social media giants with any sort of pressure to suppress opinions. It’s already having an effect. The State Department has just cancelled meetings with Facebook.
“This could be arguably one of the most important First Amendment cases in modern history,” Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, one of the plaintiffs, told The Epoch Times’ “American Thought Leaders” in an interview following the ruling.
“If you look at the opinion that the judge lays out, he takes from our argument that this is basically one of the most massive undertakings of the federal government to limit American speech in the history of our country. The things that we uncovered, in this case, should be both shocking, appalling, and concerning for all Americans.”
The Judge explained that the government had used its power to silence the opposition:
“Opposition to COVID-19 vaccines; opposition to COVID-19 masking and lockdowns; opposition to the lab-leak theory of COVID-19; opposition to the validity of the 2020 election; opposition to President Biden’s policies; statements that the Hunter Biden laptop story was true; and opposition to policies of the government officials in power. All were suppressed,” Doughty wrote.
— Read it all at The Epoch Times
This ruling is still three years too late, and still subject to appeal. Many have died or suffered debilitating injury who might have been spared if voices had not been suppressed. People might have voted differently had they known about Hunter Biden’s laptop. Wars might not have been fought.
The Biden administration has already appealled, as any wannabee tyrant would — which shows how important this power to censor is to them. The two key Attorney Generals have vowed to fight all the way to the Supreme Court. Robert Malone was advising Attorney General Jeff Landry of Louisiana. He writes that even State AG’s struggle against the ocean of money that Big-Tech-Giants can bring to any legal battle. As Malone says, the State AG’s are constantly working with a limited budget, picking battles within a four year term, and probably worried about future political donations. It takes a brave AG to tackle Big Tech and the Biggest Government of all.
Australians never seem to be offered the referendums that matter the most
Two Australian Senators tried in 2019, and they say freedom of religion is a part of the Australian constitution, but freedom of speech and a free press are not:
Section 116 of the Australian Constitution protects freedom of religion by providing that the Commonwealth Parliament “shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth.”
“Freedom of religion is enshrined in our Constitution, but freedom of speech and a free press are not subject to explicit protection; this is a deep-seated flaw in the foundations of Australia’s democracy”, Senator Patrick said.
— Centre Alliance Senators Rex Patrick and Stirling Grif, 2019
A deep seated flaw indeed.
The constitution itself is no magic talisman against evil — not without people prepared to die to defend it. But without the words to begin with, what is there to defend?
h/t to Philip P, David Maddison, Bill in AZ, Stephen Neil, David in Cooyal, Old Ozzie, Gab, Matt Taibbi.
Statue of Liberty Photo: Dominique James
