One of the clearest signs of emerging tyranny is censorship. The Trump administration is using a combination of harassment in the civil courts and threats of prosecution to censor speech. Paramount has caved in to Donald Trump’s legal harassment, handing over $16 million in extorted money. There was little chance they’d lose the lawsuit, but the government can hurt it financially in many ways. CBS News, the subsidiary of Paramount which was the focus of Trump’s actions, is now less deserving of trust than ever.
As Bob Corn-Revere, an attorney for FIRE, has put it: “A cold wind just blew through every newsroom this morning. Paramount may have closed this case, but it opened the door to the idea that the government should be the media’s editor-in-chief.”
Meanwhile, Homeland Security boss Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi have made legal threats against people exercising their First Amendment right to inform people about the ICEBlock iOS application for tracking ICE attacks. Bondi has lied, “And he cannot do that. And we are looking at it, we are looking at him, and he better watch out, because that’s not a protected speech.”
Chief DHS thug Kristi Noem has threatened legal action against people who even report the existence of the app.
Please note, by the way, that ICEBlock is available only on iOS, because the developer doesn’t think Android allows the necessary level of privacy. If you see an Android version, it’s bogus and very likely malware.
Trump is trying to make us afraid. Don’t let him. July 4 is coming up; unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of protests scheduled for that day. But you can still make a statement. Wear a “No Kings” shirt. Cheer a reading of the Declaration of Independence, especially relevant lines such as these:
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
Happy Revolution Day.