A very significant and dangerous trend has been accelerating in recent weeks. This trend consists of leaders throughout the globe coming out and blatantly calling for censorship and restrictions on free speech.
Of course, in so-called Western democracies, the leaders have to be more subtle and nuanced in their approach. They can’t just come out and say they hate the internet. We saw this tactic from the UK Conservative Party as of late with its call for the banning of “non-violent” extremism from public discourse. I covered this terrifying plan in my recent post: The UK’s Conservative Party Declares War on YouTube, Twitter, Free Speech and Common Sense.
While that’s how British politicians pitch totalitarianism, their Turkish counterparts don’t seem to have any qualms about just coming out and admitting their disdain for the proliferation of free speech that the internet allows. We learn from the Independent that:
The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has defended his government’s efforts to control online speech, telling a press freedom conference: “I am increasingly against the Internet every day.”
Mr Erdoğan’s comments came during an “unprecedented” meeting with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Press Institute (IPI).
Local newspapers and major publications such as The New York Times and CNN International were among those slammed by officials, according to the CPJ.
“Media should never have been given the liberty to insult,” Mr Erdoğan was quoted as saying during the 90-minute meeting.
In a nod to the Western strategy, he also throws out the “terrorism” talking point.
He also expressed concern that criminal and terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State go online to recruit followers, saying he is “increasingly against” the internet.
His remarks come after he approved a law tightening control of the internet and increasing the powers held by telecoms authorities earlier in September.
Meanwhile in Egypt, the Associated Press notes that civil rights groups and humanitarian organizations are concerned that things under newly elected President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, will be even more authoritarian than they were under Hosni Mubarak.
While this trend of politicians waging war on free speech is dangerous, it is also extremely encouraging. They wouldn’t feel the need to take off the velvet gloves unless they were scared to death that the plebs were on to them and actually talking to one another.
In Liberty,
Michael Krieger
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This Turk who was ‘re-elected’ (democratically of course) is a lame duck. A total puppet of Fascist Amerika.
I know most of us realize that violence against these fucking tools is not the answer because it will only give them the excuse to crack our skulls but sometimes It would feel good to see theses elitist fucktards get what they deserve, (high velocity lead).
with the internet , slavery may not have happened , more people maybe alive in 9/11 with the social media . It may have prevented Hitler to do what it did to the Jewish people. I cant understand how can Cameron support Aasad for killing thousands using chemical weapon, innocent children being killed because they could not defend themselves and are put in these horrible situations.And then created Isis to fight Aasaad and then Isis become bad guys and Asad becomes good guy The people of these world should be able to give volce to put people in power who do not believe in human rights not to be in power, There has to be some criteria for these people to be in power, and they can be eliminated if those in power create a non peaceful non productive world because they have their own agenda to profit in these crisis.
Assad didn’t gas anyone. It was al-Nusra. They got the money from the Saudis and the chemical weapons from Turkey.
And what, pray tell, did ‘Hitler do to the Jewish people’? Assad didnt use chemical weapons, it was staged by the US/.UK. Pls wake up and stop beleiving their lies.
And maybe Iraq may have not been invaded in 2003 , because the world listened to Tony Blair where thousands were killed and it has been a very unproductive war. and Tony bBair gained popularity and wealth from these killings , yet no one has taken him to court to take responsibility for his unforgiving actions. I support in social media when it is used in the right way and can bring a change in the world
His intelligence chief and defense chief were caught planning a false flag attack that would have killed at least 4 Turkish soldiers and was to be used as an excuse for war against Syria, but the internet prevented this form happening. It exposed his evil. Given the above, OF COURSE, he hates the free internet- and all the more reason we must defend it. Tyrants need to closed internet so their evil won’t be thwarted.
When we lose the internet, we are toast.