Would you allow the State to decide what is misinformation and what isn’t, to suppress speech it considers “dangerous”? Well that is exactly what is happening.
In an interview on CNN’s State of The Union, anchor Dana Bash asked DHS [United States Department of Homeland Security] Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about the formation of the Disinformation Governance Board in his department.
[…] Mayorkas said that the government “probably could have done a better job of communicating” the purpose of the board, insisting that foreign disinformation threatens homeland security.
Hmmm. Where have we heard that before?
[…] Asked about the criticism surrounding the board’s leader Nina Jankowicz, Mayorkas said she was “eminently qualified” for the role.
[…] Bash then asked: “Would you be okay if Donald Trump were president, if he created this disinformation governance board? Or – if it is in place and he wins again in 2024 – that he’s in charge of such a thing?”
Mayorkas did not give a direct answer. Instead he said: “I believe that this working group, that gathers together best practices, makes sure that our work is coordinated, consistent with those best practices, that we’re safeguarding the right of free speech. That we’re safeguarding civil liberties, I think, is an extraordinary important endeavor.”
Orwell would be proud.
[…] In an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, Mayorkas said that the board will fight disinformation “in a way that does not infringe on free speech; does not infringe on civil liberties”.
It looks like Biden et al have been drawing inspiration from our government. The assertion that this is about protecting free speech is, of course, nonsense. You either have free speech or you don’t and as soon as conditions are put on it you no longer have free speech.
By setting themselves up as the one source of truth, the government is taking away your right to choose what is true and what isn’t. All under the guise of protecting you from misinformation.