Censorship is the foundation for tyranny. Comedian, and self-proclaimed liberal, Russell Brand says so.
If you aren't yet sure that freedom in Canada is at risk, or that it really is a thing, delve into some of Brand’s interviews on the Rumble platform or on YouTube (if they’re still up). The comedian's pluck is catching and his community guidelines for his own platform are pretty sensible: Keep conversation respectful, without personal attacks; don’t blow up other members’ feeds; if someone isn’t responding to you, let it be; no pornography; keep out behavior that could be seen as trolling/spamming; relax, be yourself, and enjoy.
Censorship grew since the Covid pandemic was declared around the world in 2020. Recently a local reader, Ingrid Wilkinson, sent me a link to a presentation by a Federal Member of Parliament that seemed newsworthy. He was saying something I’d not heard discussed as you might think it would be.
She said, “If you are interested in truthful, unbiased conversation: Manitoba MP Ted Falk.”
I am, so I tuned in. The entire presentation is just 10 minutes long: “MP Ted Falk calls for a national inquiry into government's handling of COVID-19.”
He summarizes his speech by saying, “Bill c 293 is insufficient because the government, any government, cannot and should not be trusted to investigate themselves.”
He has questions about federal spending, the Emergency Act and media censorship during the pandemic.
MP Falk pointed out concern over whether science and the Canadian public have been well served, saying, “We kept hearing ‘follow the science’, ‘we're following the science’. Well, political science yes, but the last time I checked, a big part of doing real science involved asking questions, analyzing data and doing so with rigorous, rigorous skepticism.”
Following another link sent to the Empire-Advance by a former federal politician from Dauphin area, Inky Mark, I came upon an interview with Dr. Peter McCullough, published by Biological Medicine on Nov. 30, 2022: “How Dr. McCullough is battling the COVID-19 cabal” It’s available on Rumble.
He’s a broadly published cardiologist in the USA, and a practicing physician who has treated thousands of Covid patients. Within the interview, he questions why his government did not establish an arm’s length panel to monitor the Covid outbreak, government directives and the inoculation program that was broadly prescribed, eventually mandated.
Heart issues and risk analysis for the younger demographic following the COVID-19 vaccines are among his concerns. He also talks about the censorship that he has endured for speaking out and questioning government decisions around COVID-19.
Some very intelligent people, caregivers of patients and public servants, have raised reasoned questions and complaints, albeit a counter narrative to the daily mainstream of news.
Questioning the facts and arguing about ideas and understanding of scientific data is one thing. Smearing and demeaning personhood of those you disagree with has been used over the centuries as a form of censorship. Even in Canada – a free and democratic nation –gaslighting and censorship pose a danger, in my opinion. So does ignoring or silencing news of divergent voices.
