The Culmination of Decades of Censorship and Propaganda

Emily Burns' Epiphany

Emily Burns vividly recalls the moment she realized that the mainstream media was not always truthful. It was May 2020, and she was driving back to Boston from New Hampshire. Listening to NPR, a station she had tuned into for most of her life, she heard a discussion about coronavirus cases and mortality rates. Despite the presenter's apparent knowledge of the subject, Burns noticed a distinct avoidance of certain questions and data that could have provided a more balanced view of the situation. This realization led to a moment of intense frustration, as she felt that the media was intentionally spreading panic rather than providing helpful information.

Questioning the Media Narrative

Burns wasn't a staunch supporter of Donald Trump. In fact, she was taken aback by his victory in the 2016 election and had even voted for Joe Biden in the Democratic primary. However, her experience with the media's handling of the coronavirus situation led her to question other narratives she had been presented with. She began to wonder if the media was also lying about Trump. While she still disagreed with Trump's infamous "grab 'em by the pussy" comment, she started to question the media's portrayal of him and other political figures. This led her to cancel her subscriptions, change her political affiliation back to the Republican party, and volunteer for a Republican campaign.

Identifying Media Manipulation

Burns believes that many people are starting to question the media's narratives, especially in light of recent political events. She suspects that much of the information presented by the media over the last several decades has been misleading or outright false. In her view, censorship is the primary enabler of these lies and is responsible for the division and confusion that many people feel. She believes that censorship is the main cause of the rancor and division that pervades almost every issue in society today.

Understanding the Impact of Censorship

After witnessing the failure of "The Experts TM" in handling the Covid-19 pandemic, Burns sought to understand the factors that led to the debacle of 2020-2022. She turned to history and philosophy, studying the rise of totalitarian regimes, Marxist philosophy, postmodern philosophy, feminist philosophy, and contemporary history in an attempt to understand how such a large portion of the population could support a harmful lie. During this time, details about the nature of the Covid-19 debacle began to emerge, including Dr. Anthony Fauci's cover-up of a likely lab leak and his demonization of anyone who dared to question him, the American Federation of Teachers' role in keeping schools closed, and the controversy surrounding Hunter Biden's laptop.

The Destructive Power of Censorship

Burns argues that while propaganda is harmful, it is censorship that truly destroys a society and paves the way for atrocities. Propaganda without censorship is relatively weak, as any claims it makes can be debated, debunked, or mocked. However, when propaganda is backed up by censorship, it can easily overshadow the truth. Censorship is particularly dangerous in a liberal democracy that values freedom of speech. In such a society, any abrogation of free speech requires a compelling justification. Failure to defend the right to free speech, even for the most intolerable of speech, allows would-be censors to label all criticism of those in power as intolerable.

Censorship and Division

Censorship also causes division. To justify violating a person's First Amendment rights, the aspiring censor must claim that the target is hateful to whatever degree is required. This leads to an increase in hate, as would-be censors link their targets to state-designated hate groups, thereby justifying their censorship. This process, which Burns' friend Theo Jordan has named "hatecraft," has proven to be very effective.

The Consequences of Censorship

Burns argues that censorship harms everyone. It silences its targets, but its real victims are those who are blinded by it. Censorship leaves them constantly off balance, lashing out at ill-defined phantoms rather than at the censors who have blinded them. She believes that censorship is what brought Trump to power. The fury over the policies and cultural insanity of the last four years, criticism of which was either muted by censorship or marginalized by hatecraft, led people like Burns to vote for Trump.

The Role of Censorship in Elections

Burns also argues that censorship played a significant role in the 2020 election. The censorship and propaganda that propped up Joe Biden and Kamala Harris led many people to believe that they would win the election. In the absence of censorship, Burns believes that better candidates and policies would have emerged. The run-up to President Biden's election and his period of governance are marked by numerous examples of the typical censorship/propaganda cycle. This cycle involves censoring to limit the reach of an idea or story, demonizing those who espouse unfavorable ideas or criticisms, and creating a counter-narrative to discredit criticism or harmful stories.

The Elevation of Biden

In 2020, Joe Biden was brought to power on a litter of lies supported by the media, government bureaucracies, and state-funded NGOs. His rise was facilitated by the suppression of criticism and the demonization of his critics. There are now countless examples of the campaign and the government pressuring social media companies to remove content that was damaging to Biden's candidacy. Some examples are more egregious, systemic, and manipulative than others.

The Impact of Censorship

Burns argues that censorship harms everyone, not just those who are censored. It robs people of the opportunity to hear dissenting voices and to better understand their reasons. If you were blindsided by the results of the election, Burns believes that this theft of information is to blame.

Censorship's Role in Society

Censorship harms its targets by silencing them, but its real victims are those whom it blinds. It leaves them constantly off balance, lashing out at ill-defined phantoms in the distorted reality it creates, rather than at the censors who have blinded them. Censorship brought us Trump. No matter what the media wants to claim, the reason people like Burns voted for Trump wasn't because of some inherent degeneracy, but rather because of their fury over the policies and cultural insanity of the last four years and beyond.

The Power of Censorship

Burns argues that censorship is what brought Trump to power. The fury over the policies and cultural insanity of the last four years, criticism of which was either muted by censorship or marginalized by hatecraft, led people like Burns to vote for Trump.

Consequences of Censorship

Burns also argues that censorship played a significant role in the 2020 election. The censorship and propaganda that propped up Joe Biden and Kamala Harris led many people to believe that they would win the election. In the absence of censorship, Burns believes that better candidates and policies would have emerged.

The Cycle of Censorship and Propaganda

The run-up to President Biden's election and his period of governance are marked by numerous examples of the typical censorship/propaganda cycle. This cycle involves censoring to limit the reach of an idea or story, demonizing those who espouse unfavorable ideas or criticisms, and creating a counter-narrative to discredit criticism or harmful stories.

The Elevation of Biden

In 2020, Joe Biden was brought to power on a litter of lies supported by the media, government bureaucracies, and state-funded NGOs. His rise was facilitated by the suppression of criticism and the demonization of his critics.

The Impact of Censorship

Burns argues that censorship harms everyone, not just those who are censored. It robs people of the opportunity to hear dissenting voices and to better understand their reasons. If you were blindsided by the results of the election, Burns believes that this theft of information is to blame.

Bottom Line

Emily Burns' exploration of the role of censorship and propaganda in shaping public opinion and influencing political outcomes is thought-provoking. It invites us to question the narratives we are presented with and to consider the ways in which our access to information may be manipulated. What do you think about Burns' perspective? Do you agree with her assertions about the role of censorship and propaganda in our society? Share your thoughts and this article with your friends. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, delivered every day at 6pm.