Orwell lives. Recently a CBS News journalist, Margaret Brennen, made the claim on air that weaponization of freedom of speech in NAZI Germany was the cause of the holocaust. The push back was immediate, and the statement was slammed for its absurdity. The push back came mostly from the right with little response from mainstream media. This was followed by a CBS “60 Minutes” segment that praised German law and police actions that suppress freedom of speech both in person and on the internet.

The German laws come as a surprise even too many Germans. When their homes are raided and their electronics sized, they argue it is their right under the freedom of speech laws. They are informed that while they have freedom of speech there are limits. If there are limits to freedom of speech, is there in fact no freedom of speech. 

Many will cite 1984 and Orwellian concepts as a warning to the future and that we need to be careful in the present. While knowing the book 1984 and its concepts few understand what has in fact crept into today’s thinking. A philosophy known as post-modernism or Woke as most people understand it today. The fictional Ministry of Truth in Orwell book declared “WAR IS PEACE’, “FREEDOM IS SLAVERY”, and “IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.” People today look at this and understand that this is propaganda and was fictional. Yet, these people are willing to accept concepts such as “Math is Racist” or “Gender is a Social Construct.”  The founding fathers knew the importance of freedom of speech. Madison, Jefferson and others maintained that freedom of speech is necessary for the establishment of self-government and to encourage the exchange of ideas.

Today those who benefit most from these freedoms are the ones who most often oppose them. Knowingly or not the first reaction to reports that may bring an opposing point of view is denied or belittled. The Russia Hoax, Hunters laptop, etc. are reported only to expand or deny their existence.

We are seeing now how what our founders knew to be true, the harder you push the harder the harder the push back is. The more the people are denied the ability to speak and present their side the more they gather together. When one side tries so hard to repress facts the more people will band together, even those who would not normally. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. People like Robert Kennedy and Tulsi Gabbard are now working with Trump and the Republicans, not because they have become conservative but because they were denied a seat at the table of those, they once called friend.

Vice-Presidents Vance’s recent speech to the Munich Security Conference must be a call to all about the evils of censorship and denial of Freedoms. While directed at Europe the United States is not far behind. We do not yet have the draconian laws that many European countries do, we have been on the brink. Pleasethink about were we came from and were we may be headed.