Censorship: The Tip of the Iceberg – The Imaginative Conservative
A history of the transformation of American liberalism over the past half-century could well be told with just a focus on free speech and censorship. But this story of changed attitudes toward censorship yields lessons far beyond just the liberal attitude toward free speech.
Aside from the inevitability of death and taxes, there is another immutable rule: history repeats itself. Its repetitions may come in different ways, but history seems inevitably prone to recycle itself.
The censorship impulse reflects one such way in which history repeats itself.
In the 1950s and 1960s, censorship campaigns arose in response to the Cold War and the danger of communist infiltration and influence. These high-profile campaigns were followed in the 1970s and 1980s by efforts to control the burgeoning flood of violent and sexually explicit media speech available to children. Generally speaking, these censorship efforts were acquiesced in or supported by conservatives. Behind the banner of the Free Speech Movement that began in California in the 1960s, liberals stood as staunch allies of free speech, regardless of how repulsive or destructive that speech.
Liberals continued that solid free speech defense through the 1990s and 2000s, although with cracks beginning to appear as they began succumbing to political correctness. It was liberals who strongly resisted a congressional attempt to regulate Internet pornography accessed by children, as well as state attempts to protect children from graphically violent video games. This probably marked the apex of the liberal defense of speech. For at least the past decade or two, the liberal position on free speech has eroded considerably, to the point where the political left has become the primary advocate for censorship across an array of speech issues.
Censorship, in fact, is really no longer a speech issue. It has become a tool within the political weaponry arsenal.
The instances of political speech censorship appear across the spectrum of contemporary life. A belief in election fraud can disqualify you from a job. A position on pro-life can subject you to FBI harassment. A skepticism on lockdowns or mandated vaccines can brand you as a social outcast. An adherence to certain religious views can subject you to innumerable sanctions.
The recent release of the Twitter files reveals an astonishing attempt by the federal government to control the speech content of Twitter users. And most recently, because of a fear that a public panic might threaten the banking industry, there have been liberal calls to censor social media reports of bank failures. Censorship has become a forefront tool for the achievement of political objectives, much like tax cuts or spending promises.
A history of the transformation of American liberalism over the past half-century could well be told with just a focus on free speech and censorship. But this story of changed attitudes toward censorship yields lessons far beyond just the liberal attitude toward free speech.
To the left, the purpose of government is no longer the protection of liberty. The lefts indifference toward freedom of speech is but one example. Another appears in how quickly the left has turned away from religious liberty. Indeed, freedom has disappeared from the list of principles and values believed in by the left. In the place of freedom now comes the amorphous term equity. But equity is not a natural right or individual liberty; it is instead a label for a political agenda.
The prevalence of censorship advocacy also demonstrates how the left continually sponsors the growth of government in all areas of life. Twenty-five years ago, liberals vehemently opposed any content regulation of the Internet, warning that government interference could stunt the growth of the Internet. Since then, and true to prediction, the Internet has grown, to the point of becoming a mainstay of the American economy. The way in which American business has converted the Internet into a growth engine that has reshaped culture and society should be cause for celebration. Instead, the left sees this triumph in private entrepreneurship as a prompt for greater government control and activism. Indeed, now that the Internet has prospered, the left seeks to use it to further promote the reach of government into our lives.
An age-old justification for free speech, even speech that is unwanted, holds that if a democratic people want to address unwanted conduct in society it must certainly protect the speech concerning that unwanted conduct. Because only through that speech will a democracy be able to know the existence and extent of the underlying unwanted conduct. In this context, speech is always the tip of the iceberg. And if the iceberg is to be avoided, the tip needs to be seen.
Likewise, censorship has become the tip of the lefts political iceberg.
The Imaginative Conservativeapplies the principle of appreciation to the discussion of culture and politics as we approach dialogue with magnanimity rather than with mere civility. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? Please considerdonating now.
The featured image is courtesy of Pixabay.
Go here to read the rest:
Censorship: The Tip of the Iceberg - The Imaginative Conservative
- 'There is real fear': How Israel's attack on Iran enabled an assault on press freedoms - Middle East Eye - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Vilifying the Vylans or: How I learned to stop censoring and call for death to the BBC - Freedom News - - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Ready Or Not Studio Reveals What Exactly Has Been Censored And It's Not A Lot - TheGamer - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- The EUs Internet Law, a Blueprint for Global CensorshipIncluding on American Platforms? - The Daily Signal - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Blasphemy, Censorship, and the Future of Free Expression in Britain - Quillette - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Ready or Not Dev Releases Before-and-After Screenshots as It Battles Against Censorship Backlash and Steam Review-Bomb Campaign - IGN - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- The humanities must have a role in overseeing AI censorship - Times Higher Education - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- YouTube, Trump Having Productive Discussions Over Censorship Case - The Information - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- 'Warned Not to Talk About It': Overseas Boys' Love Censorship Is Sending Young Women to Jail - Comic Book Resources - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- China is rushing to develop its AI-powered censorship system - Global Voices - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Gov. McKee signs Freedom to Read Act into law - Rhode Island Current - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- 'Ill-conceived from the beginning': Judge ridicules Trump admin for 'slapdash' censorship of public health websites - Law and Crime News - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- How censorship affects the artistic expression in film - Times of India - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- What is The Ready or Not Censorship Controversy? Review Bombing Explained - Insider Gaming - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Self-censorship and the spiral of silence - Insight News - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Louisiana wants to censor citizen science, but residents are fighting back - News From The States - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- The many complex truths within the censoring of youth parliament - The Spinoff - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Free Speech Victory in Australia for Billboard Chris as X post censorship overturned - Alliance Defending Freedom International - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Read this: Pixar's self-censorship of Elio's queer themes may have doomed it - Yahoo - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- China is rushing to develop its AI-powered censorship system - Global Voices Advox - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- 'The censorship is a step too far': Ready or Not is getting review bombed after developers sanitise the game to adhere to stricter console standards -... - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Keep Them On The Shelf - The Progressive - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- SCOTUS Ruling Condoning Book Censorship Is a Grave Misjudgment. - GLAAD - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Read this: Pixar's self-censorship of Elio's queer themes may have doomed it - AV Club - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- How the Internet Works, and How China Censors It - ChinaFile - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- New Study from ChinaFile | The Locknet: How China Controls Its Internet and Why It Matters - Asia Society - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- The Witcher, The Bad Batch, and Cosmic Censorship - GamingTrend - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- The Censor Board Is A Back-Door For Govt To Control The Film World: Director Of Stalled Movie On Slain Punjabi Activist - article-14.com - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Censorship? Ready or Not eliminates nudity and reduces violence to hit consoles - Toy News Online - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Ready Or Not Will Be Censored Before Launching On Consoles, And It Could Even Affect The PC Version - TheGamer - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Nonviolence and the Battle Against Self-Censorship - Pressenza - International Press Agency - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Kneecap Defy Censorship Threats with Provocative Glastonbury Set - Consequence of Sound - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- WATCH | Joseph Maximilliam Dunnigan On How Censorship Of Books Exists Across The World, From The US To China - Outlook India - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Artist Ai Weiwei: Democracy and freedom do not necessarily enable the creation of great art - - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Baihe and Danmei: Chinese GL and BL in an Age of Censorship - Daily Kos - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Death by a thousand cuts in Hong Kong - Index on Censorship - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- In an act of political censorship, Deutsche Bank terminates publisher Mehring Verlags account - World Socialist Web Site - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- The photographer using AI to reconstruct stories lost to censorship - The Verge - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Bernie Sanders Roasts Joe Rogan for Siding With Government Censorship - Cracked.com - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- JCDecaux and Global accused of 'censorship' of anti-HFSS campaign - Campaign - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Emergency Films: 6 Movies That Faced Bans and Censorship in 1975 - Deccan Herald - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Hotbed of digital censorship: MAGAs war with Ireland over freedom of speech - Newstalk - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Iran-Israel war: What tools are used to censor reporting? - DW - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- FTC Comments Accuse Big Tech of Widespread Censorship - The Daily Signal - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- How we are ending Irans and all other governments power to censor online - The Hill - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Amid Silence and Censorship, Alabama Students and Professors Reflect on a Year Under SB129 - ACLU of Alabama - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Iran-Israel war: What tools are used to censor reporting? - Yahoo - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Western Tech Companies Are Capitulating to Russian Censors. Here's How Russians Can Fight Back. - The Moscow Times - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Book censors and the Trojan horse of decency - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Censorship, arrests and merger of news agencies tools to control media during 1975 Emergency - The New Indian Express - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Tunnel Vision: Anti-censorship Tools, End-to-End Encryption and the Fight for a Free and Open Internet - Freedom House - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- A Banner Year for Censorship: More States Are Restricting Classroom Discussions on Race and Gender - The Chronicle of Higher Education - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Advocates, Authors Call for Investigation Into Florida Book Removals Without Review | Censorship News - School Library Journal - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- From LA to Letcher County, Anna Gomez takes her anti-censorship crusade on the road - Daily Independent - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Censorship into art: why Iranian director Jafar Panahis subversive stories are getting the worlds attention - Pancouver - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- How does Israel restrict its media from reporting on the Iran conflict? - Al Jazeera - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Censorship: See the National Park visitor responses after Trump requested help deleting negative signage - Government Executive - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Why defunding research on misinformation and disinformation isnt what Americans want - Fast Company - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Oscar entry, but banned at home: This Sunita Rajwars acclaimed film faces censorship in India - Times of India - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Why Is The EU Really So Scared of Hate Speech? - The European Conservative - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- PRESS RELEASE: In win for academic Speech, OK Supreme Court says higher ed is off-limits from censorship law - Oklahoma City Free Press - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- What are the 20 most controversial album covers of all time? - Euronews.com - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Whos the Boss? Trump and Springsteens war of words - Index on Censorship - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Censorship: Coming to a National Park near you? - Daily Kos - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Is Free Speech the New Price of Merger Approval from the FTC? - Public Knowledge - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Johnny Marr Backs Kneecap Ahead of Glastonbury Fest: 'Oppression Fears Artistic Expression' - Rolling Stone - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Censorship campaign defeated at Berlins Humboldt University: IYSSE anti-war events going ahead - World Socialist Web Site - June 16th, 2025 [June 16th, 2025]
- Tulane scientist resigns citing university censorship of pollution and racial disparity research - WDSU - June 14th, 2025 [June 14th, 2025]
- Facebook And Instagram Seem To Have Stopped Censoring Search Results For 'Marijuana' And 'Cannabis' - Marijuana Moment - June 14th, 2025 [June 14th, 2025]
- AI lies, threats, and censorship: What a war game simulation revealed about ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Gemini - The Economic Times - June 14th, 2025 [June 14th, 2025]
- Tulane scientist resigns citing university censorship of pollution and racial disparity research - AP News - June 14th, 2025 [June 14th, 2025]
- When Hate Spreads Faster Than Truth, Should We Fight Fascism With Censorship? - Byline Times - June 14th, 2025 [June 14th, 2025]
- Opinion | The Government Can Silence Dissenting Opinions Without Using Censorship - Mississippi Free Press - June 14th, 2025 [June 14th, 2025]
- Supreme Court will decide cases on LGBTQ+ book censorship and reproductive health care access soon - Advocate.com - June 14th, 2025 [June 14th, 2025]
- The female TikTokers silenced through murder - Index on Censorship - June 14th, 2025 [June 14th, 2025]
- In 1973, I reported freely on Israel at war. Now its censorship has made that impossible | Martin Bell - The Guardian - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- The Right-wing Israeli 'Human Rights' Group Fueling Racism, Censorship and Violence Without Consequences - Haaretz - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- A smuggled North Korean smartphone reveals how the regime censors information, including screenshotting users activities every five minutes - Yahoo - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- Americans worry about AI in politics but theyre more worried about government censorship - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- Online censorship disguised as protection. Keep government out of social media. | Letters - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]