Posted on 02/28/2025 2:32:18 AM PST by Libloather
The “special relationship” between the US and the UK got awkward Thursday, when Vice President JD Vance confronted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the Oval Office over the longtime American ally’s weakening of freedom of speech.
Earlier this month, at the Munich Security Conference, Vance had riled European opinion by decrying what he called “the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values—values shared with the United States of America.”
Vance stood by his comments Thursday when pressed by a reporter, saying: “I said what I said, which is that we do have, of course, a special relationship with our friends in the UK and also with some of our European allies.
“But we also know that there have been infringements on free speech that actually affect not just the British, of course, what the British do in their own country is up to them,” the 40-year-old added, “but also affect American technology companies and, by extension, American citizens. So that is something that we’ll talk about today at lunch.”
Seated just a few feet away from Vance, Starmer chimed in to defend his country’s speech codes.
“We’ve had free speech for a very, very long time in in the United Kingdom, and it will last for a very, very long time,” said the 62-year-old Labour Party politician.
“Certainly, we wouldn’t want to reach across [and US citizens, and we don’t, and that’s absolutely right,” he told Vance. “But in relation to free speech in the UK, I’m really proud of that — our history there.”
In Munich, Vance had rattled off examples of criminal convictions in Europe for what would be protected First Amendment activity in America, including the case of 51-year-old British Army veteran and physiotherapist Adam Smith-Connor, who was ordered...
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
The Axis of Oppression: The True Enemies of Free Speech
Free speech is under attack in many parts of the world, but nowhere is this assault more aggressive and terrifying than in the IRAN-Russia-North Korea-China Axis. These regimes have established themselves as the world’s most extreme anti-free speech tyrannies, systematically silencing dissent, imprisoning and/or assassinating journalists / opponents, and controlling every facet of public discourse with an iron fist.
While Vice President JD Vance has voiced concerns about free speech in the European Union, it is deeply troubling that he has remained disturbingly silent on the far more egregious violations carried out by these authoritarian states.
The true enemies of free speech: Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea
Russia: A Dystopian nightmare for Truth-Tellers
Vladimir Putin has turned Russia into a graveyard for free expression. A simple act of truth-telling — stating that Russia is waging war in Ukraine — can result in five years in prison. Independent journalists are not just censored; they are murdered. The Kremlin has seized complete control over the media, ensuring that only state-approved propaganda reaches the Russian people. Even religious communities that do not conform to state narratives face brutal repression.
China: The world’s most advanced oppression machine
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has perfected the art of total information control. The “Great Firewall” ensures that 1.4 billion people live in a controlled information bubble where dissent is digitally erased in real time. Journalists and activists who dare to challenge the regime disappear without a trace. Religious minorities, from Uyghur Muslims to underground Christian churches, are relentlessly persecuted, their leaders imprisoned or “re-educated” in labor camps. The CCP doesn’t just censor — it erases all opposition.
Iran: Where speaking the truth is a death sentence
Iran’s theocratic regime executes journalists who challenge its corruption and medieval oppression. Women who dare to speak out for their rights are tortured and imprisoned. Protesters, including teenagers, are gunned down in the streets or publicly hanged as a warning to others. Free expression in Iran is not just restricted — it is criminalized with lethal consequences.
North Korea: The ultimate dictatorship
North Korea operates as a 25-million-person prison camp. Citizens live in a world where the only information they hear is dictated by Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. Listening to foreign news is a capital offense. Attempting to smuggle information in or out of the country can result in public execution. It’s not just a lack of free speech—it’s the total elimination of independent thought.
JD Vance’s Troubling Silence!
While Vice President JD Vance has spoken out about concerns regarding free speech in Europe, it is deeply disappointing that he has chosen to remain silent on the egregious violations committed by the IRAN-Russia-North Korea-China Axis. It is easy to critique democratic allies, but real courage lies in confronting the world’s most brutal oppressors. His unwillingness to address the unparalleled scale of repression in these nations raises serious questions about the priorities of his so called advocacy for free expression.
Vance is addressing the significant decline of free speech in countries that are supposed to be our allies. The absence of free speech in adversarial nations is nothing new, so why would he need to state the obvious?
“The absence of free speech in adversarial nations is nothing new, so why would he need to state the obvious?”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Well, Russia is NOT an adversarial nation anymore as Trump stated today. “Putin is my friend”, he said. And he clearly explained during the press conference at the White House today that America’s enemy is Ukraine.
We are living in a Twilight zone.
Or...
...its 5D chess playing... ?
We shall see.
Of course Russia is still our adversary (however much Trump might say otherwise for purposes of negotiation).
Diplomacy requires engagement, but trust is another matter entirely. Putin operates in Russia’s interest, not ours, and history shows he can't be trusted. Regardless of Trump’s rhetoric—whether for negotiation or otherwise—Russia remains an adversary.
I have to remind myself not to speak to hastily.;-)
From Lady Colin Campbell on X, on the latest victim of the UK’s Deep State’s war on free speech...
https://x.com/LadyColinCampb/status/1895514896084664514
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