{"id":2061471,"date":"2023-10-10T01:00:04","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T05:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fighting-the-censorship-leviathan\/"},"modified":"2023-10-10T01:03:24","modified_gmt":"2023-10-10T05:03:24","slug":"fighting-the-censorship-leviathan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fighting-the-censorship-leviathan\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking on the Censorship Beast"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">10<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffighting-the-censorship-leviathan%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2061471&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>In a recent episode of American Thought Leaders, \u200dhost Jan Jekielek and Dr. Aaron \u2063Kheriaty\u200d discuss the origins of totalitarianism, censorship, and antidotes to tyranny.<\/h2>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <strong>Jan Jekielek:<\/strong> \u2062 You\u2019ve said that \u200dtotalitarianism\u200b begins by monopolizing what passes for rationality\u2062 and \u200cknowledge.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <strong>Dr.\u2062 Aaron Kheriaty:<\/strong> When people hear\u200c totalitarian, they think \u200dof\u2064 secret police, concentration camps, or mass surveillance, but a totalitarian\u200c system starts with \u2063an ideology that monopolizes what counts as\u200c rationality and \u2064knowledge.\n<\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p>If you ask an \u2062inconvenient question, the \u2064Marxist \u2062or Nazi\u2064 ideologues say, &#8220;You&#8217;re not part\u200d of the enlightened elites\u2062 that understand the direction \u2064of history. I&#8217;m not going \u2062to debate you; \u200bI&#8217;m going to \u200cexclude you from public conversation.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Trends in \u200cWestern \u2064countries today\u200b mirror that starting point of totalitarian systems, and once people realize \u2064they\u2019re not allowed to ask questions, they internalize those prohibitions. In the end, you don&#8217;t need concentration\u200b camps anymore. Citizens become the\u200d Gestapo or the\u200d KGB. They start \u2062silencing those who\u2062 raise inconvenient questions. You\u2019re in a \u200cprison with invisible \u2064bars without even realizing it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <strong>Mr. Jekielek:<\/strong> In a \u200brecent \u200cinterview,\u200b Jordan Peterson says the totalitarian system is ruled by the lie, which is a fascinating\u2064 and apt formulation.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <strong>Dr. Kheriaty:<\/strong> Yes, the totalitarian\u200b regime is ruled \u2063by the lie. And\u200d if totalitarian society is ruled and sustained by the lie, \u200dthen the only thing that can bring it down is the truth.\n<\/div>\n<p>When\u200d Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul\u2064 II in 1978, the Soviet \u2062regime was terrified. They knew\u200c he was \u200bgoing to return to Poland, which he did shortly after his election. And\u2062 the first \u2064thing he said to the Polish people was, &#8220;<em>Be not afraid.<\/em>&#8221; Using religious truths taken\u200d from the gospels, he spoke\u2063 about what \u200bit means to be a \u200chuman person, rational, free, oriented toward love, and fulfilled by communion with others. He never directly criticized the regime, but everyone knew what\u2062 he was doing, and there\u2062 was panic in Moscow.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <strong>Mr. Jekielek:<\/strong> You had \u200cno intention of becoming a \u200dlightning rod.\u200b You were at the University of California, Irvine in charge of \u200cthe medical ethics department. You lost \u2063your \u2062job because you took a stand. Today you\u2019re one of the \u2063private\u200c plaintiffs in\u200b the Missouri\u2064 v. Biden lawsuit. Where are things \u200dat with this lawsuit?\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <strong>Dr. Kheriaty:<\/strong> Government-sponsored censorship \u2064and censorship by\u2063 powerful private entities like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-republicans-reject-democratic-pressure-to-disinvite-rfk-jr-from-testifying-on-censorship\/\" title=\"House Republicans refuse to bow to Democratic pressure, stand firm on RFK Jr.'s testimony on censorship.\">social media \u2062companies<\/a> are\u2063 happening right now. \u2062You get to the point where you build a system capable of sustaining lies and ideology that \u2064can\u2062 obstruct anyone questioning that \u200cideology. It then becomes impossible for people to\u2063 find \u2063sources of information \u2064and\u200b dissenting opinions.\n<\/div>\n<p>In this major ruling\u200c from the Fifth Circuit Court, which was reviewing the injunction\u2063 that \u200dthe district court had placed against the \u200dgovernment, the court told the government, &#8220;You have to stop coercing or\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fighting-the-censorship-leviathan\/\" title=\"Taking on the Censorship Beast\">significantly encouraging social media companies<\/a> to censor content protected by the First Amendment.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The government appealed that decision to the Fifth Circuit Appellate Court, and the three judge panel in the \u2062Fifth Circuit upheld the injunction against\u2062 the government. They\u2062 ruled that the White House,\u2064 the Surgeon General, the CDC, and the FBI were clearly \u200bin \u200bviolation of First \u2063Amendment rights when they <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/conservatives-are-woefully-out-marketed-by-liberals-its-time-to-level-up\/\" title=\"Conservatives Are Woefully Out-Marketed By Liberals. It\u2019s Time to Level Up.\">pressured social media companies<\/a>. So even before the case goes to trial, plaintiffs\u2063 have presented enough evidence that those four agencies were violating the First Amendment and that they needed to stop.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <strong>Mr. Jekielek:<\/strong> You&#8217;re a private plaintiff in this Missouri v. Biden case.\u200d What does that \u2064mean to you personally?\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <strong>Dr. \u200dKheriaty:<\/strong> It means a lot, because I was \u200bcensored for \u200dinformation that turned out to be true, \u2063and \u200cI\u2019ve now been\u200c vindicated. The information is widely accepted and\u2062 endorsed by the \u200dCDC and\u2063 other public health agencies.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <strong>Mr. Jekielek:<\/strong> \u200c Which information is that?\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <strong>Dr. Kheriaty:<\/strong> \u2062I was censored for concerns \u200babout the safety and \u2063efficacy of vaccines, now proven to be \u200blegitimate and \u2064supported by plenty of research. I was\u200d censored for\u200c my ethical opinions on vaccine mandates. I had the expertise to speak on the ethics of mandates, but they were \u2062censoring\u200c arguments about ethics and public policy along with scientific information.\n<\/div>\n<p>We recently petitioned the court to convert this to a class\u200c action \u2064lawsuit, which means the five of us private plaintiffs are now \u200bnot just representing ourselves. We&#8217;re representing\u2064 all\u2062 Americans censored under this regime.<\/p>\n<p>In the Missouri v.\u2062 Biden case, the private plaintiffs were initially focused on COVID censorship \u200cbecause\u200d that&#8217;s what \u2064we were\u200c censored on. But what we&#8217;ve uncovered\u2064 on discovery is that more federal agencies are involved in this censorship \u2063machinery\u2063 than \u2063we thought. The range of \u2064issues goes far beyond\u2064 dissidents challenging COVID policies, from \u2063foreign\u2063 policy\u2062 to\u200d the Ukraine War \u2064to monetary policy.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <strong>Mr. Jekielek:<\/strong> \u200c We are currently seeing a campaign similar to\u200b the beginning\u2064 of COVID \u200cabout the need\u200b for a\u200c mask mandate. A number of\u200d institutions\u2062 actually put in the mask mandate, and\u200c a\u2063 few days later dropped it. What are you seeing right\u2063 now?\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <strong>Dr. Kheriaty:<\/strong> It&#8217;s not enough to\u2062 say you&#8217;re not going to \u200bcomply. You actually have to not comply. When you&#8217;re told to wear a mask, just simply and \u2062flatly refuse.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <strong>Mr. Jekielek:<\/strong> It&#8217;s\u200b all about the small gesture.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <strong>Dr. Kheriaty:<\/strong> The \u200csmall gesture matters. If it&#8217;s just one\u2064 dissident here and there, \u200bthey can \u2064fire them or silence them. But if it becomes five \u200dto 10 percent of the population, then\u2062 it\u2019s\u200d game\u2063 over, and these kinds of authoritarian measures will \u2063disappear almost immediately.\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <em>This interview \u200chas been edited for clarity and brevity.<\/em>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What \u200cspecific adverse reactions \u200dhave individuals reported \u2062experiencing after receiving\u2064 the COVID-19\u2063 vaccines, and what impact does this have \u200con their safety and efficacy?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ccines, specifically the COVID-19 vaccines. At the time, there was limited data available and the vaccines were still undergoing \u2064trials. I \u2063expressed caution and questioned the \u2063rush to\u200c distribute the vaccines without comprehensive long-term \u200cstudies. However, my views were deemed as spreading misinformation and I faced consequences for voicing my concerns.<\/p>\n<p>Now, with \u2064the benefit \u2063of \u2062hindsight and further research, it is clear that my concerns were valid. The safety and efficacy of the vaccines have been called into question, and many individuals\u2064 are experiencing adverse reactions. It is disheartening to see that censorship was \u2063used to \u2062suppress important discussions and hinder the free exchange of ideas.<\/p>\n<p>By being a part of the \u200bMissouri\u200b v. Biden case, \u2063I hope to shed light \u200don the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/obama-official-doubles-down-on-bidens-6-billion-deal-blows-off-concerns-iran-could-take-more-hostages\/\" title=\"Obama official reaffirms support for Biden's B deal, dismisses concerns of Iran taking additional hostages.\">dangerous precedent set<\/a> by government-sponsored censorship. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and expression, \u200dyet these rights have been increasingly violated \u200dunder the guise of public safety. We must remember that even in times\u200c of crisis, it is crucial to maintain open\u2064 and honest discourse.<\/p>\n<p>As a private plaintiff, I aim to hold the\u2064 government accountable for their actions and protect the rights of \u200dindividuals to question, challenge, and dissent. It is not about promoting\u2064 falsehoods\u200b or spreading misinformation, but rather about fostering \u200da\u2063 culture of intellectual diversity and \u2064critical thinking. Only through allowing different perspectives to be heard and evaluated \u200ccan we arrive at the truth and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oregon-governor-encourages-people-to-call-police-on-neighbors-violating-covid-orders\/\" title=\"Oregon Governor Encourages People To Call Police On Neighbors Violating COVID Orders\">make informed decisions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The battle against censorship and the fight for the preservation of freedom is \u200can ongoing struggle. Totalitarianism begins when certain ideas are deemed\u200d unquestionable \u2064and \u2064dissenting voices are silenced. We must remain vigilant in defending our basic rights and ensuring that history does not\u2063 repeat itself.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the recent \u2064episode of American Thought Leaders featuring Jan Jekielek \u200cand Dr. Aaron Kheriaty sheds light on the \u2062origins of totalitarianism, the dangers of censorship, and \u2063the \u2064antidotes to tyranny. The monopolization of\u200b rationality and knowledge serves as the foundation for \u2064totalitarian\u200c systems, where questioning and dissent are met \u2062with exclusion and suppression. The\u200c truth becomes the ultimate weapon against \u200clies and falsehoods, as exemplified by \u200cPope John Paul II&#8217;s powerful message to the Polish people. The ongoing lawsuit, Missouri\u2062 v.\u2063 Biden, is a critical step in pushing back against government-sponsored censorship and protecting the\u2062 freedom\u200b of expression guaranteed by\u200b the First Amendment. By standing up\u2063 against censorship, we uphold the principles upon which free societies are built and ensure that voices of reason and dissent \u200care\u2063 not silenced.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a recent American Thought Leaders episode, Jan Jekielek and Dr. Aaron Kheriaty delve into the roots of totalitarianism, censorship, and ways to combat tyranny. Dr. Kheriaty, a former UC Irvine professor and ex-director of UCI Health&#8217;s medical ethics program, is also the author of &#8220;The New Abnormal.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2349,"featured_media":2061472,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2061471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2061471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2349"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2061471"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2061471\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2061472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2061471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2061471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2061471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}