Absolutely, there is a war on free speech.
To be more accurate, however, the war on free speech is really a war on the right to criticize the government.
The War on Free Speech Is Really a War on the Right to Criticize the Government
Previously:
How bad has the military-industrial complex gotten? The arms industry donates tens of millions of dollars every election cycle, and the average taxpayer spends $1,087 per year on weapons contractors compared to just $270 for K-12 education.
The Military-Industrial Complex Has Never Been Worse
The Ukraine Content Aggregator is used to catch fake news and share data on it with foreign partners, the secretary of state says
US developed AI tool to battle Russian disinformation Blinken
H/T: Emil Cosman
Related:
Secretary Antony J. Blinken at Freedom House 2023 Annual Awards Ceremony
The third thing I wanted to highlight. While we’re working to promote access to the internet for all, we’re also working to address threats to human rights that come with an open internet, including online harassment, abuse, disinformation.
Now, online abuse doesn’t, of course, target only human rights defenders. Instead, the internet and digital technologies are often used to amplify attacks on vulnerable groups – women, the LGBTQI community, marginalized ethnic or religious groups – and undermine our broader fight for human rights. So this year, we launched what is now at least a 12-country Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse. We’re encouraging private sector to become engaged with us as well.
We’re also working to address the massive challenge of online misinformation and disinformation – again, something familiar to everyone in this room. To cite one example, of course, Russia continues to push a steady, relentless stream of disinformation about its war of aggression against Ukraine, to lie about and cover up horrific abuses it’s committed, to try to justify committing others.
In response, the State Department has developed an AI-enabled online Ukraine Content Aggregator to collect verifiable Russian disinformation and then to share that with partners around the world. We’re promoting independent media and digital literacy. We’re working with partners in academia to reliably detect fake text generated by Russian chatbots.
Last week, news emerged that NATO intends to open a liaison office in Tokyo, Japan next year. The office would be NATO’s first in the Asia-Pacific region and represents the increasing role of the organisation in preparation for a US-led war against China. Both Tokyo and NATO have confirmed the plans.
NATO to expand Asia-Pacific presence by opening office in Japan
Related:
What can China do against NATO’s foray into Asia?
So what can China do to respond to this attempt at ‘alliance encirclement’ against it? First, it can strengthen its ties with Russia and aim to create a deeper balance of power in the Asia-Pacific. Secondly, it can revitalize old alliances and strengthen its ties with North Korea as a military partner. After all, the DPRK is still obligated by the 1961 treaty of mutual assistance to come to China’s aid in a war and can be used to contain Japan and South Korea. Thirdly, it can look to build new military partnerships with regional countries who feel similarly threatened by US expansionism; for example, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. While the rest of ASEAN are likely to stay neutral, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam (excluding the US-aligned Philippines), China should work to improve its relationships with these countries in order to prevent the US from trying to ‘force’ them to choose.
The U.S. Army Cyber Command told defense contractors it planned to surveil global social media use to defend the “NATO brand,” according to a 2022 webinar recording reviewed by The Intercept.
Army Info War Division Wants Social Media Surveillance to Protect “NATO Brand” (archived)
The perceptive image of a ‘world-class city’ hardly allows slums to grow. It is against the ‘global aesthetics’ that determines the ‘beautiful’. So, whenever there is any event of global importance — be it the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games or G20, the first victims of the beautification drive are the poor and the homeless.
G20 Beautification: Blossoming Tulips Cover Delhi But At What Cost?
By Ilya Tsukanov – Sputnik – 05.02.2023
A US jet destroyed a Chinese weather balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, with US officials saying the balloon had engaged in espionage as it flew over US airspace over the past several days. Beijing insists the dirigible was just a meteorological research balloon that drifted off course.
Spycraft or Not, Shootdown of Chinese Weather Balloon Using 5th-Gen Jet Looks ‘Silly’
China is laughing at the Biden Admin! FYI, they’re launching more spy ballons! 😉
A storm of controversy erupted earlier this year in Iran, after local media outlets announced that a “Mossad spy” and “Israeli infiltrator” had gained the trust of the country’s senior leadership, penetrated into the highest halls of power, and had even been employed as a writer for Ayatollah Khamenei himself.
Catherine Perez-Shakdam: The “Israeli Spy” Who “Infiltrated” MintPress
On November 7, 2022, Global News reporter Sam Cooper published a report titled “Canadian intelligence warned PM Trudeau that China covertly funded 2019 election candidates: Sources”. Cooper has a problem though: on November 20, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau admitted that he was never briefed about supposed Chinese-funded election candidates, doesn’t know their names (if they even exist) and only learned of the alleged Chinese election interference from media reports.
Canadian reporter caught falsely claiming Trudeau was briefed with names of ‘Chinese-funded’ election candidates
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
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