{"id":129625,"date":"2023-09-06T09:43:58","date_gmt":"2023-09-06T09:43:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/?p=129625"},"modified":"2023-09-06T09:43:58","modified_gmt":"2023-09-06T09:43:58","slug":"once-you-start-censoring-youre-on-your-way-to-dystopia-and-totalitarianism-rfk-jr-tells-house-committee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/once-you-start-censoring-youre-on-your-way-to-dystopia-and-totalitarianism-rfk-jr-tells-house-committee\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Once You Start Censoring, You\u2019re on Your Way to Dystopia and Totalitarianism,\u2019 RFK Jr. Tells House Committee"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a hearing marred by contentious interruptions and attempts by House Democrats to remove him as a witness, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., chairman on leave from Children\u2019s Health Defense (CHD), testified before a U.S. House hearing<\/a> organized by Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Robert F. Kennedy Jr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The subcommittee, operating within the House Judiciary Committee, said the recent hearing was intended to \u201cexamine the federal government\u2019s role in censoring Americans<\/em>,\u201d \u201cBig Tech\u2019s collusion with out-of-control government agencies to silence speech<\/em>\u201d and the ongoing Missouri v. Biden lawsuit<\/a> alleging government censorship.<\/p>\n

Other witnesses who testified at the hearing included D. John Sauer<\/a>, special assistant attorney general for Louisiana, an attorney for the plaintiffs in the Missouri v. Biden case, Breitbart journalist Emma-Jo Morris<\/a>, who in 2020 first revealed the now-infamous \u201cHunter Biden laptop story<\/em>,\u201d and Maya Wiley<\/a>, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Government censorship and alleged First Amendment violations on the part of the federal government featured prominently in this hearing. \u201cWe need to be able to talk<\/em>,\u201d Kennedy told the committee. \u201cAnd, the First Amendment was not written for easy speech. It was written for the speech that nobody likes you for<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morris testified about the threats to a free press, saying:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat this relationship between the U.S. government officials and American corporations represent is, is an unprecedented push to undermine the First Amendment, the right to think, write, read, say whatever we want, and how we respond will determine whether we see a free press as inalienable or as optional<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his testimony, Sauer referred to the July 4 ruling<\/a> by Judge Terry Doughty of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, which barred the White House and federal agencies from censoring social media posts. He said:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe government likes to claim that virtual communication platforms acting on their own would apply their policies and censor all this content. The Louisiana Court found that the platforms would not have suppressed this speech, but for the fact that the federal officials were pushing for it<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Calling the scope and reach of the federal censorship efforts \u201cstaggering<\/em>,\u201d Sauer added:<\/p>\n

\u201cMillions of virtual communication networks\u2019 posts and speakers [were censored] all across America. It affects virtually every American who reads, listens, engages, or posts on social media about great disputed political and social questions that federal censors have stuck their fingers into Federal officials\u2019 censorship efforts are in full swing and they\u2019re expanding to new frontiers.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Attempt to censor a censorship hearing\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Efforts by Democrats to prevent Kennedy from testifying began earlier in July. Reps. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and Judy Chu (D-Calif.) sent a letter<\/a> signed by 102 House Democrats<\/a> to House Republican leadership, requesting they \u201crescind Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s invitation to testify<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the letter:<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Kennedy has repeatedly attacked two groups that have long been subject to deadly discrimination. His own credibility as a witness is nonexistent. Allowing Mr. Kennedy to serve as a witness before the Select Subcommittee only services [sic] to legitimize his antisemitic and anti-Asian views<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

House Republican leadership rejected<\/a> the request prior to the hearing. \u201cThe hearing that we have is about censorship<\/em>,\u201d House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said. \u201cI don\u2019t think censoring somebody is actually the answer here<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kennedy, in response to the accusations levied against him, set aside his prepared testimony<\/a> for the hearing. Referencing the letter, he told the committee, \u201cThe 102 people that signed this [is] itself evidence of the problem that this hearing was convened to address. This is an attempt to censor a censorship hearing<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Comparing the efforts to the McCarthyism of the 1950s, Kennedy said he is being censored \u201cthrough smears, through misinterpretations of what I\u2019ve said, through lies, through association<\/em>,\u201d adding that \u201cWhile I\u2019m under oath, in my entire life I have never uttered a phrase that was either racist or anti-Semitic<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), in an impromptu interview after the hearing, said:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe irony and cognitive dissonance from the other side of the aisle, it\u2019s deafening. You could cut it with a knife. They are at the same time denying that censorship is occurring, but suggesting that there\u2019s more material that needs to be censored<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Still, efforts to stop Kennedy\u2019s testimony continued throughout the hearing. Wasserman Schultz requested a point of order<\/a>, claiming that Kennedy was in violation of House Rule 11, Clause 2<\/a>, because he \u201crepeatedly made despicable anti-Semitic and anti-Asian comments<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wasserman said the rule bars testimony that \u201cmay tend to defame, degrade or incriminate any person<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following a motion by Massie to table<\/a> the point of order, a roll-call vote was held, which passed 10-8 along party lines, enabling Kennedy\u2019s testimony to continue.<\/p>\n

But later in the hearing, Wasserman Schultz persisted, stating that \u201canti-Semitic incidents are at the highest level in the United States since 1970. They have nearly tripled in the last six years [yet] you gave Mr. Kennedy a megaphone today<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Kennedy attempted to respond to Wasserman Schultz\u2019s accusations, pointing out that he was describing a study funded by the National Institutes of Health and conducted by the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>, she interrupted, saying she was \u201creclaiming<\/em>\u201d her allocated time to speak.<\/p>\n

Republican members of the subcommittee later approved a motion to add the Cleveland Clinic study to the record. The study confirmed Kennedy\u2019s claims about the SARS-CoV-2 virus, finding \u201cunique genetic susceptibility across different populations in ACE2 and TMPRSS2<\/em>,\u201d particularly for the \u201cAfrican\/African-American population<\/em>.\u201d These claims were the basis for labeling Kennedy \u201cracist<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his opening statement, Jordan noted that the Biden administration\u2019s censorship efforts<\/a> began just hours after Biden took office in January 2021.<\/p>\n

The first example cited by Jordan concerned White House efforts to censor a tweet by Kennedy<\/a> earlier that month about the then-recent death of baseball legend Hank Aaron<\/a>, less than two weeks after he publicly received the covid vaccine.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s interesting about the email that the White House sent to Twitter<\/em>,\u201d Jordan said, \u201cis the subject line says \u2018Flagging Hank Aaron misinformation,\u2019<\/em>\u201d referring to information released as part of the Twitter Files<\/em><\/a> in January.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Misinformation\u2019 is when you don\u2019t have the facts right \u2014 they aren\u2019t true<\/em>,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cBut when you look at Mr. Kennedy\u2019s tweet, there was nothing in there that was factually inaccurate. And yet, the White House, on the third day [of the Biden administration], were trying to censor Mr. Kennedy<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe irony here is they are trying to censor the guy who\u2019s actually their Democrat primary opponent<\/em>,\u201d Jordan added, referencing Kennedy\u2019s presidential campaign.<\/p>\n

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) of the Judiciary Committee echoed Jordan\u2019s statements. \u201cIt is for this that Mr. Kennedy finds himself receiving the scorn of both the political left and right, because if one dares challenge the orthodoxy of the powers that be, then one is their enemy<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her opening statement, Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-V.I.), ranking member of the subcommittee, went on a prolonged attack of Kennedy and the subcommittee\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Stacey Plaskett<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWhy are we here? Why are you having this hearing? What does this have to do with inflation? What does this have to do with the cost of living? What does this have to do with the everyday lives of Americans?<\/em>\u201d Plaskett asked the Republican members.<\/p>\n

Referencing Kennedy\u2019s presence as a witness, she asked \u201cWhy would the Republican leadership in the committee majority give a hearing and a platform to the witnesses, specifically to Mr. Kennedy, a man who has recently claimed that covid is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Plaskett later claimed that the committee \u2014 and those questioning establishment narratives \u2014 were seeking to \u201cbully<\/em>\u201d Big Tech.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s clear that one aim of this investigation is to bully tech and media companies into turning a blind eye<\/em>,\u201d Plaskett said. \u201cWhen extremist conspiracies<\/em>\u201d are espoused, she said, such speech \u201cviolate[s] very basic terms of service about deliberate disinformation and promoting violence<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plaskett said the subcommittee\u2019s investigation was intended to \u201cforce virtual communication companies to promote conspiracy theories because they think that\u2019s the only way their candidate can win the 2024 election<\/em>,\u201d via \u201cbully[ing] experts on disinformation<\/em>\u201d and giving \u201cexpression to the most vile sorts of speech.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Plaskett also appeared to attack free speech more broadly.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of my Republican colleagues across the aisle will rush to cover that they have Mr. Kennedy here because they want to protect his free speech, that they do not believe in American censorship<\/em>,\u201d Plaskett said. \u201cThis is not the kind of free speech that I know of, the free speech that is protected by the constitution\u2019s First Amendment<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFree speech is not absolute<\/em>,\u201d she added. \u201cThe Supreme Court has stated [that] hateful, abusive rhetoric does not need to be promoted in the halls of the People\u2019s House<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also claimed Republicans were seeking to promote \u201cquasi-science<\/em>,\u201d in reference to Kennedy\u2019s views about covid vaccines and other topics.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven knowing what they know about Mr. Kennedy\u2019s hateful, evidence-free rhetoric<\/em>,\u201d Plaskett claimed, \u201cSpeaker McCarthy and Jim Jordan affirmatively chose to give this a platform. They intentionally chose to elevate this rhetoric to give these harmful, dangerous views a platform in the halls of the United States Congress<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plaskett later claimed that Kennedy\u2019s January 2021 tweet on Hank Aaron \u201chas not been taken down<\/em>,\u201d and attacked CHD, implying Kennedy\u2019s campaign receives funding from the organization and claiming it is \u201cresponsible for a majority of the false information about vaccines out there.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Discovery in the Missouri v. Biden lawsuit<\/a> revealed White House emails to Twitter requesting Kennedy\u2019s tweet about Aaron be \u201cremoved ASAP<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her testimony, Wiley connected Kennedy and his alleged statements to violent race-based and religion-based attacks, alleging his supposed remarks \u201cserved to drive hate and bias including violent incidents<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kennedy, repeatedly responded to claims of \u201canti-Semitism<\/em>\u201d and \u201cracism<\/em>,\u201d stating that \u201cWhat you have stated and tried to associate me with through guilt by association is simply inaccurate. All that I\u2019m accused of right now by you and in this letter are distortions, misrepresentations<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are defamations and malignancies that are used to censor me to prevent people from listening to the actual fact that I\u2019m saying<\/em>,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cAnd I think that we should have a real conversation rather than an exchange of ad hominem attacks<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to stop trying to destroy each other, to marginalize, to vilify, to gaslight each other. We have to find that place inside of ourselves, of a light, of empathy, of compassion. And above all, we need to elevate the Constitution of the United States, which was written for hard times<\/em>,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Kennedy: \u2018malinformation is information that is true but is inconvenient\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Responding to Plaskett\u2019s claims that his Hank Aaron tweet was never censored, Kennedy said it had been, and that a new term, \u201cmalinformation<\/em>,\u201d was created soon after the Biden administration came into office, \u201cto censor people like me<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kennedy said that his Instagram account had been banned despite containing \u201cno misinformation<\/em>,\u201d but only content that \u201cwas cited and sourced<\/em>,\u201d including from \u201cpeer-reviewed publications or government databases<\/em>.\u201d Yet, he was \u201cremoved something called \u2018malinformation.\u2019<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

He defined \u201cmalinformation<\/em>\u201d as \u201cinformation that is true but is inconvenient to the government that they don\u2019t want people to hear<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kennedy said this was \u201cinformation that Facebook and Twitter and other social media sites understood was true, but that the White House and other federal agencies wanted censored anyway for political reasons, because it challenged official orthodoxies<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noting though that \u201cit became more difficult for people to censor me outright<\/em>\u201d after he announced his presidential campaign, Kennedy said he is now \u201csubject to this new form of censorship, which is called \u2018targeted propaganda,\u2019 where people apply pejoratives like \u2018anti-vax\u2019 to silence me<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

As an example, Kennedy cited his inclusion in the so-called \u201cDisinformation Dozen<\/em>,\u201d produced by the Center for Combating Digital Hate<\/a> (CCDH). Stating that CCDH is \u201cfunded by dark money<\/em>,\u201d he said the White House based its request to social media companies to censor accounts on this list, and that those platforms complied.<\/p>\n

Kennedy referenced further examples of censorship when responding to questions from the subcommittee\u2019s members. Roy referenced a 2016 meeting Kennedy had with Anthony Fauci and other federal public health officials, where he requested evidence of any vaccine having undergone a placebo-controlled trial safety test prior to licensing.<\/p>\n

He was dragged kicking and screaming by the mothers of injured children to investigate the childhood vaccine schedule.<\/p>\n

According to Kennedy, Fauci and other officials \u201cmade a show<\/em>\u201d of searching for such information, then said it would be sent to him.<\/p>\n

When it wasn\u2019t, CHD filed a Freedom of Information Act<\/em> lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, forcing the release of information<\/a> showing HHS was not able to locate a single pre-licensing safety trial placebo control for any of the vaccines mandated for children.<\/p>\n

Yet, such examples are used to brand him as an \u201canti-vaxxer<\/em>,\u201d Kennedy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy views are constantly misrepresented,<\/em>\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cWe\u2019re not allowed to have a conversation about that with the American people, [that] vaccines should be tested with the same rigor as other medicines and medications<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrusting the experts is not a function of science. It is not a function of democracy. It is a function of religion and totalitarianism, and it does not make for a healthier population<\/em>,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

yogaesoteric
\nSeptember 6, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a hearing marred by contentious interruptions and attempts by House Democrats to remove him as a witness, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., chairman on leave from Children\u2019s Health Defense (CHD), testified before a U.S. House hearing organized by Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. The subcommittee, operating within the House Judiciary Committee, said […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1188],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-power-and-corruption-the-matrix-of-the-master-and-slave-3480-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129625"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129625\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":129635,"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129625\/revisions\/129635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}