Silence Is Collaboration: Academics Must Speak Out Against Fascism

https://lithub.com/silence-is-collaboration-academics-must-speak-out-against-fascism/

"More than a decade ago, Congress tried to pass SOPA and PIPA—two sweeping bills that would have allowed the government and copyright holders to quickly shut down entire websites based on allegations of piracy. The backlash was immediate and massive. Internet users, free speech advocates, and tech companies flooded lawmakers with protests, culminating in an “Internet Blackout” on January 18, 2012. Turns out, Americans don’t like government-run internet blacklists. The bills were ultimately shelved.

Thirteen years later, as institutional memory fades and appetite for opposition wanes, members of Congress in both parties are ready to try this again.

The Foreign Anti-Digital Piracy Act (FADPA), along with at least one other bill still in draft form, would revive this reckless strategy. These new proposals would let rights holders get federal court orders forcing ISPs and DNS providers to block entire websites based on accusations of infringing copyright. Lawmakers claim they’re targeting “pirate” sites—but what they’re really doing is building an internet kill switch.

These bills are an unequivocal and serious threat to a free and open internet. EFF and our supporters are going to fight back against them."

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/04/congress-reviving-site-blocking-and-its-just-dangerous-ever

"The position of this administration is that the First Amendment does not really apply to criticism of Israel or of Zionism. Trump’s administration is trying to circumvent the Constitution and to criminalize clearly protected speech in the service of a genocidal government whose weapons and political support overwhelmingly come from the U.S.

The tactics employed by the Trump administration are firmly in line with a longstanding German policy of putting support for Israel, no matter how heinous its crimes, above the basic free speech rights of its citizens. In a wide-ranging discussion, Alexander Gorski, a Berlin-based criminal defense and migration lawyer, lays out how Germany has weaponized the concept of anti-semitism to stifle dissent and to suppress speech.

Since October 7 and the launch of the war against Gaza, Germany has targeted residents for deportation and has ignited a campaign of fear among particularly Arab and Muslim residents of Germany. Many German media outlets have joined this frenzy, running tabloid headlines accusing Arab activists of being Hamas propagandists or operatives. More recently Germany has begun trying to deport activists with EU citizenship, people who have a clearly defined right to live in Germany. Among these are citizens of Ireland and Poland. They are also trying to deport a U.S. citizen for participating in protests against Israel’s war. Gorski is one of the lead lawyers representing these activists and many other residents of Germany being targeted for their activism opposing Israel’s war."

https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/video-donald-trump-germany-criminalize-pro-palestine-activism

The Peace Preservation Law, aimed at rooting out socialists and communists, was promulgated 100 years ago, while a new museum for kanji was opened in Kyoto 25 years ago. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/04/05/japan/history/peace-law-womens-week-minobe-kanji-history-1925-1950-1975-2000/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #history #law #freedomofspeech #feminism #womensrights #ryokichiminobe #ryoichikuroda #kanji #kyoto

"Berlin’s immigration authorities are moving to deport four young foreign residents on allegations related to participation in protests against Israel’s war on Gaza, an unprecedented move that raises serious concerns over civil liberties in Germany.

The deportation orders, issued under German migration law, were made amid political pressure and over internal objections from the head of the state of Berlin’s immigration agency. The internal strife arose because three of those targeted for deportation are citizens of European Union member states who normally enjoy freedom of movement between E.U. countries.

The orders — issued by the state of Berlin, whose Senate administration oversees immigration enforcement — are set to take effect in less than a month. None of the four has been convicted of any crimes.

The cases are drawing comparisons to the U.S.’s use of deportation orders to suppress social movements.

“What we’re seeing here is straight out of the far right’s playbook,” said Alexander Gorski, a lawyer representing two of the protesters. “You can see it in the U.S. and Germany, too: Political dissent is silenced by targeting the migration status of protesters.”"

https://theintercept.com/2025/03/31/germany-gaza-protesters-deport/

"[C]onciliation only fuels #Trump’s momentum and his predatory instincts to exact more retribution—just as ABC News’s choice to pay Trump $15 million to settle his lawsuit against the organization only invites further attacks on the press, and Columbia’s capitulation to his unprecedented intervention in its internal affairs bodes ill for the rest of America’s colleges and universities."

https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/lawyers-face-an-existential-choice/
#USpol #USpolitics #civilLiberties #FreedomOfSpeech #censorship #lawfare #MAGA

An example of how the US Constitution has been undermined, which includes basic human rights... If you have no important reason to be in the United States, avoid!

#usa #us #humanrights #freedomofspeech #trump

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/03/how-each-pillar-of-the-1st-amendment-is-under-attack/

In the USA, exchange/foreign students don't have freedom of speech, students can better choose for the EU or other countries.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Z1vfWt4hDin5H8Mn4znKo?si=YfyvzfhvTXeqnnKu8pwJWw
#usa #students #freedomofspeech #trump #fascism #ice #universities #science

How Each Pillar of the First Amendment Is Under Attack

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/03/how-each-pillar-of-the-1st-amendment-is-under-attack/

Let this be an inspiration. Listen to it 100 times if you must. We are all citizens of the world. We should unite. We believe in peace and unity. Don’t be discouraged, we can still live in a peaceful, positive, inclusive society. All we have to do is believe! YES WE CAN!

#YESWECAN #yeswecan #weareallworldcitizens #unite #worldunite #america #US #freedom #freedomofspeech #worlunite #europeunite #lgbtqi+ #lgbtq #lgbtq+ #allinclusive #inclusive #humanrights #bewhoyouare

https://youtu.be/Hxsfi7Bn-jw

@cmorris so much for freedom of speech.

#FreeSpeech #FreedomofSpeech #1stAmendment #FreePress #FreedomofthePress #CivilRights #Petition Urge Congress to stop Trump’s information takeover and attacks on the press!
https://actionnetwork.org/forms/urge-congress-to-stop-trumps-information-takeover-and-attacks-on-the-press

This is how #ElonMusk and Twitter/X shut down #FreedomofSpeech and #Democracy

"The responsibility of intellectuals is to speak the truth and expose lies."

–Noam Chomsky

#Chomsky emphasizes that those who have knowledge and influence must use their intellect to challenge falsehoods and reveal the truth. Intellectuals, whether scholars, journalists, or thinkers, have a duty to question power structures and educate the public. Silence in the face of deception allows misinformation to spread unchecked.

Can your phone get you deported in the U.S? Yes! After Trump's order to increase national security, more travellers are facing increased scrutiny, including searches of their phones and laptops. @USAToday has the latest.

https://flip.it/5ECmN0