POLITICAL WARNING:
Censorship Continues to Escalate
Facebook has removed a video of Donald Trump’s latest interview, asserting a new standard that the Former President’s voice is not permitted in any capacity on the platform. Although questions on the constitutionality of this action are apparent, the platform would find itself in an even tougher position down the road should Trump run again in 2024. If they continued to take such actions, it would seem to be a clear example of election interference.
These actions on the part of Big Tech have not been limited to Trump, or to Facebook, and has become exponentially worse since January 6th. Instagram, a subsidiary of Facebook, has removed conservative influencer Kaitlyn Bennet’s graduation pictures from three years ago for “incitement of violence.” This illustrates a larger movement within the industry to systematically remove all conservative opinions, thought, and, eventually, belief via censorship and deplatforming.
This issue has prompted Trump to begin the construction of his own social media platform, without relying on any of the infrastructure of Big Tech which caused problems for Parler and others. According to advisors, Trump plans to be on his new platform within 2-3 months, although the question of whether or not it will become a major player in the industry is much less clear.
CONFLICT WARNING:
China Poised to Increase Middle Eastern Influence
Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren was on John Solomon’s podcast earlier this week. Given Oren’s experience in the Middle East region, a large portion of the time was spent on his analysis and predictions for the region. One of the points of concern among the international community has been the plan moving forward for Syria, and what player could take advantage of the inevitable rebuilding effort that will be necessary.
According to Oren, the Russian’s and Iranian’s are in no position to provide the level of contribution necessary to make substantial progress in Syria. China, on the other hand, has shown a strong desire to increase its foothold in the region with the construction of new ports, military bases, and infrastructure in key geographical positions. This includes their newly expanded military base in Djibouti, the largest of any country on the continent, at the entrance to the Red Sea.
If China, as their recent actions across the globe indicate, sense a weakening of the American’s grip on the influential power of the world, it could be a real problem for U.S. and Israeli interests. The push to rejoin The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or the Iranian Nuclear Deal could further compromise the situation in the region if Biden follows through on his campaign promise to rejoin it.
IN OTHER NEWS:
5 Headlines You Might Have Missed
- The Biden Administration ignores multiple attacks on U.S. lead efforts in Iraq.
- Russia has moved troops up to the Ukraninian Border causing the crisis level to be raised for U.S. forces in the area.
- The Myanmar Military murdered at least 126 citizens unable to defend themselves due to strict gun control laws.
- YouTube and Twitter have moved in unison to restrict Steven Crowder’s accounts—one of the biggest conservatives on the sites—for no specified reasons.
- Due to the presence of movies critical of the Chinese Communist Party, the Oscars will be banned from being broadcast within the country.