"Killing the chicken to scare the monkey"
A look into the dangers of censorship, with Jan Jekielek
This is a really good read from Jan Jekielek at Epoch Times…
"Censorship & self-censorship act together in this society to ensure that independent thinking & creativity cannot exist without bowing to authority." 👀
🧵Back in 2014, Chinese dissident @aiww wrote a powerful essay, "On Self-#Censorship" exploring life under the #CCP. (1/22)
"Killing the chicken to scare the monkey."
Not 100% clear yet what this means? I wasn't either. I had forgotten this saying & essay until recently when I landed in a space with @ooana & @shelley_curious, where I was issued a challenge: "explain this Chinese saying." (2/22)
Here is the essay from 2014 he is referring to:
In the essay, Ai Weiwei *beautifully* explains how #censorship & self-censorship work together to enforce conformity & the will of the state. Here he was talking about #communist #China, but I'm sure you'll find the explanation familiar, especially post-#TwitterFiles👇 (3/22)
I for one am very grateful for his voice, telling the truth of the realities of #China under the #CCP early (at significant personal cost—arrest, torture & ultimately exile), and, in effect, warning us of what will happen in the West if we don't change course. (22/22) FIN
History doesn’t just repeat, it rhymes…
Here's the inherent problem with censorship in the hands of man...
Senger believes Xi orchestrated COVID intentionally. He's made a strong case. Now, you surely don't have to agree with Michael, but why isn't he allowed to speak to us here? Do we silence flat-earthers?
Theo Jordan @Theo_TJ_Jordan
. . .
I've half-written a substack on why it's stupid to censor and mock flat-earthers. The only way to come to the truth of a situation is allow people to freely discuss ideas and hear why they may be wrong, and allow people to perform experiments and have people check the data. This works out for the best for all of society. The main reason to censor someone is if you think they'd convince people something you don't want them to believe. The only reasons to censor someone is because you don't think you have the most convincing argument and/or fear people are inconvincible through logical arguments.
Thank you Theo!! I had missed this, and am so glad you elevated it. I was caught in that self-censorship trap for years. Still breaking free...