Michael Shellenberger on Nostr: This Video Can Stop Totalitarianism Imagine for a moment that you wanted to seize ...

This Video Can Stop Totalitarianism

Imagine for a moment that you wanted to seize control over the Internet and put in place a system of mass censorship worldwide. How would you do it?

You wouldn’t advertise your intentions. You’d hide them. You’d claim there was a rise in hate speech and misinformation and that it was hurting vulnerable people.

You wouldn’t take on powerful interests. You’d pick on individual citizens. You’d say that they were on the verge of committing real-world violence.

And you wouldn’t start in a big nation. You’d find some small country to start. You’d get their politicians to go out on a limb for your agenda.

That’s precisely what’s happening. Politicians in Ireland are, at this moment, attempting to ram through legislation that would allow the police to invade the homes of ordinary citizens, search their phones and computers, and throw them in prison for “hate speech.”

It’s understandable that people find all of this hard to believe. I find it hard to believe. It sounds like a “Black Mirror” episode.

But it’s not a “Black Mirror” episode. It’s real life. And it’s unfolding in Ireland at this very moment.

We don’t know who all is behind the plot to censor the Internet, but we know there is one.

We had thought that the Irish government had abandoned its totalitarian proposal. A scrappy, inspiring group, Free Speech Ireland, npub1jk93f446vxyyn76je30pd62f7509e6htfm0djlxzxe6dj4x9ycms7vy9xx (npub1jk9…y9xx) had successfully pushed back on the proposal last year, putting the government on the defensive.

But then a deranged man stabbed a schoolteacher and two children last November, triggering anti-immigration riots. Ireland’s Prime Minister and Justice Minister used the riots to bring back their hate legislation.

This time, Free Speech Ireland was ready. Its founders reached out to us and asked us to help raise the alarm.

We did, and you responded with support for the organization. Free Speech Ireland has now created a barnburner of a television and online advertisement that it will run for the next week.

But it’s not enough. Free Speech Ireland needs to raise $100,000 in the next 48 hours so it can run the ad across Ireland.

We will donate 100% of donations made to Environmental Progress to Free Speech Ireland for its inspiring work.

We can win this battle, but not without your help. Please take a moment now to donate.

Together we can prevent this “Black Mirror” nightmare from becoming a reality.