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How censorship has taken over our lives, and the threat it poses to our faith and humanity.

Part 1: The Tower of Babel proposed that the current global agendas bear many parallels with the ways of the Babylonians as reported in Genesis. Part 2: Nationalism turns into Globalism sought to learn lessons from the anointing of King Saul in I Samuel. Then in Part 3: Giorgia Meloni – Italy’s first female prime minister, I celebrate some of the virtues of nationalism through the lens of the nuclear family and the Christian worldview.

Today, I return to the globalist side, highlighting the current attacks on our minds, our faith, our democratic values, and our shared humanity. The Censorship Industrial Complex (CIC), a term coined by Michael Shellenberger, was the topic of a conference held in London, England, on 23 June with Michael Shellenberger, Matt Taibbi, Russell Brand and Dan Astin-Gregory of the Pandemic Podcast.

I had followed Dan Astin-Gregory pretty much throughout the whole of the Covid era and into the aftermath. Then, sometime at the start of this year, I never heard from him again! I assumed he had gone onto other things and was no longer publishing material on global affairs. I had found his analysis balanced and unsensational — I liked that!

But Dan had not stopped working at all — he had been deplatformed!

Platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have heavily censored the Pandemic Podcast content for the last three years, but when it reached five million views it was completely deplatformed.

We had our entire channel deleted from YouTube, all of the hundreds of videos we had created were gone, all our analysis, all our subscribers (including me); we had to start from scratch.

Dan pointed out that organisations across the world had collaborated and censored information during the pandemic. Over 400 organisations had been, and still were, targeting disinformation, information that the CIC believes threatens the established authority. The Twitter Files have brought this into the light.

Matt Taibbi said:

The Twitter Files reveal a sweeping system of digital surveillance combined with subtle rewards and punishments designed to get people to censor themselves.

The CIC is threatening not just free speech, but the exercise of democracy and humanity itself in the way it is shaping the narrative of the world. The CIC’s agenda is a highly centralised and coordinated system.

It has effectively harmonised policy across the globe so that individual national agendas are no longer seen as relevant or important. One tell-tale sign of its success is that there is now only one way of viewing issues. Discourse and debate are now a thing of the past.

Mainstream media have been the vehicle for pushing ‘right think’. Indeed, it betrays all the hallmarks of a religion, as those who have right thinking are deemed righteous and good people. While anyone who does not support this way of thinking is automatically an un-good person. There is no middle ground or opportunity for debate.

What prevents people from seeing what is going on is precisely the suppression of the free flow of information. Dan highlighted the only antidote: Tell the truth, wherever you can, to whoever you can, without fear.

Dan quoted an incident recently in Canada, where a talk about peace in Ukraine was cancelled! When in the world has it ever been an offence to talk about peace?

Reflection

Last week, in addition to this piece from Dan Astin-Gregory in London, I have seen two very significant reports here in Australia.

First, Senator Babet challenged the notion that the government is our sole source of truth. I was far from satisfied with Senator Wong’s response. Then Rukshan Fernando put out a piece called ‘Stop the Australian Government’s “Ministry of Truth”‘.

Yes, this is real. I know for a fact, Dan Astin-Gregory was deleted from YouTube for most of this year. He is now back, thankfully, but the CIC has removed his database of subscribers. Let’s ask ourselves: are we happy for others to dictate what ideas and perspectives we are allowed to consider and expose to our critical thinking skills? I find it offensive to think that my worldview is being narrowed according to someone else’s agenda.

Next, let’s look at the broad multicultural population, in our community. Effectively, the CIC is shaping the narrative that all our children are growing up with. I thought Australia was a country that was free, tolerant, and accepting of diversity. It was once touted as the most successful multicultural Western nation. Now, our varied cultures are not allowed! We have to be harmonised into one. We must all think alike, speak alike and act alike.

Finally, perhaps the most insidious. If the CIC has been successful, and I believe they have, then the population is now self-censoring. That is, we are now thinking in the way the CIC has designed for us to think. My concern here is for our Christian faith and how we think about our faith. I am sure that the CIC has made us less offended by sin. I think they have made it hard for us to separate hating the sin and loving the person. We now have to love the person and ignore their sin!

My plea is that we exercise our critical thinking skills every day, on everything we see and hear. Let’s support those in parliament who are taking a stand for freedom of thought, freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the freedom of democracy.

I count it a huge honour to be alive at such a time as this. The deception of the evil one is so rampant, but I fear that many in our churches can’t see the deception brought by the CIC.

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
~ Matthew 24:24

One antidote, as Dan said: Tell the truth, wherever you can, to whoever you can, without fear. I say we must teach critical thinking to all around us, to all who will listen. To pray for a teachable spirit in those around us and to pray for God opportunities to share our story.

My second antidote: Reject most global agendas, especially those emanating from the WEF and the WHO. Support nationalism wherever you can, especially where it honours and respects the family and the intrinsic value and dignity of the individual.

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