Blog #6: The Progressive Era

The United States was founded on the ideologies of freedom and liberty, and in a perfect world, these principles would remain true today. But we don’t live in a perfect world. 

The fact of the matter is that we don’t have as much freedom as we would like to think we have. They say we have the right to dissent, to disagree, to criticize, but where are these representations in the media?

They are few and far between. Large, well-funded news sources favor government opinions, slyly swaying readers to hold those same viewpoints, even if the language used is not outwardly biased. 

The primary duty of the media is to inform readers, but most mainstream sources fail to do this. It seems as if the only strong voices and unpopular opinions are being shared by small, independent outlets.

Specifically, anti-war voices are constantly being silenced, and it is not a coincidence. The government rejects anyone and any publication that they find threatening or damaging to their reputation. They would rather have an uninformed population than one that holds different viewpoints.

Although the government will never admit it, they like being in war. It gives them more power over the public. It gives them the ability to silence people without being questioned because it can easily be blamed as a security threat.  

Since the beginning of United States history, anti-war voices have been either shut down or punished, and it is no different today. The Anti-war website mentions headlines that would never be shared in mainstream media because they try to cover up the harsh realities of war to prevent dissent. 

One title in particular caught my eye. It was titled “I was the Only US Official Imprisoned Over Torture Program - Because I Opposed It.” That headline alone not only confirms my suspicions, but it emphasizes my point that anti-war voices are being shoved under the rug.

John Kiriakou’s post explains how he initially joined the CIA in hopes of serving his country, but he later realized the true corruption that lay within. He criticized the government for its inhumane torture, unwillingness to reveal the truth, and its refusal to take accountability for their crimes. This resulted in Kiriakou being charged with five felonies and serving 23 months in a federal prison. 

Accounts such as the one from John Kiriahou highlight the government’s intolerance to opposition. The government claims to guarantee dissent rights, yet they still choose to attack those who wish to exercise it. 

The government uses a multitude of tactics such as censorship, intimidation, and propaganda to silence anti-war voices. Censorship is typically used by the government to control media outlets. When accounts post opinions that differ from their stance, they often shadow-ban the account and prevent the post from getting any exposure. 

Similarly, the government uses intimidation techniques to discourage people from criticizing them or to persuade them to retract their negative remarks. But the most common yet damaging tactic is propaganda. The government uses propaganda to shape public opinion by sharing misleading information to promote their stance and villainize those who wish to oppose. 

In suppressing these voices, the government violates the public’s right to dissent, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. This leaves the public uninformed, unheard, and unprotected.