January 1, Macron’s Free Speech Crackdown Exposes European Censorship Agenda

Wyatt’s Take

• France is criminalizing everyday speech and calling it democracy
• Macron pushes censorship laws that punish insults and opinions
• America’s First Amendment stands as the last real line of defense

French President Emmanuel Macron just declared that American free speech is the opposite of free speech. That is rich coming from a man whose own country fines comedians and teenagers for saying the wrong thing about religion or politics.

France has been sliding into speech control for years now. Vague laws about “inciting” or “intimidating” people based on race or religion have been used to punish ordinary citizens for simple comments.

“There is no freedom if there is no limit to my freedom, which begins with the freedom of others and respect for a common framework. I know this when I walk down the street: my freedom cannot mean hitting you, insulting you or trashing the public space we all share.”

Macron made that statement recently while pushing his censorship agenda. The line about “insulting” someone being a crime tells you everything you need to know about how France views basic expression.

Fashion designer John Galliano got convicted in French court for making antisemitic comments in a bar. Marine Le Pen’s father was fined for calling Roma people “smelly.” A French teenager was charged for calling Islam a “religion of hate.”

Macron celebrated actress Brigitte Bardot as someone who “embodied a life of freedom” even though the French government prosecuted her multiple times for her speech.

After Islamic extremists killed the editors at Charlie Hebdo magazine, French officials marched for free speech. Then they used the attack to tighten speech laws even more.

Macron has been working with European Commission officials to spread these censorship rules globally through the Digital Services Act. The law targets what they call “disinformation” and “incitement” online.

“Not a slogan anymore — that what is illegal offline should also be seen and dealt with as illegal online. Now it is a real thing. Democracy’s back.”

That quote came from European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager when the law passed. European leaders cheered it as a victory for democracy.

Macron even came to Congress to push his anti-free speech message. He called for a joint war against “fake news” and told American lawmakers that democracy requires “true choices and rational decisions.”

Our representatives applauded while he pushed for government control over information. Macron thinks he gets to decide which views are “corrosive” to democracy.

Free speech has never killed an idea in history. Censorship just gives more power to politicians who want to silence their critics and control public debate.

The only answer to bad speech is better speech. People can sort out their own values without government guidance telling them what they are allowed to say.

Wyatt Matters

Middle America still believes in the plain truth that free expression keeps government honest and lets people find their own answers without politicians deciding what counts as acceptable thought.