Now, we are quick to point out in this column that the government is generally incapable of doing anything right. Or at a minimum, incapable of doing anything quickly or efficiently.But I have been really surprised at how quickly and efficiently they’ve been able to commandeer total control of the narrative.They have the media and tech companies in line. They have major medical associations in line. They’ve convinced hundreds of millions of people that they are the only source of truth and information, regardless of their obvious lies and bias.And anyone who publicly expresses independent thinking, or dares to challenge this narrative (no matter how strong the evidence) is canceled off the Internet with a Chinese-level of efficiency.This is the topic for today’s podcast as we assess the incredibly bewildering year that we’ve all just experienced. You can listen in here.
In late 2019, a team executive for the NBA’s Houston Rockets Tweeted a very brief statement of support for pro-freedom protesters in Hong Kong.Hardly anyone should have noticed; he didn’t have much of a following, and it was an incredibly harmless comment.Yet that single Tweet caused a massive firestorm. The Chinese government lost its mind — how dare this American peasant say anything that’s counter to our interests?!?!And like that… poof… China’s government censors erased the Houston Rockets off the face of their Internet.
