The (Deep) State of Global Censorship - You're The Voice Ep. 44 with Mike Benz

🎙️ My guest today is Mike Benz, a free speech & censorship expert, the Executive Director of Foundation for Freedom Online, a nonprofit watchdog dedicated to protecting digital liberties and restoring the free and open Internet. Benz was in charge of the cyber portfolio for the US State Department during the Trump administration, where he served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Communications and Information Technology. That role included formulating and negotiating US policy on Internet diplomacy issues as well as interfacing with private industry and civil society in the Big Tech space. Prior to that, Benz served as a White House speechwriter for President Trump and advised on technology policy. 

In this episode, we discuss censorship & free speech, U.S. foreign policy including Israel’s role. We dive into the censorship industrial complex, the mechanics behind censorship tactics, and the implications for free speech in the digital age. We also touch on the intersection of technology and free speech, particularly in relation to Bitcoin & Nostr, and end on a message of hope for a future of freedom and digital liberties.

This episode is on Twitter, Spotify, Fountain, Rumble and more.

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We talked about: 

00:00 Coming Up...
01:16 Intro & Background on Mike
03:31 True Purpose of the Middle East War
08:14 Self-Custody with Trezor (Ad Break)
08:44 Current US Administration Pushing for an Israeli Regime Change?
13:23 The Censorship Industrial Complex: Controlling the Flow of Information
15:47 Netanyahu, Soros, Gas & Poland
19:29 Oct. 7th - Speculations
23:55 Speaking To American Interests
28:50 Prolonging The Middle East War
32:44 "Whole of Society" Defining Censorship & Free Speech
36:25 Sticks & Carrots: The Relationship Between Big Government & Big Corporations
42:28 Whole of Society in Action
50:00 The Redefinition of Democracy: Consensus of Institutions vs. Individuals
55:57 Unveiling Authoritarian Structures & Fight for Freedom
1:00:53 Centralized vs. Decentralized Tech & Freedom of Speech
1:04:51 Nostr & Freedom Tech
1:08:26 Stablecoins Impact on USD, US Global Dominance & Bitcoin
1:16:38 Pro-Freedom vs. Pro-Decentralization (& Nostr & Jack Dorsey)
1:19:25 Mike's Talk at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference
1:23:58 Closing Message: We're Winning

My takeaways: 

• The U.S. “blob” has a long history of using foreign policy to influence politics in different countries & cause regime changes.

• Israel plays a crucial role in U.S. strategy in the Middle East.

• The censorship industrial complex is a real and growing concern.

• Censorship is a systematic approach involving multiple institutions.

• Censorship tactics include removing, reducing, and informing about content.

• Free speech is intricately linked to financial independence, especially with Bitcoin.

• There is a growing coalition advocating for digital liberties.

• Hope lies in the increasing awareness and resistance against censorship.

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