This week, the world lost one of the most iconic actresses in history: Brigitte Bardot. It was a terribly sad moment for many moviegoers. However, for the free speech community, the death also brought one of the most bitter and hypocritical moments as French President Emmanuel Macron heralded Bardot as someone who “embodied a life of freedom.” As discussed repeatedly on this blog, Bardot was repeatedly prosecuted by the French government for exercising her free speech.
Bardot died at the age of 91 after spending a lifetime fighting for animal and free speech rights. That latter struggle led her repeatedly into conflict with the French government, which has long embraced wide-ranging censorship of its citizens. Macron himself is a distinctly anti-free-speech figure, despite the warm reception he received in past years from American politicians and the media.
Most recently, Macron expressed outrage at the sanctions imposed on notorious censors, including his anti-free-speech ally Thierry Breton.
Bardot rocketed to fame in 1956 with And God Created Woman, leading to a slew of other movies that highlighted her transcendent beauty. She then retired at a relatively young age and fought for animal rights. She was also a critic of what she saw as threats to the French culture from immigration, Islamic influences, and homosexuality. Many of us disagreed with some of those views, but she was exercising core rights of political speech.
Bardot once said, “I am greatly misunderstood by politically correct idiots. Politics disgusts me.”
Macron’s praise for Bardot’s “life of freedom” is reminiscent of the reaction of French officials to the massacre of editors at Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine. After hounding the victims for years with criminal investigations, the French government organized a march for free speech. As predicted, it then used the killing by Islamic extremists to further crack down on free speech.
Since then, France has been a leader in the rollback of free speech in the West, with ever-widening laws curtailing free speech. These laws criminalize speech under vague standards referring to “inciting” or “intimidating” others based on race or religion. For example, fashion designer John Galliano has been found guilty in a French court on charges of making anti-Semitic comments against at least three people in a Paris bar. At his sentencing, Judge Anne Marie Sauteraud read out a list of the bad words used by Galliano to Geraldine Bloch and Philippe Virgitti, including using ‘dirty whore” in criticism.
In another case, the father of French conservative presidential candidate Marine Le Pen was fined because he had called people from the Roma minority “smelly.” A French teenager was charged for criticizing Islam as a “religion of hate.”
This is a nation that still echoes the cry of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity (“liberté, égalité, fraternité”). However, in today’s France, “liberté” is no longer valued. Individual rights of religion and speech are routinely sacrificed in the name of “equity” and “fraternity.”
In my book The Indispensable Right, I discuss how free speech is in a virtual free fall in Europe. As we face our own growing anti-free speech movement, citizens need to take a long look at countries like France to see what awaits us down this path. Europe went down this slippery slope of censorship decades ago, and the desire to silence others has now become an insatiable appetite.
Marcon has supported figures like Breton in globalizing the reach of the infamous Digital Services Act (DSA) to curtail speech, including Americans and American companies. Bardot was the target of such laws, and Macron’s government consistently and vigorously denied her effort to live a “life of freedom” in France.
Whether you were supportive or appalled by Bardot’s political views, she was unyielding in her demand to speak freely. She was the ultimate contrarian, even saying once “I have a slight despising for humanity in general.”
Emmanuel Macron has now made me understand why Bardot preferred the company of her animals.
Clinton committed treason when he sold top secret satellite technology to China—for campaign contributions.
The radical Left Wingers condemned the guy and insisted he be prosecuted!
lol
Have you ever heard/seen/read big media refer to themselves or anyone else as “Leftists” or “left wingers”?
President Clinton approved waivers allowing U.S. companies Loral Space & Communications and Hughes Electronics to launch their commercial satellites on Chinese rockets. In 1996, the administration also shifted the authority for licensing commercial satellite exports from the security-focused State Department to the commerce-oriented Commerce Department, a move that loosened controls.
Campaign Contributions: Bernard Schwartz, CEO of Loral, donated large amounts of money to Democrats. A Democratic fundraiser, Johnny Chung, also testified he funneled over $100,000 from Liu Chao-ying, a Chinese military official and aerospace executive, to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) that influenced national security decisions.
In the 1990s Bernard Schwartz, CEO of Loral, was the single largest individual contributor to the Democratic Party.
Did you notice how Clinton was charged with treason? Or, how the BM condemned Clinton and hounded him night and day, insisting he tell the truth about selling top secret technology to Communist China?
Our BM is complicit in treason. They should be charged and prosecuted.
Hughes Electronics launched its commercial satellites on Chinese rockets. They helped China analyze failed launches, transferring sensitive missile technology and violating U.S. export laws. Both Loral Space & Communications and Hughes helped improve Chinese rocket reliability.
“Clearly, Trump does not want it publicly known that he was an FBI informant. From my experience as a prosecutor, the principal way a person becomes a confidential informant is when the FBI uses a person’s involvement in criminal activity to turn the individual into an informant to avoid prosecution,” Akerman writes.
It’s the tip of the iceberg of corruption in Minnesota where untold billions have been stolen by unassimilable Somali and other invading parasites.
They don’t get away with that in China.
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AI Overview
Yes, Chinese officials have been executed for corruption, notably high-profile cases like former finance chief Lai Xiaomin (executed 2021 for massive bribes) and ex-food drug director Zheng Xiaoyu (executed 2007 for bribery and tainted products), demonstrating China’s strong stance against graft under Xi Jinping, though the death penalty for corruption is rare and reserved for egregious cases like vast bribery or endangering public health.
. Try trillions stolen. The money has been converted into other accounts, countries, property and the cash is or will worthless ashes. Try 35 trillion stolen. They been or were printing money out the treasury under Barry and lunch bucket 24/7.
True scum
^^^^ and Clinton, Bush and maybe Trump. Is anything good?
She was the ultimate contrarian, even saying once “I have a slight despising for humanity in general.”
A Jesuit English poet of some renown would have disagreed. Hopefully Bardot found joy in her latter years.
Pied Beauty
Glory be to God for dappled things –
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced – fold, fallow, and plough;
And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.
All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise him.
– Gerard Manley Hopkins, SJ
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44399/pied-beauty
Between Trump suing, and media mergers being scrutinized by the administration, we’re quickly catching up with France.
don’t see the connection here. But you do you.
The Trump admin stopped public funding to media. US law prohibits restricting media (although both Obama and Biden disregarded that). Your attempt to create a straw man falls very flat.
Why should U.S. taxpayers fund state media? NPR ratings keep dropping. Some of their highly rated shows are gone. On PBS TV. They keep showing 1983 movie War Games. You can see that on AMC or Turner Channel. PBS was outstanding 1960′-80s. Now many shows are 10 year old repeats! They need to reinvent themselves. Maybe stream.
Agree with other commenter. That’s a bizarre comment with no basis in reality.
https://www.themorningchronicle.net/
Your comment makes no sense. A person who commences a civil lawsuit alleging defamation is not the same as the government shutting down free speech. The tort system in the United States is designed to allow tort victims to be compensated by people who injured them. FWIW, it’s much easier to get compensated for defamation in England than in the US.
Second, the government scrutinizes mergers based on antitrust laws. Those laws are designed to promote competition by making sure one or a few companies cannot completely dominate a field and suppress competition. They promote economic freedom, they don’t hinder it.
Perhaps you are a false-flag commenter, just trying to make Trump-haters look silly or stupid (?)
OMG! Where to start. Start here: Where the —- is the Supreme Court?
Defamation is unconstitutional, as it denies Americans their absolute and unqualified 1st Amendment freedom of speech.
The tort system is unconstitutional, as it denies Americans their absolute and unqualified 1st Amendment freedom of speech.
Mergers are part and parcel of the absolute right of only the owner to “claim and exercise” dominion over private property.
Congress enjoys the power to regulate only commerce, that is, the “buying and selling” of commodities, products, services, et al., among nations, states, and Indian tribes—Congress has no power to regulate the design, engineering, manufacture, marketing, or any other aspect or facet of the process of bringing a product to market and selling it.
Antitrust laws are unconstitutional, constituting a denial of freedom, free enterprise, free industries, and free markets in the private sector.
Antitrust laws are unconstitutional denials of the absolute right to private property—private property is not public property, and ONLY the owner may “claim and exercise” dominion.
The word “INTERPRET” does not exist in the Constitution; the judicial branch has no power to modify, amend, or modify fundamental or statutory law by “interpretation,” and the judicial branch enjoys ONLY the judicial power and no executive power—it may ONLY issue an opinion or decision regarding whether actions comport with law.
Defamation unconstitutional? That’s a joke. Do you also think laws criminalizing fraud or terroristic threats are unconstitutional?
More generally, have you ever attended law school? Do you know anything about law and the constitution? It seems not. You are the type of commenter who hears some whacked-out teaching on a whacko website and believes it’s more trustworthy than the Constitution and Supreme Court, and then trumpets your ignorance for all the world to see. I have been practicing law for nearly 30 years and have dealt with both constitutional law and tort law extensively. I have dealt with hundreds of court cases on these topics. I don’t rely on whackos to get my understanding of law. By contrast, your ignorance shines through with every word you type.
Can you read?
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1st Amendment
Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech….
It’s going to be a hard day for oldmanfromkansas with this anonymous trying to move it without all the slop slipping through his fingers.
Can *you* read? Where in that text prohibiting Congress from making certain laws does it mention private defamation lawsuits brought by private individuals in state courts?
Well, they’re PUBLIC courts. Does anyone else grow weary of it. Move to private courts for civil private civil suits. The public has an interest in criminal charges. Ild man not from Kansas.
The Epstein suits should reimburse the public for using the courts. He was criminally prosecuted and got a death penalty. The public has no interest beyond that. The criminal., CRIME only. What a racket.
Omfk, by whom was the unsigned opinion , Trump v. Illinois written? A clerk?
So exactly who is the arbitrary controller of speech?
Which words may be spoken and which not, Karl?
Where does American fundamental law state that it exists solely for attorneys at law and that the clear English language cannot be assimilated by the hoi polloi—that they can’t read the Constitution but they can vote?
That you don’t like the Constitution does not bear.
Quote for me, please, the clear English language in the Constitution that says private individuals may not recover compensation for tortious harm done to them via defamation. You cannot quote it because it doesn’t exist. But you’re too ignorant to realize that you don’t know what the f—k you’re talking about, anonymous troll. It’s little wonder you post your garbage anonymously.
People must adapt to freedom.
Freedom does not adapt to people.
Dictatorship does.
When you run out of ammunition, go ad hominem. Good choice. Well played.
Well, either a civil suit or duel at sunrise.
CBS killing their piece on the Venezuelans sent to El Salvador is a clear example of Trump era intimidation
https://www.themorningchronicle.net
Like CBS is afraid of Trump? Like that’s stopped the left-wing MSM from ever publishing a negative story on Trump? How about: CBS doctored the tapes and then the head of CBS, Bari Weiss, who is more committed to journalistic integrity, pulled the story because it amounted to fabrication and journalistic malpractice.
I don’t want any more news about Venezuela or central America. 3rd worlds must be cut off.
oldmanfromkansas, my reply at 7:12pm was not intended to be anonymous. I’m new to this comment format…somewhat ironic to be debating free speech with people who feel the need to be either anonymous or use a pseudonym. I find the Trump administration at the very least using intimidation.
Intimidation, you say???!!!
What the —- did “Crazy Abe” use in a situation where secession was not prohibited and fully constitutional per the 10th Amendment while it was expressed in the constitutional ratification documents of a number of states?
I mean, he killed a million Americans by the time all was said and done.
Oh, and for what, exactly—nothing different from a husband beating his wife into submission when she wants to leave and obtain a divorce?
Anonymous actually lessens bias.
It’s globalization. Who’s behind it some wonder.
As western civilization has been invaded and cultures replaced, Europe is no more and the United States is just part of the Americas leaving behind its in its connection to Britain shards and rubble. First world’s no longer as 3rd worlds change names to emerging markets , developing countries squash civilization. As women have become pregnant people looking more like men or drag queens or shrouded ghosts hysterical, gesticulating figures or silent in tyranny.
It’s the darkest time…Who’s behind it?
“It’s the [women], stupid!”
– James Carville
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The American fertility rate has been in a “death spiral” for lo these many decades; American women bear nowhere near enough babies.
If men have a duty to fight a nation’s wars, do women not have a duty to make a nation’s people?
^^^ East Indian women have approximately 7 children per family. 1.5 billion east indian people currently? China and India are nearly half of the world population. They’ll need to consume more land so invasions are predictable. The mindless propagation continues.
ON MACRON. In the toolkit of every politician to extol the virtues of all manor of rights and freedoms, yet deny them all when power is achieved. The clever ones find a balance. The evil ones use a gun. The mediocre ones, like Macron, try to fool all the people all the time. (Homage to Lincoln)
So says the anon commenter who never had a job in the French government. Or any federal government. Really stupid comment.
President Trump, Pam Bondi, Kash Patel can you please let the American people know when the political criminals that have squandered our National wealth, corrupted our judicial system, weaponized our law enforcement agencies and fraudulently stole an election in a seditious and treasonous conspiracy in an attempted coup to transform OUR Nation into something of their own ideology. Sometimes you may have to break a few eggs to make an omelette.
When?!
“We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.”
– Barack Obama
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“We will stop him.”
– Peter Strzok to FBI paramour Lisa Page
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“[Obama] wants to know everything we’re doing.”
– Lisa Page to FBI paramour Peter Strzok
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“I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andy’s office — that there’s no way he gets elected — but I’m afraid we can’t take that risk It’s like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before 40.”
– Peter Strzok to FBI parmour Lisa Page
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“People on the 7th floor to include Director are fired up about this [Trump] server.”
– Bill Priestap
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“I had a discussion with the case team and we believe there to be predication to include former President of the United States Donald J. Trump as a predicated subject.”
– Timothy Thibault to John Crabb, U.S. Attorney’s Office, D.C.
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The Obama Coup D’etat in America is the most egregious abuse of power and the most prodigious crime in American political history. The co-conspirators are:
Kevin Clinesmith, Bill Taylor, Eric Ciaramella, Rosenstein, Mueller/Team, Andrew Weissmann,
James Comey, Christopher Wray, McCabe, Strozk, Page, Laycock, Kadzic, Sally Yates,
James Baker, Bruce Ohr, Nellie Ohr, Priestap, Kortan, Campbell, Sir Richard Dearlove,
Christopher Steele, Simpson, Joseph Mifsud, Alexander Downer, Stefan “The Walrus” Halper,
Azra Turk, Kerry, Hillary, Huma, Mills, Brennan, Gina Haspel, Clapper, Lerner, Farkas, Power,
Lynch, Rice, Jarrett, Holder, Brazile, Sessions (patsy), Nadler, Schiff, Pelosi, Obama,
Joe Biden, James E. Boasberg, Emmet Sullivan, Gen. Milley, George Soros, John McCain,
Marc Elias, Igor Danchenko, Fiona Hill, Charles H. Dolan, Jake Sullivan, Strobe Talbot,
Cody Shear, Victoria Nuland, Ray “Red Hat” Epps, Don Berlin, Kathy Ruemmler, Rodney Joffe,
Paul Vixie, L. Jean Camp, Andrew Whitney, Lisa O. Monaco, Fani Willis, Alvin Bragg,
Matthew Colangelo, Merrick Garland, Juan Merchan, Timothy Thibault et al.
A good start!
Another garbage comment.
Such a profound and compelling refutation.
It’s a good comment. Many have perished.
So it seems. Who’s behind it?