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Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by cscurmudgeon on Friday March 10, 2023 @12:53PM (#35098179)
This is not comparable. Reminds me of this joke:

Sure, the Soviet Union has free speech, just like in America.

In the US, you can stand in front of the White House and yell, "Down with Reagan," and it's fine. Moscow is like that too. You can stand on Red Square and yell, "Down with Reagan." No problem at all

Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by pessimizer on Friday March 10, 2023 @01:00PM (#35098262)
The US has banned Russian media, and accuses anyone who complains about that of having loyalty to Russia.
Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by jryle70 on Friday March 10, 2023 @01:18PM (#35098569)
Ban? Are you in the US? can you access this? https://www.rt.com/
Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by genghisjahn on Friday March 10, 2023 @01:19PM (#35098596)
I think you mean that the US banned Russian media companies that are controlled by the Kremlin. If there is something that we in the west would call a "free press" in Russia then those would not be banned. That's my take anyway.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/08/politics/us-russia-sanctions-...

Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by anonymousiam on Friday March 10, 2023 @01:29PM (#35098761)
Even worse, the US is about to ban TikTok. At first I thought they were only going to ban it for government and contractor devices, but it seems now that it will be banned for everyone. I don't use TikTok and probably never will, but how is this bill even constitutionally legal? I understand the concerns about data collection, but the USG seems more concerned about WHO is doing the collecting rather than the collecting itself. If the concern is about the propagation of "disinformation", Amendment I of the US Constitution prohibits this sort of censoring. During WWII, allied troops in the South Pacific listened to "Tokyo Rose" with no interference from the USG. That was back in the day when US citizens did not need to be told what to think by their government.

The Soviet Union had a strict censorship regime that the west referred to as "The Iron Curtain." China has "The Great Firewall" now. What will the world soon be calling ours?

https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/7/23629469/restrict-act-byte...

Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by booleandilemma on Friday March 10, 2023 @01:36PM (#35098859)
I vote for Freedom Fence.
Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by throwuwu on Friday March 10, 2023 @02:51PM (#35099920)
The Democracy Drape
Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by ok_dad on Friday March 10, 2023 @02:31PM (#35099595)
> the US is about to ban TikTok

There are a LOT more steps to making a bill a law[0] than this, so “about to” is pretty disingenuous.

[0]: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Otbml6WIQPo

Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by anonymousiam on Friday March 10, 2023 @02:44PM (#35099819)
It's on the way to Biden's desk, and he has said that he will sign it.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/08/tech/biden-tiktok-bill/index....

Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by cscurmudgeon on Friday March 10, 2023 @04:04PM (#35101039)
> A dozen US senators unveiled legislation on Tuesday called the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act. The bill does not target TikTok specifically for a ban.

The bill does not target TikTok specifically for a ban. I don't see the problem.

Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by anonymousiam on Saturday March 11, 2023 @03:12PM (#35112167)
It was written with TikTok in mind. It could be applied to Telegram just as well.
Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by cscurmudgeon on Friday March 10, 2023 @04:04PM (#35101026)
1. The US hasn't banned TikTok yet. A lot of steps are there.

2. TikTok has CCP board members. So comparing it US companies is not fair.

Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by anonymousiam on Saturday March 11, 2023 @03:16PM (#35112221)
Take my word for it, I am no fan of the CCP. That said, if you research the matter, you'll find that every major Chinese (PRC) company has CCP board members. Should they all be banned? It's not possible to prosper in the corrupt PRC business environment without CCP connections. Jack Ma's recent experience should be a lesson for all.
Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by thr717272 on Friday March 10, 2023 @01:20PM (#35098606)
"The US" doesn't accuse anyone.

We who know anything about Russia might however.

And, I think if you look around a little you'll find access to outside information and options to distribute it way harder in Russia.

Also, the lies they serve are hilarious: just today I saw a video with one of the chief propagandists claiming on TV that people in the UK hunt squirrels for food :-)

Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by phonescreen_man on Friday March 10, 2023 @02:32PM (#35099611)
From the UK, there are definitely people in the UK who hunt squirrels for food. My people!
Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by thr717272 on Saturday March 11, 2023 @04:14AM (#35106766)
I also have such a friend but only because it was near the end of hell week (or what you guys call it, my memory is a bit hazy what exact words he used 25 years ago), not because Russian sanctions made any starve :-)
Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by stametseater on Friday March 10, 2023 @01:05PM (#35098351)
> The US has banned Russian media

Some European countries may have, but America has not. I can still read RT just fine.

Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by _-david-_ on Friday March 10, 2023 @01:17PM (#35098551)
Which Russian media has been banned in the US?
Re:KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov 1985 Interview – Idealogical S... by timeon on Friday March 10, 2023 @01:59PM (#35099237)
> The US has banned Russian media

You can still access Новая газета from US. Although this may change since their rights are continually being decreased in Russia where they are based. Anyway my point is that your claim is false.