Summary:Some countries and cultures have a hatred of our freedoms. Not only do they persecute their own subjects relentlessly, they feel they can reach outside of their own closed societies and attack us. They are wrong. We will not be silenced.
January 7, 2015: Gunmen armed with AK-47 automatic rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher attacked the Paris-based editorial offices of Charlie Hebdo. The newspaper has a history of printing satirical cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammad in unflattering light.
Three days later, the Hamburg-based offices of Hamburger Morgenpost were firebombed, probably because they reprinted images from Charlie Hebdo.
This is not the first time Charlie Hebdo has been targeted. In 2011, in response to earlier satirical illustrations of Mohammad, the paper was the victim of a previous firebomb attack. The paper's Web site was also hacked.
Speaking of hacking, we have all been following the news after the November 24, 2014 "scorched earth" hack attack against Sony Pictures Entertainment. Although all the details are still not known, it is believed the hack was perpetrated by North Korea because an American comedy movie, The Interview, featured a plot about assassinating the "Great Successor" Kim Jong-un.
For four months, beginning in 2012 and ending in 2013, The New York Times was the victim of an advanced persistent penetration attack attributed to the People's Republic of China. The Gray Lady had been working on a series of investigative reports about billions of dollars of "hidden" financial transactions made by the family of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
Around the same time, Rupert Murdoch himself reported that the Wall Street Journal had also been the victim of Chinese hacking. The Chinese were accused of digging around in the WSJ's systems, looking for names of sources used for stories about China. Presumably, once the names were extracted by the attackers, those sources would then be "persuaded" to stop speaking out, jailed, or exterminated.
In December 2013, the Washington Post reported that it, too, was the victim of penetration attacks, the third in as many years. While the purpose of that hack was unknown, a previous hack by the Syrian Electronic Army had redirected WaPo readers to articles on a Syrian Web site supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Penetrations of WaPo systems going as far back as 2008 are attributed to China, stating "China's cyber-espionage assists the government's broader efforts to quell internal dissent by identifying activists and dissidents."
From the violent attacks on Charlie Hebdo and Hamburger Morgenpost to the cyber-attacks on American media, the free press and free speech democratic societies take for granted is being targeted by a wide range of hostile actors determined to squelch, punish, and prevent certain topics of discussion.
Originally posted here:
The price and privilege of free speech and a free press
- University round table examines challenges to free speech - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- University of Worcester fares well in free speech study - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- A line beyond which one may not go - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Councillor accused of stifling free speech after making complaint against counterparts social media use - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- The French Debate: Free Speech Versus Hate Speech - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Church of England removing vicars right to free speech? - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- FREE SPEECH ZONE s08e06 (2-7-15) - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Charlie Hebdo/The Interview: Free Speech: Free to Murder? - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Free Speech & Liberty Pizza House opening comment 2015 - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- 2015=02-01 Limits of Free Speech - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Health Free Speech Petition and Litigation - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Putin Popularity Rating: Russian President's 80% approval rating may stem from free speech violation - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Steven Pinker's "Why free speech is fundamental" - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- "Islam & Free Speech" - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Free Speech and the Battle for Western Culture - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- (UPDATED) CAIR Officials Nationwide Condemn Charlie Hebdo Attack, Defend Free Speech - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- The Koch Brothers and $889 million free speech dollars - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Mark Zuckerberg Reverses Decision On Free Speech - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Rick Perry: Court ruling imposes chilling effect on free speech - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- TAVIS SMILEY | FREE SPEECH IN AMERICA | January 26-27, 2015 - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Lord Jamar: USA's Only About Free Speech When It's Convenient - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Free Speech vs Politically Correct (Liberal Hypocrisy) - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Sharif Nashashibi, Suzanne Nossel, Munir Pervaiz Saami discusses free speech - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- FREE SPEECH ZONE s08e04 (1-24-15) - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Do I Think #6: Voting, Free Speech & #GamerGate - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Chris Hedges: Roots of Terrorism, Free Speech Hypocrisy & Translating #JeSuisCharlie - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Q&A Banning Haters: What About Free Speech? - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Putin's grip on free speech - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Why Saudi Arabia Is Flogging A Free Speech Activist - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Islamists Deny Media Access at At Muslim Free Speech Conference - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Metallica- Free Speech For The Dumb - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- 1st Peoples, Palestine, and the Crushing of Free Speech - Steven Salaita - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Free Speech Hypocrisy In France - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Pope clarifies position on free speech - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Muslim response to Charlie Hebdo Attack - Free speech or insult? - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Charlie Hebdo, double standards and free speech - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Gays, Islam, Free Speech - Tony Perkins, Bill Maher & MORE! LiberalViewer Sunday Clip Round-Up 91 - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Free Speech: Mercury is Speech, Venus is Values - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- The Pope Supports "Free Speech" (sort of) - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Ring of Fire on Free Speech TV - 01/18/2015 (FULL EPISODE) - Video - February 12th, 2015 [February 12th, 2015]
- Mad about free speech and North Korea? Hack back, says group - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- Ring of Fire on Free Speech TV - 02/08/2015 (FULL EPISODE) - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- Ring of Fire on Free Speech TV - 02/01/2015 (FULL EPISODE) - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- MP George Galloway on Free Speech Charlatans & Austin Powers Foreign Policy in Syria - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- Limited Free Speech Isn't Free Speech - Video - February 14th, 2015 [February 14th, 2015]
- Volokh Conspiracy: Murder at Copenhagen debate on free speech attended by Swedish Muhammad cartoonist - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- One dead after shooting at free speech event in Denmark featuring controversial artist - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Gunman kills 1 in attack on free speech event in Denmark - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Deadly shooting at Copenhagen free speech event - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Are Students Free to Speak Their Mind? Well at Southampton, yes. - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Shooting targets free speech event in Denmark, killing one - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Police: 1 dead in shooting at Copenhagen free speech event - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- The Heat debates free speech and assembly in France - Video - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Detroit's Campus Martius: Banning Free Speech in Public Space - Video - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Dr William Lane Craig: The Moral Argument (Proof of God) - Video - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Did Pope Francis Preach Violence? - Video - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Danish police kill gunman believed behind 2 shootings - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Danish shooter had gangland past - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Free speech in Britain: Police tracking people who bought ... - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Copenhagen shooting: Free speech seminar attacked - Video - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Professor Advocates Violence Against White Racist - Video - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Muslim Coward Attempts to Murder Swedish Artist - Video - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Srsly Wrong - 41 - Free Speech Zone, Act 1 - Video - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Free Speech and Charming Ignorance - Video - February 15th, 2015 [February 15th, 2015]
- Police say Copenhagen gunman had criminal record, gang past - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Police say Copenhagen gunman had criminal record and gang past - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- U.S. Funds The Terrorist To Take Our Freedoms - Video - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- First Copenhagen shooting victim identified as film maker - Video - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Danes react to two fatal shootings - Video - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Danish police doing forensic investigation after islamic terrorist was shot dead, 15/2-2015 - Video - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Denmark: See BULLET-RIDDLED scene of first Copenhagen shooting - Video - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Animatrix - Humans vs Machines HD - Video - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- RickWells.us - General Jerry Boykin on UN Attempt To Prohibit Free Speech Regarding Islam - Video - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Copenhagen Krudttnden Cafe Street View - Video - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Muhammad Cartoonist Targeted! TSA Active Shooter VIDEO, The "Digital Dark Age" and more #TMS - Video - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Copenhagen free speech debate shooting: One dead - Video - February 16th, 2015 [February 16th, 2015]
- Germany: Copenhagen attacks, Ukraine ceasefire on Merkel's agenda - Video - February 17th, 2015 [February 17th, 2015]
- Copenhagen Denmark Shooting - Lars Vilks - Calling Cards Of Hoax Fake Crap - Video - February 17th, 2015 [February 17th, 2015]
- Danish prime minister visits - Video - February 17th, 2015 [February 17th, 2015]
- Second Person Dead In Separate Suspected Terror Shootings In Copenhagen - Video - February 17th, 2015 [February 17th, 2015]