Jimmy Kimmel case: Both Biden, Trump muzzle free speech but lecture India

In the glittering world of American late-night television, a comedian's sharp wit has collided with the iron fist of censorship. Jimmy Kimmel, the acerbic host known for his unsparing jabs at the powerful, finds his show pulled off the air indefinitely. The offence? Linking the tragic assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk to the toxic undercurrents of right-wing politics. As ABC, under pressure from United States President Donald Trump's FCC chairman Brendan Carr and conservative affiliates, yanks the programme, it begs a profound question: is this comedy or coercion? In the so-called bastion of democracy, dissent isn't debated—it's deleted.

This incident, fresh from headlines across the BBC, The New York Times, and others, underscores a deeper malaise in Western societies. For years, the United States and its allies have positioned themselves as paragons of liberty, quick to chastise emerging democracies like India on matters of press freedom and expression. Yet, beneath this veneer lies a pattern of muzzling voices that challenge the status quo. Kimmel's suspension is no anomaly; it's symptomatic of a system that preaches freedom while practising suppression.

Silencing from both sides of the aisle

But let's not confine the blame to one political flank. Free speech hypocrisy in the West cuts across ideological lines. On the left, self-proclaimed guardians of sensitivity have built their own arsenal of censorship. Recall the Twitter Files revelations under President Joe Biden's administration: the White House pressuring Big Tech to bury stories on COVID-19 origins, lockdown critiques, and Hunter Biden's laptop scandals—all under the guise of combating 'misinformation'. Was it truly falsehoods being targeted, or inconvenient truths?

Take James Damore, the Google engineer dismissed for a memo questioning corporate diversity policies. Or the liberal strongholds of American universities, where speakers like Ben Shapiro or Jordan Peterson are routinely disinvited, labelled purveyors of 'hate speech'. Protests drown out discourse not with reasoned rebuttals, but with amplified outrage. This isn't protection; it's purging. Hypocrisy thrives here, as the left's moral megaphone silences as effectively as any authoritarian edict.

Shifting across the Atlantic, the United Kingdom's Online Safety Bill exemplifies this trend. Empowering Ofcom to impose staggering fines on platforms for 'harmful' content casts a wide net over discussions on migration, gender, or even post-riot social media posts. Ordinary citizens arrested for fiery Facebook entries? It's free speech on a leash, in the very cradle of the Magna Carta.

Right-wing retaliation and global echoes

Yet the right's response is equally venomous, amplifying free speech hypocrisy in the West. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis brandishes the 'Don't Say Gay' law like a weapon, cleansing school libraries of over 1,400 books on race and identity in a single year. Trump's rallying cry to revoke broadcast licences for 'fake news' outlets—CBS, ABC included—echoes in the current Kimmel saga, where right-wing groups like Nexstar apply pressure and the FCC hovers menacingly.

In Texas, legislation compels social media to host inflammatory rants while banning drag performances as 'obscene'. The obscenity lies in this selective piety: freedom for allies, fetters for foes. Beyond the US, Canada's Trudeau invoked emergency powers to freeze bank accounts of trucker convoy protesters challenging mandates. France's Macron fines journalists delving into yellow vest unrest, while Germany's hate speech laws expand into broad curbs on dissent.

These 'advanced democracies'—advanced perhaps in artifice—crumble under scrutiny. They who silence Kimmel today, ban books tomorrow, and throttle tweets at whim now presume to lecture India? Our nation, with its boisterous press and symphony of diverse views, has weathered colonial legacies to foster a resilient democracy. We debate, not delete; endure dissent, not erase it.

Reclaiming the moral high ground

So, what right does this sanctimonious civilisation have to occupy the moral pedestal? India's sedition laws, often critiqued by Western observers, pale against their straitjackets disguised as safeguards. From Kimmel's empty studio to frozen accounts in Ottawa, the West's fractured freedoms reveal a hollow core.

This isn't mere rhetoric; it's a call to recognise the double standards. As global power shifts, democracies like India emerge not as pupils, but peers—vibrant, vocal, and unbowed. The high ground isn't theirs to claim; it's ours, reclaimed from the rubble of their inconsistencies.

For a deeper dive into these cases, watch our hard-hitting video featuring Bhupendra Chaubey on The Squirrels' YouTube channel. Subscribe and join the conversation before silence becomes the norm.