To surrender our free speech right would be our utter undoing, under any circumstances. In that light, you cannot allow yourself to succumb to such intimidation, but should instead seek measures to counter attack.
One possibility would be to contact our State Dept., who could issue a “Travel Alert” for Indonesia. They are very dependent on tourism, (not to mention trade), in that neck of the woods, and a shot across the bow from the US that could result in putting a serious damper on that money stream might send a chill up THEIR spine.
But whatever you do, surrendering your free speech rights should never be an option, as all other rights will crumble as a result.
The aim of terrorism is control. Therefore this a form of terrorism: Intimidate the speaker and chill their courage. Control them.
My answer? Fuck them. Move forward. Preserve your speech, courage, and sense of self.
Simply put - act in the manner of our forefathers by respecting the republic and the freedoms they created, some of which we are STILL fighting to protect in certain states.
Keep your post, your voice, your free speech. Curtail travel to those shitty countries. They rely on tourism and this will harm them when a noticeable decrease in tourism happens. The ‘news’ was complaining about tourism being down and of course blaming Trump as usual. Good, let tourism go down and keep the terrorists and instigators out of our country. Let our citizens tour our beautiful country and not fear losing their free speech by visiting some tyrannical country.
Alex, Good luck with your heart failure progress. Sounds like you are ahead of it all...will monitor with you have cared for more than I can count.
As far as free speech, that is far more important than those places, all of which I have visited. They are heavily invested in tourism. You should see if you can leverage this either with State or otherwise so that they can change the risk level for travel. This would have a major and instant impact and I would bet would get a response. You need to invert the FAFO if possible. But good for you for proceeding ahead in support of what is important.
Keep it up. We cannot lose the fight for free speech. You know that there is a massive global effort to extinguish free speech. In fact, the US Constitution is probably in the crosshairs of every globalist. When you get right down to it, the US Constitution represents the only cure for tyranny that I know of. We must protect it at all cost.
Don't bend. Don't need any of these countries. Their population tolerates it. So be it. Their choice. Always excellent well-thought out articles, nicely researched. Party on
To A. Muse: even if you remove the bikini post picture, they will regard you permanently as a threat, so it seems to me that you are permanently in jeopardy. That includes any country tied by economics or sympathies with that regime.
I'm not a habitual tourist, but I've worked in more than 40 countries over about as many years. Some for no more than a few weeks; lived in other places, more and less in others. It would be less than nothing for me to give up Indo, Cambodia, Thailand (have worked in all, plus Siem Reap when something fell through inconveniently). Mentioning these facts because if you have a wanderlust or specific thirst to visit these lands, you'll want to take those different priors into account.
While almost every trip anywhere, any time, has included great people (yet also every other kind) out in the world, on the street, in shops and as colleagues and partners, I cannot say the same for officialdom, especially in terms of declining reliability over those decades. We may mock the global 'rules-based order' but institutional constraints in any of those countries are drastically less likely to protect you from arbitrary decisions that can alter the rest of your time on this earth. It is different; don't discount that.
To be sure you continue annoying the right people & defending civilization and especially for your kids (per your other piece), I'll strongly recommend you minimize risk of spending 15 years in jail in Indo - as noted by others, however, that that ship has sailed. You're at non-zero risk for the foreseeable future whether or not you take the post down.
That being the case, I wouldn't even transit / layover in those countries' airports if I were you, personally. Things can go sideways for the slightest, and oddest, reasons, or no reason at all. I've newly become a huge Rubio fan, but he's wearing more hats than Bartholomew Cubbins these days and I wouldn't count on soft hearts in your direction from the Embassy crowd.
What you can do is consciously leverage the Streisand effect. Sure, reach out to State, and also look into other similar cases, and connect with lawyers defending firms and people against all the censors, and make your case known to anyone amplifying others. Make more memes to mock the meme-sensitive, until they cry, and then make memes about them crying. All part of annoying the right people and defending civilizational values, just writ a bit larger than before, maybe.
To surrender our free speech right would be our utter undoing, under any circumstances. In that light, you cannot allow yourself to succumb to such intimidation, but should instead seek measures to counter attack.
One possibility would be to contact our State Dept., who could issue a “Travel Alert” for Indonesia. They are very dependent on tourism, (not to mention trade), in that neck of the woods, and a shot across the bow from the US that could result in putting a serious damper on that money stream might send a chill up THEIR spine.
But whatever you do, surrendering your free speech rights should never be an option, as all other rights will crumble as a result.
"One possibility would be to contact our State Dept..."
That is as good idea. I wonder what Marco Rubio would think.
The aim of terrorism is control. Therefore this a form of terrorism: Intimidate the speaker and chill their courage. Control them.
My answer? Fuck them. Move forward. Preserve your speech, courage, and sense of self.
Simply put - act in the manner of our forefathers by respecting the republic and the freedoms they created, some of which we are STILL fighting to protect in certain states.
Fight, fight, fight!
Keep your post, your voice, your free speech. Curtail travel to those shitty countries. They rely on tourism and this will harm them when a noticeable decrease in tourism happens. The ‘news’ was complaining about tourism being down and of course blaming Trump as usual. Good, let tourism go down and keep the terrorists and instigators out of our country. Let our citizens tour our beautiful country and not fear losing their free speech by visiting some tyrannical country.
Never give in to intimidation. Do NOT take it down.
I agree with the comment that you should report this to the State department.
Once upon a time, American citizens who had been seized by foreign powers under circumstances you describe
could anticipate a US Navy battle group to come knocking. More importantly, the foreign power could, too, and would stifle its impulses.
You make an excellent case for the exercise of raw power by one’s state as a benefit of citizenship.
Damn! I will remember to NOT go there EVER. I have heard that before, but not in so much detail.
We are not amused, Mr. Muse.
Liberals have zero sense of humor. A sign of lower IQ.
Do yourself a favor, and take it down. Life is hard enough; why add to it?
Alex, Good luck with your heart failure progress. Sounds like you are ahead of it all...will monitor with you have cared for more than I can count.
As far as free speech, that is far more important than those places, all of which I have visited. They are heavily invested in tourism. You should see if you can leverage this either with State or otherwise so that they can change the risk level for travel. This would have a major and instant impact and I would bet would get a response. You need to invert the FAFO if possible. But good for you for proceeding ahead in support of what is important.
Is there some reason you would want to go to one of those three shitholes?
Well, damn! I guess I can't go now, either!
Good.
Keep it up. We cannot lose the fight for free speech. You know that there is a massive global effort to extinguish free speech. In fact, the US Constitution is probably in the crosshairs of every globalist. When you get right down to it, the US Constitution represents the only cure for tyranny that I know of. We must protect it at all cost.
Don't bend. Don't need any of these countries. Their population tolerates it. So be it. Their choice. Always excellent well-thought out articles, nicely researched. Party on
To A. Muse: even if you remove the bikini post picture, they will regard you permanently as a threat, so it seems to me that you are permanently in jeopardy. That includes any country tied by economics or sympathies with that regime.
Who’s to say you’re safe to travel there after you remove it? Once flagged the damage is done?
Very stylish!
Most men and even women would appreciate a more Pamala Sue Anderson look. Bay Watch. The image is too trans-ish.
I'm not a habitual tourist, but I've worked in more than 40 countries over about as many years. Some for no more than a few weeks; lived in other places, more and less in others. It would be less than nothing for me to give up Indo, Cambodia, Thailand (have worked in all, plus Siem Reap when something fell through inconveniently). Mentioning these facts because if you have a wanderlust or specific thirst to visit these lands, you'll want to take those different priors into account.
While almost every trip anywhere, any time, has included great people (yet also every other kind) out in the world, on the street, in shops and as colleagues and partners, I cannot say the same for officialdom, especially in terms of declining reliability over those decades. We may mock the global 'rules-based order' but institutional constraints in any of those countries are drastically less likely to protect you from arbitrary decisions that can alter the rest of your time on this earth. It is different; don't discount that.
To be sure you continue annoying the right people & defending civilization and especially for your kids (per your other piece), I'll strongly recommend you minimize risk of spending 15 years in jail in Indo - as noted by others, however, that that ship has sailed. You're at non-zero risk for the foreseeable future whether or not you take the post down.
That being the case, I wouldn't even transit / layover in those countries' airports if I were you, personally. Things can go sideways for the slightest, and oddest, reasons, or no reason at all. I've newly become a huge Rubio fan, but he's wearing more hats than Bartholomew Cubbins these days and I wouldn't count on soft hearts in your direction from the Embassy crowd.
What you can do is consciously leverage the Streisand effect. Sure, reach out to State, and also look into other similar cases, and connect with lawyers defending firms and people against all the censors, and make your case known to anyone amplifying others. Make more memes to mock the meme-sensitive, until they cry, and then make memes about them crying. All part of annoying the right people and defending civilizational values, just writ a bit larger than before, maybe.
Sorry if too long but you did ask :)