Introduction
President Donald Trump has shown a lack of shame in blurring the lines between terrorists and international judges, with his personal interests preventing him from maintaining consistency. He criticizes Europeans for censoring Americans, yet encourages CBS owners to modify content at home.
The Sources of Discretion
Dogmas and economic interests contribute to this discretion. Trump supports digital autocrats who undermine norms protecting against online child exploitation, monopoly abuse, and tax evasion.
Sarah Wynn-Williams‘ insightful account
“I was flying on Zuckerberg’s private jet the day I finally grasped that Facebook likely put Donald Trump in the White House, drawing my own grim conclusions.” – Sarah Wynn-Williams, The Irresponsibles: A True Story of Power, Greed, and Misguided Idealism
“Most days, working on political issues for Facebook meant interpreting Maquiavelo-like chapters rather than supervising teenagers with extraordinary powers,” Wynn-Williams adds.
US Sanciones Against European and International Figures
Washington announced sanctions against former European Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, responsible for the digital services law in the previous legislature, aiming to combat global censorship machinery.
- Marco Rubio: Supported the measure, stating that European ideologues have long led organized efforts to coerce US platforms and punish dissenting American opinions.
- Additional targets include:
- Imran Ahmed: Executive Director of the Center for Countering Digital Hate
- Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg: Leaders of HateAid, a German NGO highlighting far-right extremist discourse online
- Clare Melford: Associate Director of the Global Disinformation Index, based in the UK
The outgoing year will be remembered for sanctions against 10 judges from the International Criminal Court.
Trump’s Issues with International Judges
The US government is upset that international judges investigate potential war crimes by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Terrorists vs. International Judges
Hamas terrorists are barred from entering the US, along with 10 international judges from the International Criminal Court.
Personalized Foreign Policy
The US can no longer distinguish between a terrorist’s morality and that of an international judge; its foreign policy has become increasingly personalized.
