Censorship in the US operates on a distributed basis, through outright deplatforming, algorithmic suppression, astroturfing counter narratives and smears, coord

Censorship in the US operates on a distributed basis, through outright deplatforming, algorithmic suppression, astroturfing counter narratives and smears, coordinated mass reporting/flagging, etc. You can never point to an explicit decree banning a topic as that would deeply offend our American sensibilities, but if we see the exact same ultimate results while feeling like we have some participatory agency, then we can easily accept them as the natural outcome of the free market, democratic will, or our collective individuality. Think about any contemporary geopolitical opinion that would trigger knee jerk emotional responses, a hail of downvotes, and accusations of being a foreign agent. Notice how the narrative quickly gets reduced to good versus evil, democracy versus dictatorship. But have you ever actually heard a serious fact-based debate on any of these issues? Many people would consider the question itself offensive. Americans believe that we’re savvy media consumers when we recognize the bias of individual pundits or specific media outlets, but we tend to miss that the entire sphere of media and discourse is a sculpted garden premised upon certain conceits and assumptions which are in no way politically neutral. The band of acceptable conclusions which flow from this underlying framing always seem to uphold and carry forward the essential interests of the select few who already hold power.