Punished, but not silenced

Here's the thing. People are not being silenced when they say something that is considered to be Politically Incorrect.  The news stories about their situation almost always print what it is they said. What they said can be found in forums and news sites all over, even if not on the original platform they said it. It's still out there.

They are being punished, perhaps, for what they said, but this is a social thing, social ostracization for their 'wrong' beliefs or politics or speechifying. Whether they should be punished or not is a separate issue, because if you are protesting 'free speech', then no one has taken their right to speak away. The government is not trying to silence them, and that is what free speech is about.

Now. If you're arguing that 'monopolistic businesses' shouldn't be limiting speech, I would first question whether the business is truly monopolistic, Facebook, Google, and television producers and cable companies are not (because Internet). They may have the largest spread, but they are not monopolies. So the monopolistic part doesn't apply. 

So then 'businesses' shouldn't be limiting speech. But they do it all the time. For business reasons. Businesses such as Fox News, especially. They will suppress any news story that they cannot bend to make fit their overall purpose, which is to spread dissent. To cause discord between races, ethnicities, religions. Their goal is to keep the rabble occupied with hating each other, competing with each other, blaming each other, while their billionaire owners quietly dismantle our democracy for profit. Quietly destroy our environment for profit. Quietly gather obscene levels of wealth and leave less and less for everyone else. 

Of course, they would never admit to this, but it's pretty damn obvious by the results. Pretty damn obvious just by watching their shows and seeing what they focus on, how they choose to spin events. Pretty damn obvious by what they choose NOT to report. So is that censorship? Perhaps, but it's still not GOVERNMENT censorship. In fact, the US Government is totally in favor of Fox News for the very reason that it causes distraction and outrage and conflict between people. There may be a few in Congress who will speak out against Fox News and suggest it be shut down, but they can't actually shut it down. The majority in both parties love this partisan bickering among the populace. It keeps people from concentrating on how people in Congress are complicit in helping the billionaires while gathering their own obscene wealth. 

If I was a Cable Company owner with a shred of decency, I'd have to question allowing such a despicable station to be carried on my service. But then most of the Cable Companies are owned by billionaires who are happy to keep it going. And even if a cable company did gather the nuts to drop it, Fox News would just switch to full-on live stream over the internet. Most people wouldn't even notice the difference.

And you want to talk censorship? Try going to China and posting a picture of Winnie the Pooh on WeChat. Now THAT's censorship for ya!