Lord Ashcroft posted about the retreat of free speech, and limited the replies to his followers. Irony entered the chat
JD Vance, the nominal vice president of the USA, launched a bitter tirade against Europe recently, ranting about free speech, while effectively excusing Russian interference in other countries’ elections.
Vance: You can believe it’s wrong for Russia to buy social media advertisements to influence your elections.. but if your democracy can be destroyed by a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising then it wasn’t very strong to begin with pic.twitter.com/FKBV568eIv
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 14, 2025
It went down as well as you’d expect, being roundly condemned by centre and left-leaning people on both sides of the Atlantic.
Free speech "is in retreat" in Britain, says JD Vance, whose own Government is now targeting critical news organisations with politically-motivated investigations, while banning others from the White House for the crime of referring to the Gulf of Mexico by its actual name
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) February 14, 2025
BREAKING: Europeans are furious at JD Vance, and rightfully so after his embarrassing speech in Munich.
Europe is tired of Trump and Vance thinking they control them and know what’s best for them.
Sorry Europe! Most Americans don’t agree with this rhetoric. pic.twitter.com/zBP66w9ZTK
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) February 14, 2025
‘This is the kind of speech you would expect Putin to give.’
James O'Brien says JD Vance sounded like a 'propagandist speaking about an enemy' as he lectured European leaders on free speech pic.twitter.com/XxcjKjDLQc
— LBC (@LBC) February 17, 2025
JD Vance's speech in Munich sounds like it was literally written by the Kremlin pic.twitter.com/YV1hJlyS48
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 14, 2025
The right, however, have been falling over themselves to agree with him. People such as Tory peer Lord Ashcroft, for example, who exercised his right to say what he likes in the UK by claiming people can’t say what they like in the UK.
People spotted something fairly ironic …replies were restricted to Ashcroft’s followers and anyone he mentioned. JD Vance has yet to reply, but others have shared their thoughts.
1.
I was going to reply but sadly I wasn’t able to voice my opinion. pic.twitter.com/OOZCusIm09
— Florence Lox (@floboflo) February 17, 2025
2.
Moans about free speech in retreat.
Switches off replies.
Satire is dead. https://t.co/bIZLHsIra4 pic.twitter.com/ig2cQUBddO— Barbarossa Smith ⚡️ (@barbarossa69) February 17, 2025
3.
This crud on "free speech" from @LordAshcroft with his "no replies" account is beyond irony. https://t.co/proPrzY7rn pic.twitter.com/WATILDB0u0
— Moyra Grant (@moyra_grant) February 18, 2025
4.
Blocked replies… so not a fan of free speech afterall
Here’s an example of me demonstrating free speech – We should abolish the House of Lords! https://t.co/w0fWApTtQk
— AlfCliffe (@AlfieRatcliffe2) February 18, 2025
5.
To clear up the misunderstanding, it’s not free speech that’s in retreat. People just don’t want to chat to you anymore. https://t.co/gtiQjodHUr
— meh (@ohwellmeh) February 18, 2025
6.
And yet here you are, freely talking crap… https://t.co/60j2IcnNKC
— Shorn of the Dread (@Shorntobemild) February 18, 2025
7.
Counter-point- this clown is free to talk complete bollocks whenever he wants
Unfortunately that seems to be all the fucking time https://t.co/G5IzNSfdAT
— Dr Sam (@PerryWadeSam) February 17, 2025
8.
No it isn't. What is in retreat is hate speech, and rightly so. https://t.co/PCuz7HHUiF
— Sporting Nest ️ ️⚧️ ⬛ (@SportingNest) February 17, 2025
9.
You have free speech to talk bollocks and we have free speech to point this out https://t.co/iF3nVxqAaE
— Rob Thomson – Coach (@RobThom27784676) February 17, 2025
10.
Free speech, Milord? pic.twitter.com/V11Wkx4Ufs
— Bardney Boy (@BardneyBoy) February 17, 2025
11.
Here's Lord Ashcroft, the champion of free speech. https://t.co/E9j8cGhJP1
— julie helm (@juliehelm9) February 18, 2025
12.
Can't help but wonder what ‘free speech’ has been taken away from him, what can he no longer say that he could 5, 10, or 15 years a go?
What does he want to be able to say?— joejoetoffee (@toffeebluewool) February 18, 2025
13.
I was going to tell him to fuck off, but apparently I don't have free speech, so I won't bother.
— Chris Pearson (@zebra100cp) February 18, 2025
14.
Lord Ashcroft reveals he is a poodle again. https://t.co/mj9JN7sFnx
— Christine Kay (@ChristineKayNow) February 17, 2025
In short –
You have the freedom to say this. And I have the freedom to say you are talking utter nonsense.
Free speech is not in retreat. https://t.co/HysRwq9MB3
— Frances 'Cassandra' Coppola (@Frances_Coppola) February 17, 2025
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