REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo
August 1, 2021: The Pheu Thai Party has led a chorus of criticism against online media restrictions related to COVID-19, whereas US President Joe Biden has complained that “misinformation” related to the same thing “is killing people.”
The line is very thin now, indeed, as Delta continues to cut a devastating swathe through the world, making human beings raise questions about effectiveness of vaccines, create “conspiracy” rumours, bemoan “irresponsible” opinions, criticise state “blackouts” and adjust political tones on a daily basis.
As Delta does not make choices based on human politics or ideology, China seems safe, at least for now, while the United States is feeling a new big scare and Thailand’s free fall was sudden and is going on with no end in sight.
Developments in the three countries beg the questions of how freely opinions should flow, how much people can or should share their fear, even if it is based on unscientific influences, and how much right governments have to nip “misinformation” in the bud.
To cut a long story short, Pheu Thai has quoted every principle of freedom of opinions in the American book written before the coronavirus struck, while Biden was speaking like Chinese leaders the other day.