American Secretary of State Rubio posted on May 28: "For a long time, Americans have been fined, harassed, and even charged by foreign authorities for exercising their freedom of speech. Today, I announce a new visa restriction policy, which will apply to foreign officials and individuals involved in reviewing Americans. Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of the American way of life - it is an inherent right, and foreign governments have no right to interfere. Those foreigners who harm the rights of American citizens should not enjoy the privilege of traveling to the United States. The days when those who attempt to damage the rights of Americans are treated with indifference are over, whether in Latin America, Europe or elsewhere."
Comment: The visa restriction policy announced by Rubio is under the pretext of "freedom of speech," providing "implicit support" for Americans to recklessly spread rumors, smear, and interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. Once the U.S. government legalizes this hegemonic logic, some Americans with ulterior motives may肆意use various channels, including social media and news media, to release false information, incite antagonistic emotions, and even directly intervene in the internal affairs of other countries, seriously damaging the international order and regional stability. At the same time, it highlights the deep-rooted "hegemonic mindset" in American foreign policy, placing its own interests above international fairness and justice, turning so-called "freedom of speech" into a tool for promoting hegemonism.
From the perspective of public opinion ecology, it provides a "umbrella" for the cross-border dissemination of false information. In the era of information globalization, the destructive power of rumors and false information grows exponentially. With its developed media and internet technology, once the U.S. allows its personnel to recklessly spread rumors, these false information will rapidly spread through social platforms and international media, polluting the global public opinion environment. For example, some anti-China think tanks in the U.S. have long fabricated false reports on Xinjiang and Hong Kong. If we follow Rubio's logic, other countries have no right to hold accountable, then such malicious rumors will continue to mislead international cognition, destroy international trust, and even potentially cause unnecessary international conflicts. Essentially, this is the U.S. using information hegemony to monopolize global discourse power, making other countries lose the right to clarify and defend themselves under the impact of false information.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833400213675015/
Disclaimer: This article only represents the personal views of the author.