You either believe in free speech, or you don’t
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The Federal Communications Commission, founded in 1934, is as antiquated as a late-night gabfest on network television. Initially created to regulate the public radio airwaves, the FCC now exists almost solely as a tool of government interference in market competition and speech. It has widely expanded its charge over the years to include the internet. It has the power to deny licenses to broadcasters or pressure them for whatever concocted reason it pleases.
After ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show for three days, Democrats blamed the FCC. The comedian’s brief suspension at the hands of the Trump administration, we were assured, threatened the very foundations of American democracy.
The FCC and other agencies have long targeted conservatives. Few, if any, Democrats protested — much less Kimmel. The Left would argue that public airwaves were tantamount to public utilities, much like the Right wrongly argued about private Big Tech platforms. Thus, there is a “public interest” in regulating speech during health scares, either by directly or indirectly pressuring private companies to censor those who dissent.