Back in 2013, a so-called 'Internet Extremism' bill passed Russia's State Duma, which is a legislative-like body of representatives. Witness Russia's latest crackdown, banning a picture that portrays Vladimir Putin as a 'possibly gay' clown, crafted to protest the anti-gay policies and agenda coming from the Kremlin.Īn American might be forgiven for asking how a picture that lives online can effectively be 'banned.' Russia's history is a good primer on that very process.
But for Russian citizens, there are no such guarantees or protections. If the United States has a sacred value, it's that everyone should be free to express their views, especially when it comes to criticizing the government. Freedom of speech is one of the few areas where even those on the extreme poles of the Left-Right political spectrum usually agree.