Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes you know exactly who rules over you. In free democracies the true rulers hide behind fake puppet governments."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes they wage brutally violent crackdowns on protesters to quash dissent. In free democracies they do this also, but then they kneel while wearing kente cloth."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes the government controls the press and determines what information the public is allowed to have access to. In free democracies it is billionaires who do this."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes a single party upholds and enforces the status quo. In free democracies, two parties uphold and enforce the status quo."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes evil dictators bomb their own people. In free democracies we do it for them."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes they fund terrorist groups to create instability. In free democracies they fund terrorist groups to create stability."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes they use torture. In free democracies they use enhanced interrogation techniques."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes they have massacres and wars. In free democracies they have humanitarian interventions."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes the citizenry are kept impoverished while the rulers live lavishly with more than they could ever spend. In free democracies the citizenry are kept impoverished while the rulers live lavishly with more than they could ever spend."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes the powerful determine what happens regardless of the desire of the people. In free democracies the powerful determine what the people will desire to happen."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes everyone is a slave to the powerful. In free democracies everyone is a Slave™ to the Powerful™."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes you are forced to obey. In free democracies you are trained to think your obedience was your own idea."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes students are taught never to question authority. In free democracies students are taught never to question the news reporters."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes students are taught to mindlessly worship a picture of the evil dictator. In free democracies students are taught to mindlessly worship the flag."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes any elections they have are rigged, and challengers are hand picked by the authoritarian rulers. In free democracies the rulers rig the elections and hand pick the candidates, and they do this to other countries as well."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes they imprison journalists for revealing inconvenient truths about the powerful. In free democracies they imprison journalists for revealing inconvenient truths about the powerful, and all the other journalists jump on social media to say he deserved it."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes they don’t let political dissidents speak. In free democracies they just refuse dissidents any influential platforms and use algorithms to keep revolutionary ideas from being heard by a significant number of people."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes they circle the planet with military bases, wage endless wars which kill millions, and work to destroy any nation which disobeys their government. Whoops, sorry, that’s actually free democracies."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes political speech is heavily regulated by the government. In free democracies political speech is heavily regulated by the government via Silicon Valley."

—Caitlin Johnstone

"In totalitarian regimes the citizenry are kept impoverished while the rulers live lavishly with more than they could ever spend. In free democracies the citizenry are kept impoverished while the rulers live lavishly with more than they could ever spend."

—Caitlin Johnstone