(In light of the recent obstruction of Ashraf Dehghani’s Statement By Youtube)

“The business of a New York journalist is to distort the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of Mammon… and what foolery to be toasting an “Independent Press”! We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes. We are jumping-jacks. They pull the string and we dance. Our time, our talents, our lives, our possibilities, are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes.”

(Excerpts of a speech, John Swinton editorial writer of The New York Times delivered at a press dinner in 1885.)

Like a well-oiled machine spewing out diversion and half truths, capitalists ensure the essential truth is hidden from the people by controlling most of the information they feed to the people. It comes in piecemeal without any in-depth analysis in order to hide the connectivity among all these seemingly isolated bits of information. Otherwise, this type of critical thinking that might ensue, would ultimately lead people to become aware of the source for all human society’s ills: capitalism. And it is this consciousness, the capitalists must prevent from happening.

Another way to prevent people from becoming conscious of the inner workings of their social reality is to imprison journalists, publishers and whistle blowers who refuse to be controlled. For example, Julian Assange revealed to the so called free world that the American military did not uphold freedom and democracy but rather were enthusiastic participants in committing atrocities against the Iraqi people. For publishing the truth, Assange has been slowly dying in prison without being charged and his example is nothing short of a warning to the many major news journals and networks who published these American crimes as well. They have indeed taken heed by virtually ignoring his unjust fate. This is the true face of the “free press” in the so called “free world”!

Now, at this point in time, youtube has jumped on the bandwagon. It allowed the gory beheadings by Isis to be shown and it allowed Gaddafi’s horrific knifing to be broadcast. However, when Ashraf Dehghani, a veteran and prominent figure of the Iranian People’s Fedaee Guerrillas, posted a statement on youtube addressing the Iranian people during this critical time, youtube presented obstacles warning that the content was too offensive for the general public. Yes, when she speaks of the necessity for changing the socio-economic system, that truth must not be spoken. When she speaks of people arming themselves against a murderous regime, that truth is supposedly offensive. The so called offensive truth that only a socialist revolution will free the people is offensive to whom? Only to those who will go to any length to maintain their positions of power and privilege within this barbaric system of cruelty and destruction.