The United States Lost Freedom of Speech
"Freedom of Speech" (or "Expression") and "Freedom of the Press" and all those interconnected (usually overlapping) concepts are not championed by the people who are loudest about them. For instance, US Republicans have long repeated buzzwords or catchphrases like "Freedom of Speech" while being the harshest and more prominent advocates of curbs/restrictions/boundaries to speech, bans on books (book-burning of literature), limitations on the press (or who is allowed to cover what, not just the style of coverage) and so on.
Speaking of "Freedom of Speech", last year "Cheeto King" took is attack on the media overseas (here in the UK) - a clear warning to any broadcaster internationally that dares criticise or merely cover unlawful things he is doing or has done, not limited to war crimes, sexual exploitation of trafficked girls, and business fraud.
Gaining independence from another continent is something Canada recently celebrated. The US too can celebrate the same accomplishment. But let's not ignore the fact that the rest of the world is fast losing its independence from the US, not just due to GAFAM but also GAFAM-funded SLAPPs, political blackmail, industrial espionage, and threats of invasion.
The world needs and deserves greater independence from the US and US citizens deserve and should ferociously pursue independence from the corporations that took over their government.
There's more to independence than fireworks (explosives) and BBQ (dead animals). Because independence refers to a condition, not an activity. An activity that helps sells stuff, i.e. an activity that makes rich people even richer.
The topic is connected to technology not only because of GAFAM.
We might as well tie all that into Software Freedom, too, not just digital sovereignty, and point out the "decades of short-term 'compromises' which have gradually but consistently eroded our ability to use computers," as an associate notes, linking also to, and citing, the post about the "Death of the Power User" (we mentioned in passing earlier today) and comments on it, including: "Cars manuals now don't even include basic information, like how to change the oil, spark plugs, brake pads, fuel filter, or timing chain - there are only instructions how to add oil."
In the US, cars are associated with freedom, but they are increasingly controlled remotely by companies that crash them into buildings. That's intentional.
As someone else said in the comments: "And what happens when no one remembers how anything works?"
And "if a film reference is needed," the associate adds, "see "Rollerball" (for more context). It "deals with information in general, but could apply to information about actually building or even using software" (where nobody is allowed to alter it anymore, not even properly inspect it because of the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which spread to other countries in some forms).
Freedom starts at home. It is not something one buys at a shop. █