Neil Young – Poster Child for Free Speech Hypocrisy

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Neil Young once stormed the country to sing the First Amendment’s praises.

2006 marked the occurrence of the Freedom of Speech tour, which transpired subsequent to assertions that criticizing the War on Terror was unpatriotic. Young and his bandmates from Crosby, Stills and Nash, however, didn’t concur with this viewpoint. They utilized the tour as a platform to satirize President George W. Bush, with the song “Let’s Impeach the President” serving as a notable example of their critique.

Subtle. And they had every right to sing it, even if they alienated longtime fans along the way.

It turns out Young’s First Amendment defense had plenty of strings attached.

Later on, Young took up arms against a podcast host when the latter expressed opinions contrary to the general consensus about the global pandemic in question. In 2021, the musician argued that it was inappropriate for Joe Rogan’s controversial COVID-19 viewpoints to be distributed via Spotify.

He removed his music from the platform as a form of protest against Rogan. According to Young, it was a matter of choosing between himself and Rogan, but Spotify sided with Rogan instead.

Eventually, the young man put his music back on Spotify once more. Over time, certain controversial opinions about the pandemic held by this individual known as Rogan have become less contentious.

In the meantime, Young made no comments regarding the misleading information about COVID-19 propagated by the media. Recall that they claimed the vaccine would shield the person from contracting and transmitting the virus itself?

What about the six-foot rule? St. Anthony Fauci? The serial attacks on the lab leak theory?

Young stayed mum through it all, even though he was outraged by Rogan’s so-called lies.

It gets worse.

Lately, Young has kept quiet on public platforms as Cancel Culture intensely affected the world of arts. Various novels penned by authors like Ian Fleming, Roald Dahl, and Agatha Christie were scrutinized by sensitivity readers. Even comedians became cautious about their jokes due to potential career consequences.

The Twitter Controversy uncovered a significant tech company suppressing conservative voices in America. Meanwhile, rival platforms removed a past president from their online marketplaces.

Under the watch of the Biden administration and their appointed “Disinformation Watchdog” (often referred to as “Scary Poppins”), there’s a commitment to limiting the spread of information deemed false or misleading, such as the story about Hunter Biden’s laptop.

Where was Young during this crisis? Some free speech hero.

Currently, Young has cautioned us that President Donald Trump could potentially restrict him from visiting within the U.S., as a result of his critical remarks concerning the 47th president.

Mentioning Donald J. Trump could potentially lead me to face restrictions upon my return to America, such as detainment or sleeping on a cold concrete floor with only an aluminum blanket for comfort… This scenario seems to be increasingly common these days.

As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but question his claims. The only evidence he seems to have is vague insinuations, a tactic reminiscent of some British punk bands who levied similar accusations without providing concrete facts to support them.

All of a sudden, it seems that Young has rekindled an interest in freedom of expression. However, his past silence during the height of Cancel Culture and his efforts to suppress Rogan paint a rather contrasting picture.

He’s a fraud, a partisan who only pipes up when it suits his self-interests or political ideology.

In the year 2025, it’s crucial to have as many advocates for free expression as possible. Individuals similar to Bill Maher, who consistently uphold the right to speech regardless of the political context, are precisely what we need. Encourage them to speak out promptly and frequently. Just like previous presidents, President Trump should face scrutiny when he makes mistakes.

FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) has taken a stance on some of Trump’s recent policies, offering a constructive perspective that is essential for the ongoing discourse.

Young can’t be trusted to do just that. He’s already shown us why.

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2025-04-05 20:03