The Cuba Subpoena isn't about what you think
- António Silveira
- 12 hours ago
- 3 min read
(LISBON, PORTGUAL) -- You do not need to be a genius to see this; this is not an ideological fight. It never has been. It is about censoring those involved in humanitarian missions and, most importantly, silencing figures who actively spread awareness of these issues. The Trump administration does not care whether someone is foreign or not; what matters is that people do not speak about the government in a negative light. The Trump regime has adopted a form of censorship that looks somewhat different: a system of granting corporate favours, bringing the corporate class to its side, and then creating a climate of fear by proxy. The Trump regime never directly targeted CBS, Paramount, MSNBC, or similar outlets, yet they have all suddenly become more favourable and compliant.
This over-the-top corporate compliance is driven primarily by two families: the Ellisons, one of the richest families in America, and now among the most influential media powers due to their recent news acquisitions, and the Murdochs, one of the richest families in Australia and the owners of News Corp. The Murdochs had already strengthened their ties during Trump’s first presidency, while the Ellisons are a more recent gain for the Trumps.
Nonetheless, both are now helping to fulfil Trump’s apparent desire for a “controlled” media. CBS, for instance, shut down The Late Show, allegedly because of budget constraints, but many assume other factors were at play, given Colbert’s well-known anti-Trump rhetoric and the network’s recent acquisition by the Ellisons. Similar developments have followed, including the promotion of Bari Weiss to editor-in-chief at CBS, placing her right-wing rhetoric at the head of the corporation.
The subpoena concerning Cuba is simply an extension of this corporate pressure. Like much of it, it is not carried out by direct order from Trump, but rather out of fear of Trump. It is the result of constant purges within the government whenever Trump sees anyone who is not favourable to his cause. The situation has escalated to the point that institutions are now policing themselves and engaging in excessive displays of loyalty. It should be noted that the Editor-In-Chief of this outlet was planning on joining the Nuestra America flotilla with Mr. Piker and Ms. Benjamin.
The Department of the Treasury is now seeking to crush anyone who may not have complied with sanctions, all so that Mr. Trump will see that they are doing a good job of protecting his image. At its core, this is about protecting Mr. Trump's ego, his media presence, and, more importantly, their jobs. Mr. Trump is not explecitly or directly imposing censorship. But he is creating a culture of constant fear within his political sphere and punishing those enterprises that do not cooperate.
His model of censorship closely resembles that of a proto-fascist regime and, without meaningful opposition, could pave the way for something fully fascist. The subpoena concerning Cuba is not extraordinary; in fact, it is something many of us expected would happen eventually. The United States is descending further into direct intimidation and a culture of fear, and if no one opposes it, that trend will continue. One can only hope that the American people recognise this for what it is: an attack on free speech and human rights. But who am I kidding? This is America.
