Interesting article I read about censorship

[JVS]

The low point of the Bush-Putin press conference last month in Bratislava came when a Russian "journalist" in the press pool threw out what appeared to be a clearly-scripted question. It went to the heart of Russia's profound grievance with America-its "double speak" or "double standards" or "hypocrisy."

After several questions aimed at pressing Putin on the sorry state of democracy in Russia, an Interfax journalist asked , "To follow up on the issue of democratic institutions, President Bush recently stated that the press in Russia is not free. What is this lack of freedom all about? :Why don't you talk a lot about violations of the rights of journalists in the United States, about the fact that some journalists have been fired?"

To Americans, especially the American press, the question was absurd. It provoked, at best, a giant sneer, and at worst, a "toldya the Russians are still a bunch of evil commie bastards!" reaction from the Russophobic Right.

Bush's actual response-"I don't know what journalists you're referring to" - summed up American delusional thinking best. Such a thing could not possibly happen in America. Even when it does happen - which is pretty often, in ways both covert and overt-Americans would still look at you like a complete loony, a "conspiracy theorist," if you told them journalists get fired in the US for not behaving the way people in power want them to.

http://www.exile.ru/2005-March-11/dubleya_standards.html