Free Speech Crisis: Brought to You by JD Vance

Crikey, you have to hand it to JD Vance. The man has a cheek of solid brass. He's sauntered over to our little island, the land of tepid tea and queueing, and declared with a straight face that our free speech is on the blink.

Now, let's unpack that, shall we? This is the same JD Vance who, not so very long ago, was a self-confessed "Never Trumper," worried about the man's divisive rhetoric and all-round un-statesmanlike behaviour.

He even privately compared him to a certain 20th-century authoritarian. But then, poof! Just like that, he had an epiphany. The scales fell from his eyes, and he realised that actually, the man he'd once condemned was the very saviour of America. A magical about-turn, a total conversion, or perhaps just a very savvy career move? You decide.

This is the man who published a bestselling book, Hillbilly Elegy, that was lauded by liberals as a thoughtful, insightful look at the white working class. Now he’s the poster boy for the very politics he seemed to be critiquing. He’s gone from a venture capitalist hobnobbing with Silicon Valley types to a right-wing populist, railing against "elites" and "woke" ideology. He voted against his own bill because it was wrapped up in a larger aid package for Ukraine, a move that baffled even some of his own constituents.

And now he's here, telling us off about our free speech. This is the man who has praised Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister who has been widely criticised for eroding democratic norms and, you guessed it, free speech. He's here to warn us about a "dark path," which is rich coming from a man whose political journey has been one long, winding road of convenient U-turns and newfound allegiances.

In my opinion, he's a lizard reincarnated as a snake—a creature of pure opportunism, shedding its old skin whenever a more advantageous one presents itself.

So, JD, before you start clucking about our freedoms, maybe have a look in your own backyard. Or better yet, a look in the mirror. It’s all a bit rich, isn't it?