you're spot on that scope matters. ze german laws about “hate” memes are baked right into the federal criminal code (§§ 86, 86a, 130 stgb), so every cop and prosecutor has to play along—a top-down blanket ban. in the u.s. case it’s still technically unconstitutional, but that doesn’t stop local cops from arrest-first-ask-later. when you end up sitting in county for 37 days over a shitpost, “isolated incident” kinda loses its soothing effect. the chilling vibe spreads either way. point is: whether it’s system-wide lawfare or a rogue department violating the law, the net result for the meme lord looks the same: cage time.

Slippery slope theory.

You said "we must not lose it" (ie, "the last bastion of true free expression")… sounds incongruous to admonish for vigilance, but diminish the first signs of free speech being restricted, just because the scale is different…

Pam Bondi is compiling a "list of enemies", and Trump bullies the media via lawfare It's true that the US is currently in a better place than most of the world, but it won't stay that way unless Americans step up to fight back

Common Dreams

Leaked Memo Shows Pam Bondi Wants List of 'Domestic Terrorism' Groups Who Express 'Anti-American Sentiment' | Common Dreams

Leaked memo reveals US Attorney General's directive to target organizations with purportedly extreme views on immigration, gender, and anti-America...