When “Free Speech” Turns on Its Own: How America Became the Land of Doxxing

America’s “free speech”—once worn proudly like a badge—has, unbelievably, become a paper-thin test no one can pass.

Right now, the US is deep into a full-blown “doxxing fanfare”—and the rules couldn’t be simpler. Whether you’re a colonel or a teacher, a commentator or a random netizen—say the wrong thing about Charlie Kirk’s murder and you could lose your job, your future, or even land in much hotter water.

One Post, One Career Down: The Colonel’s Case Goes Viral 

Latest headline: US Army Colonel Scott Stephens just got the boot. His crime? On social media, he said the murder was tragic, but he remarked that Kirk had spent years spreading hate and discrimination on college campuses, and suggested that “We can’t make it political.”

Colonel’s words that sparked a storm

In other words: Kirk’s death is tragic, but the man bears some responsibility. Not exactly a flamethrower of a comment, yet the backlash was instant. Critics pounced: “Kirk did not deserve to be assassinated. What happened to freedom of speech?"

Stephens doubled down: Kirk had spent years inciting political violence, and now he’d become a casualty of what he started.

And it’s not just the military. A high school teacher in South Carolina posted: “Thoughts and prayers to his children but IMHO [in my honest  opinion] America became greater today.” The price? Fired under pressure from Republican lawmakers.

New Rules: Welcome to America’s “Accountability Machine” 

In today’s America, “free speech” is being replaced by what can only be called an accountability machine. On social media, the hunt is relentless: spot someone making an “inappropriate” comment about Kirk, and immediately broadcast their name and workplace, demanding they be sacked.

Far-right influencer Laura Loomer was first to the megaphone, declaring that anyone “sick enough” to celebrate Kirk’s death should “prepare to have your whole future professional aspirations ruined”. Her warning: Gloat now, and your career is over.

Right-wing firebrand Laura Loomer on the attack

In this climate, new “doxxing” cases flood social media: military officers’ posts aired, teachers’ opinions exposed, even firefighters and commentators get the treatment. The scoreboard? Dozens already lost their jobs and counting.

CNN reports that this feeding frenzy is only picking up speed. Some are even curating live updates: “Who Got Fired Today?”—all in real time. There’s even been an anonymously-registered doxxing site named “Expose Charlie’s Murderers” that “gathered information about people who made posts about Kirk”.

What started as outrage has become a nationwide political purge.

Is There Any “Free Speech” Left To Defend? 

So you have to ask: can America’s legendary “free speech” even survive this?

US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem put it bluntly after Kirk’s murder: This is a turning point for America and the world. “It feels like a grief has settled on not just the country, but the entire world, something has changed.”

DHS Chief Kristi Noem

She went on with the criticism of the left-wing, stating that “Some of the rhetoric we’re seeing out of the left and out of political animals is ugly and it’s bitter and it’s seeking to seize this opportunity to turn it into evil.”

Elon Musk, never one for restraint, went even further—accusing the left of “celebrating it openly” after Kirk’s death, and branding them “the party of murder and celebrating murder”. In Musk’s world, it seems “the left” and “Democrats” are interchangeable.

This flood of statements from politicians and influencers is turbo-charging the movement. Once upon a time, Americans prided themselves on the motto: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” In today’s America, that sounds hollow.

The Exiles and the Internet Trap

Some of the sharpest changes are happening to America’s political exile community—people who once saw the US as a safe haven, some Democrat, some Republican. Previously, they’d disagree occasionally within their own circles, but that was it.

Now, after Kirk’s death, everything’s tense. Some may have voiced criticism of Kirk—even in their native tongues—never expecting to end up targets themselves. People are tagging Trump-era officials, demanding these “ungrateful” exiles be investigated.

For these folks, the internet simply doesn’t forget. Any statement, present or past, can be used against you. Lose US protection, get sent home—and real danger looms. Exiles facing exile, again. It’s an unsolvable maze.

How Do We Even Talk About This?

So how do we even make sense of all this? Mainland media veteran “Niu Tanqin” makes three observations.

First, America’s “speech purge” is now a mass movement. Republicans used to accuse Democrats of attacking dissenters as “homophobic” or “sexist.” Now the tables are turned—Democrats say Republicans have only doubled down. The result? Political feud is dragging everyone deeper into the mire.

Second, the American “enemy logic” is spinning faster than ever. Oregon scholar Whitney Phillips notes that collectively denouncing those “celebrating Kirk’s death” is just manufacturing new foes. Diverse groups get bundled together, turning into the “public enemy” in conservative circles—and this cycle just keeps fracturing society.

Third, peace and stability suddenly look priceless. The Middle East burns, Europe protests, Russia-Ukraine war slog through generations. And in America, political hate and division have made purges and violence normal. In contrast? China’s quiet stability—built on both system and environment—is something to treasure.

A divided America, Global Times graphics

From Warning to Witch-Hunt: What Kirk’s Murder Became

Charlie Kirk’s murder could have been a wake-up call to reject violence. Instead, it set off a doxxing circus. Now people of all stripes get reported, sacked, and cast out—free speech reduced to empty words.

When politics becomes the only yardstick, rationality is the first to go. America’s rifts and clashes have wrecked its cherished values of freedom—and proved that no society can thrive on endless hostility and purges.

A truly stable society is never a given. It’s those ordinary days—so easy to take for granted—that matter most.

Deep Throat

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Trump wasted not one second after US forces grabbed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He made it clear that he was eyeing the country's oil riches. But here's the catch: America's biggest oil companies aren't biting. Industry analysts confirm what the companies won't say publicly—even if these firms wanted back in, Venezuela's crumbling infrastructure and chaos on the ground mean Trump's fantasy of quick oil profits is far from easy to come true.

Trump promises Big Oil will pour billions into Venezuela. The oil giants say they never got the memo. AP Photo

Minutes after the military operation wrapped, Trump stood at a press conference making promises. Major American oil companies would pour into Venezuela, he declared, investing billions to fix the country's shattered oil infrastructure "and start making money for the country". Meanwhile, he reiterated that the US embargo on all Venezuelan oil remains in full effect.

Those sanctions have crushed Venezuelan exports into paralysis. Documents from Venezuela's state oil company and sources close to the situation confirm storage tanks and floating facilities filled up fast over recent weeks. Multiple oil fields now face forced production cuts.

White House Courts Reluctant Executives

Reuters revealed the Trump administration plans meetings this week with executives from major US oil companies. The agenda: pushing these firms to restore and grow oil production in Venezuela following the military action. The White House sees this as a critical step toward getting American oil giants back into the country to tap the world's largest proven oil reserves.

But Trump's eagerness hasn't translated into corporate enthusiasm. Several major US oil companies are taking a wait-and-see approach, watching Venezuela closely. ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and Chevron all denied any prior communication with the White House about Venezuela. This directly contradicts Trump's claim over the weekend that he had already met with "all" US oil firms both before and after Maduro's capture.

Venezuela sits on roughly 17% of the world's proven oil reserves—first place globally. Yet US sanctions and other pressures have gutted its production capacity. Current output runs around 1 million barrels daily, barely 0.8% of global crude production.

World's largest oil reserves, strangled by US sanctions. Trump's quick-profit scheme hits a hard reality. AP Photo

Only One Company Stays Put

Chevron remains the sole major US oil company still operating Venezuelan fields. The firm has worked in Venezuela for over a century, producing heavy crude that feeds refineries along the Gulf Coast and beyond. A company spokesperson said on the 3rd that the current priority centers on "ensuring employee safety, well-being, and asset integrity," adding they "will continue to operate in accordance with laws and regulations."

ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips previously invested in Venezuela. In the 1970s, the Venezuelan government nationalized the oil industry, reopened to foreign investment by century's end, then demanded in 2007 that Western companies developing oil fields form joint ventures with Venezuelan firms under Venezuelan control. ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips pulled out. Neither company has responded to Trump's latest remarks about US capital entering Venezuela.

One oil industry executive told Reuters that companies fear discussing potential Venezuelan business at White House-organized meetings due to antitrust concerns.

Benefits Flow to First Mover

Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin America Energy Program at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, expects Chevron would likely benefit first if Venezuela opens oil projects to the US. Other oil companies, he notes, will watch Venezuela's political situation closely and observe the operating environment and contract compliance before making moves.

Mark Christian, business director at an Oklahoma energy consulting firm, lays out the baseline: US companies will only return to Venezuela if they're certain of investment returns and receive at least minimal security guarantees. Lifting sanctions on Venezuela stands as a prerequisite for US companies re-entering that market.

Reality Check on Oil Profits

Even with sanctions lifted, the Trump administration won't find making money from invasion-acquired oil that easy.

 Industry insiders admit large-scale restoration of Venezuelan oil production demands years of time and billions in investment, while confronting major obstacles: dilapidated infrastructure, uncertain political prospects, legal risks, and long-term US policy uncertainty.

Peter McNally, global head of industry analysis at Third Bridge, said, "There are still many questions that need to be answered about the state of the Venezuelan oil industry, but it is clear that it will take tens of billions of dollars to turn that industry around." He then added that it could take at least a decade of Western oil majors committing to the country.

Ed Hirs, an energy expert at the University of Houston, pointed to a pattern: US military invasions of other countries in recent years haven't delivered substantial returns to American companies. The history of Iraq and Libya may repeat itself in Venezuela.