In the aftermath of Natural News being subjected to one of the most brutal censor-and-smear campaigns in the history of the internet, I’ve recorded a “thank you” podcast that’s now available (see below).

In this podcast, you’ll not only hear why your support for the principle of free speech is so important, but also new details about who was really behind this attempted take down of Natural News.

There were many indy media websites and activists who helped support Natural News, including SGTreport.com, NoMoreFakeNews.com, SHTFplan.com, AllNewsPipeline.com, SteveQuayle.com, Dave Hodges from TheCommonsenseShow.com, Robert Scott Bell, Ty Bollinger from The Truth About Cancer, Erin Elizabeth from HealthNutNews.com, David Wolfe, Joyce Riley of The Power Hour and many others. Yet, to the astonishment of many, InfoWars apparently did not think it was important to stand up for Natural News… and that’s a very sad realization about whatever is happening at InfoWars. When I was threatened and told to publicly destroy InfoWars, I stood my ground and said “No.” But when I was attacked and blacklisted, InfoWars did nothing to help defend Natural News. They didn’t publish a single article in our defense. Very sad. Not very smart on their part, either.

“Many independent news sites decided to ignore Google’s censorship of Mike and Natural News. They, too, failed to establish a firm defense of free speech,” writes Jon Rappoport, who hosts for Alex Jones and InfoWars. Notably, he was not being critical of InfoWars in particular, but rather making a more broad statement about the entire independent media.

“Some of these independent sites, knowing what Natural News has done to attack conventional medicine and the medical cartel, decided to stand back and remain silent, because they consider medical information a holy of holies. They will attack major media on many issues, but The Medical isn’t one of them. They’re afraid to explore this area, discover shocking truths, publish those truths, and then open themselves to heavy criticism. Then, of course, there is the simple fear that Google will censor them, too. Google, the all-powerful Ministry of Truth. Big Brother.”

Not everyone in the independent media actually fights for principles

What this entire event actually achieved across the indy news media is the sorting out of truly courageous, principled independent media voices versus the selfish and cowardly operations that only seem interested in their own survival. Seeing that Google had blacklisted Natural News, some indy news publishers decided to take a “stay quiet and hope they don’t come for me next” kind of approach… which is cowardly and doomed to failure in the long run.

This entire episode has also taught me something incredibly valuable (and costly): Never stick up for people who don’t have the ethics to be worth defending. Not every voice in the independent media is driven by principles. Not every person who claims to believe in liberty actually practices the defense of liberty. Some people are driven solely by selfish agendas, making them almost as misguided as those whom they criticize in the establishment. For those individuals, I pray that they somehow find the spiritual strength to mature and embrace the principles of liberty through action rather than mere lip service. (For some people, liberty is just a mask they wear to appeal to the liberty crowd…)

Personally, I know that I would have gone to bat for anyone in the independent media who was being censored and blacklisted by Google. But now I have awakened to the reality that I am far too generous in assuming that all the other indy media publishers share the same adherence to principles and mission. While I will work hard to protect, support and defend those who share my commitment to the core principles of universal liberty, I will no longer be deceived by those who do not.

Lesson learned.

THANK YOU to all who supported Natural News in our epic battle with Google. Your strength, your courage and your commitment to liberty and free speech will be long remembered.

Listen to the full podcast at the Health Ranger Report website, or listen below: