Commentary 2021 will be a year of big decisions. With the pandemic raging and the political landscape offering no certainty, the world teeters on the precipice of the unknown more acutely than at any time since the Cold War. At this pivotal moment it is crucial to mitigate the powerful influences conspiring against our mental and moral independence. The increasingly authoritarian push by tech and media providers to control information is stoking political and cultural divisions while leaving us vulnerable to manufactured consent, where we become obedient and unquestioning. Conforming to Ignorance Freedom of speech is not only a key element of democracy but is its fundamental safeguard. Its importance was recognized at America’s inception and enshrined in the Constitution as the primary defence against tyranny. Benjamin Franklin said, “Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.” We are now in the …