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On Wednesday, unexpected news dropped that New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern was resigning her position. In an emotional press conference, she insisted that the decision was not based on politics. Given her party is trailing heading into the country’s October election, her insistence was unconvincing at best.

But while it was patently obvious that domestic troubles forced Ardern’s hand, the American press set about to flaunt its membership in the authoritarian cult that had been built around her.

Authoritarian cult pic.twitter.com/rEbNPxbmDw

— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) January 19, 2023

Ardern was made infamous by her attempts to institute a COVID-zero policy in New Zealand. That pursuit led to a total shutdown of travel, extensive, years-long lockdowns, and the very public violation of various rights. Taking a walk could get a person arrested. Not wearing a mask could lead to being assaulted.

The situation was made even more grotesque by the fact that New Zealand is an ostensibly Western country (despite its geographic location). It’s one thing to see China cracking down on basic freedoms because you expect a communist regime to operate that way. But to see the level of authoritarianism that was not just tolerated, but overtly praised regarding Ardern’s government was disturbing. After all, if it could happen in a country like that, it could happen anywhere.

Yet, supposedly revered outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post still choose to describe Ardern as “compassionate” and full of charisma. She’s just so decisive, they proclaim between labored breaths, never mentioning that her reign was marked by serious violations of civil liberties nor that her COVID-zero policies were a total failure.

For those that aren’t aware of just how bad Ardern was, Tucker Carlson shared some of her lowlights following her resignation.

Adios Jacinda, your regime was terrifying to witness from abroad. I can’t imagine living within your overreach. We can only hope the world never forgets you— so you can live on as an example of what not to do. pic.twitter.com/4YVPPH3uup

— TexasLindsay™ (@TexasLindsay_) January 19, 2023

It’s a cautionary tale about who you can and can’t trust. When the chips were down and people needed an advocate, the American press decided to fawn over a tyrant whose creepy quashing of rights would have made Stalin proud. That Ardern shows absolutely no remorse only makes matters worse.

At the end of the day, many of the people who claim to speak truth to power and to stump for the little guy are nothing but elitists looking to exercise power. Throughout the entire COVID pandemic, we saw the mainstream media turn a blind eye to large-scale abuses by western nations like New Zealand, Australia, Germany, and many others. Further, they often went so far as to actually justify those abuses, as evidenced by the continued praise of Ardern.

If the press isn’t willing to stand up for something as basic as the autonomy of movement in a supposedly free country, there should be no expectation they’d stand up to something worse. Far from protectors of liberty, these news outlets would lavish adoration on those running the gulags. Remember that the next time they insist they are vital to the health of the nation.