OFF: Freeedom of Speech

[Paul Mather]

On Tue, 2006-02-14 at 14:33 +0000, M Holmes wrote:

> I think so. Kowtowing to islamofascists got us nothing but trouble when
> the government did it over threats to Rushdie. Let's show them, in a
> dignified and sober way of course, that we're as serious about our
> rights to FoS as they are about their rights to proclaim the Koran.
>
> If we do it solidly enough, who knows, maybe they'll finally get it.
[...]
> Anyone can uphold a noble idea when it's no trouble to do so. The
> historical test is very much whether they an uphold it in face of
> difficulties, or even threat to life. From what little I know of arab
> culture, it seems obvious that if we sell the pass now, rather than see
> it through, arab governments, and arabs in general, will conclude that
> we're not serious about it anyway.
[...]
> I think the principle is relatively straightforward. Only the tactics
> are complex. Nevertheless, we have one surrender (Rushdie) to make up
> for. We shouldn't fail to make the stand here.
[...]
> I don't doubt that'd be difficult.  However we have more than a little
> experience of what happens when such freedoms vanish.  That can involve
> explaining to millions of families why we failed to defend the freedoms
> that would have protected their children. Going along to get along with
> fascists simply does not work.

Lovely sentiments, Mike.  The thing that amuses me about this fracas is
that it is so easy to froth against "arab governments" and "arabs in
general" and all other manner of (increasingly racist in this thread)
stereotypes because the target is easy to caricaturise and point the
finger at: it's an easily identified bogeyman that it's easy to get
everyone to hate.  (BTW, numerically speaking, isn't your average muslim
face going to look South-East Asian, not Arabic in this thread?)

But, if freedom of speech is so worth fighting for, I'm wondering why
aren't we doing it at home.  Anyone remember the old geezer in his
eighties that was manhandled out of a Labour party conference speech and
subsequently arrested on (if memory serves) anti-terrorism charges, just
because he shouted a single word of dissent from the back?  How about
how the freedom of speech inherent in the right to demonstrate has been
virtually obliterated by the criminalisation of such acts as trespass?
What about the misuse of "war on terror" legislation by police to harass
minority political and ethnic groups?  Also, just the other day ID cards
by stealth was passed in the Commons, and they're field-testing the
automated tracking of movement of cars on the roads by license plate
recognition.  If you drive a car, they will be able to know where it
goes.  If you have a mobile phone, they can know where it is (to within
~150 feet).  The RIP Bill mandates that communications companies keep
tabs on who you are calling and e-mailing; you can face jail time if you
refuse to hand over encryption keys.  We used to vilify the Stasi for
doing this sort of spying back in the days of the Evil Empire, but
apparently *now* this kind of mass surveillance of your population is
all very vital and necessary in the "war on terror" to hear it told.

When everyone is calling on newspapers and media to "stand up for free
speech" and publish a bunch of cartoons "because they can," why aren't
they also asking them to publish about the messier side of the Iraq
conflict "because they can?"  Instead of fixating on the latest
goings-on in the Celebrity Big Brother house, why can't we be informed
of the latest goings-on in the world of corporate welfare, war
profiteering, and tax loopholes?  Why (in the USA) can George W. Bush
get away with staging orchestrated "Town Hall" meetings in which only
those that pledge to follow the party line and cheer on cue are allowed
admission and have the media actually screen such blatant propaganda?

It's all very well to demand we and our newspapers stand up against
"arab governments."  How about being just as vigorous in standing up to
our own, though?  Surely that's more important (albeit more difficult)?
IMO, this cartoons outrage is just hypocrisy.  There are worse problems
closer to home.

"Future generations are relying on us!"

Cheers,

Paul.
--
e-mail: paul at gromit.dlib.vt.edu

"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production
 deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."
        --- Frank Vincent Zappa