“THE BATTLE OVER FREE SPEECH is only likely to grow more intense in 2022 (if) the Labour Government persists with its plans to eliminate ‘hate speech’,” and, “At risk will be nothing less than right of New Zealanders to speak and write freely about their beliefs.”
So began Chris Trotter’s recent opinion piece on what he sees as a looming “epic” battle for the preservation of free speech in New Zealand. And he may be right
But let’s not delude ourselves. The very fact that Chris’s opinion, and that of most other contributors to The Daily Blog, can only be read on this platform and nowhere else, is itself proof positive that censorship is already alive and well in this country, and, as any reading of our history will attest, has been from the outset
Chris goes on to describe how; “In all societies there are customs, conventions and laws, the flouting and/or breaking of which inevitably entail consequences.” And then, as if to highlight how lucky we are, Chris writes; “there are societies however in which the articulation of certain ideas risks the direst consequences, citing the examples of devout Muslim Countries which execute those who insult the Prophet, and Belarus where questioning the legitimacy of its leader could attract an ominous sanction.
But why use those examples when there are plenty of examples right here in New Zealand that carry sanctions, the effect of which can be just as deadly, but which, in my opinion, are the more insidious for the fact that we don’t see them.
Chris went on to say that; “In such settings (as those authoritarian examples) it is simply nonsensical to speak about the existence of freedom of expression. No one is free who, the moment they attempt to exercise their freedom, is subjected to some form of punishment.”
And to highlight its brutal nature he added; “Stalin and Mao’s intolerance of free speech was based squarely on the proposition that their variant of the communist ideology was the closest approximation to the truth of which humanity was capable.
Well, if that’s the case, can someone please tell me just what our society’s all pervasive, suffocating insistence on the Capitalist ideology being “the closest approximation to the truth of which humanity (is) capable,” is all about. And please explain too what the sanctions suffered by those who over millennia have opposed it, have been, if not the application of brutal authoritarian sanction.
And if we are so enamoured of FREE SPEECH and its associated principles, why is our media so strenuously avoiding any mention of Julian Assange and the torture he is being subjected to, for practicing it?
If we are insistent that free speech is essential to the preservation of our democracy and world peace, why is it that we are only ever fed a view of world affairs that mirrors that of the United States, and which, at this very moment, has us on the brink of acquiescing in wars with Russia and China?
The fact is, while our society’s “truth” may not be enforced in the same way as “the truth” of so-called “authoritarian states,” it is nonetheless every bit as self-serving, rigid and brutal in its execution.
In our schools and in our universities and institutions, and most especially in our media, we are so skilfully programmed to accept that our system is “the closest approximation to the truth of which humanity (is) capable,” that sometimes even our best commentators can’t see it.
And so it’s as well that we have others to remind us, such as H.L. Mencken, one of America’s greatest journalists and social commentators, who said;
“The aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment at all; it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States, whatever the pretensions of politicians, pedagogues, and other such mountebanks, and that is its aim everywhere else.”
Indeed, if our society is so well served by the principles embodied in the idea of Free Speech, why do we have need of The Daily Blog?
Hate speech laws seem to be more about controlling and criminalising what people say and stopping free speech than stopping hate speech.
There are many instances of those on opposite sides who disagree and believe the other are hate speakers and criminals. AKA Zionist/Palestine.
The best way to end hate speech is to talk and discuss it, not suppress and criminalise it.
The trans movement seems to be full of death threats and harassment on both sides.
Soon disagreeing with government policy will be a hate crime in NZ.
Government is on the wrong track about hate speech and making it worse just like their ill informed woke/capitalist led housing reforms.
A cracker of an article @ME. A kick in the nuts for the bloody USofA and a bit of sanity re the freedom of speech. I am an expert in neither but somehow I can’t see the Gestapo or NZ’s equivalent coming round to my house to frog march me to jail, or worse. Won’t happen.
This kinda shows that democracy is an illusion…and what about the far-from-free (of moneyed and political interests) mainstream media that greatly shapes what we think, therefore say. Otherwise, free speech really should be just that, regardless of the far-from-free environment it tends to spring from.
Has someone already called attention to your typo? Malcolm. I am sure it wasn’t meant to be a satirical put-down but Chris doesn’t consider himself Christ – he might laugh at being called a ‘very naughty boy’ though. His understandings of meanings are a broad church.
But I feel I should remind Green Bus about the police raid on Tuhoe. That was a case oshowing the truth of the general wisdom to not eavesdrop on others as you are likely to hear things you don’t like. The police did eavesdrop and limited the free speech of Tuhoe. They said that there were other matters also, apart from the guns. But things soon get blown up in people’s minds even if there is no intention to do so in reality. And it’s a fine line as to what pre-emptive action should be taken. I think we shouldn’t be complacent.
I think you are interpreting free what the MSM tells us as being free speech Malcolm. The lies the MSM constantly supply us with does not prevent the alternative media from speaking the truth. It just makes it harder to work out what the truth is.
My impression at this stage is that the truth presented by the MSM varies inversely with the importance of the subject being discussed.
D J S
Oh c’mon, – Mrs Jones cat stuck up in a tree and needing recuing by the Fire Brigade is far more important. And now for the news on Ukraine.
Much as I doubt the motives of the FSU (free speech union) and its ties to ACT and the TPU, they are doing good work across the political spectrum defending basic freedoms that woke millennials fail to comprehend.
Free speech is one of the basic principles of democracy along with a free press, freedom of religion/conscience, and freedom of association. All of which are potentially threatening to the Establishment elites who hide in the shadows and want to continue their despicable acts of capitalist exploitation, war, propaganda and fraudulent financial practices that impoverish the working class.
But all of that is treated like conspiracy theory by woke children with mediocre IQs, who are addicted to pornography and social media gossip, and their only aim in life is to become an influencer or pro gamer. They get their values from the worst humans on TikTok and Instagram while their parents are out working 2 or.3 jobs to pay the million dollar mortgage.
What a sick little culture we have built.
100% Malcolm. Thanks for the timely reminder of how far we have already fallen.
Although our working class and benefit class have long been portrayed as loud mouthed hate speakers, the reality is the opposite. The number of incidents we’ve had of criminal hate speech in this country is relatively low when you consider the array of different ethnic groups and sexual identities.
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