Internet and Free Speech
The Observer newspaper and Amnesty International have teamed up in a campaign to end State censorship of the internet. Activists throughout the world are only too familiar with State authorities trying to curtail people's attempts to express themselves without the threat of a 'Nanny State' holding and willing to use a wooden spoon when their power is allegedly threatened.
Of course, this a touchy debate when it comes to fascists and racists, etc. espousing a litany of hatred - but the State have all too often used this as an excuse to restrict righteous political dissent. Fascists and their ilk can be dealt with in a rational manner as their ideology is irrational - to use armoury which they in turn desire and would implement as soon as they could get their dirty little hands on the reigns of power, is to shoot ourselves in the foot and to dangerously shadow the tactics of our foes.
The most recent incidents of spying in the U.S.A where telecommunications corporations tongue-wagginly deferred to NSA securocrats requests to release private information is a timely indication that we have to nip this infringement of our civil liberties in the bud - though I admit, we may have gone about too far for that catch phrase to apply. Blair and the vast majority of those in Westminster feel threatened enough to remove all Brian Haw's placards but one, despite the fact that he is basically telling him what everyone elso knows - that the Iraq war was illegal the activites which have taken place since have been and continue to be immoral.
So with the decisions of Microsoft, Yahoo and Google to sell their non-existent corporate souls to the Chinese oligarchs for access to their markets, we have indeed come to a relevant stage of internet history for a renewed, wide-ranging, sustained campaign to ensure that our online brothers and sisters are allowed to freely politically dissent. Our laps may be warm from overblogging - but many throughout the world run the risk of incarceration and worse for typing for real democracy and freedom - not the crap most of our leaders banter on about.
Let's consider the following before thinking; ah, sure I don't have time for this cause: "Shi Tao, a Chinese journalist, was sentenced to 10 years' hard labour for using the internet to tell people newspapers were being restricted in their coverage of the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square democracy protests. Yahoo gave information to the authorities that was used in evidence for his conviction."
The more we blog, the less they'll flog!
Of course, this a touchy debate when it comes to fascists and racists, etc. espousing a litany of hatred - but the State have all too often used this as an excuse to restrict righteous political dissent. Fascists and their ilk can be dealt with in a rational manner as their ideology is irrational - to use armoury which they in turn desire and would implement as soon as they could get their dirty little hands on the reigns of power, is to shoot ourselves in the foot and to dangerously shadow the tactics of our foes.
The most recent incidents of spying in the U.S.A where telecommunications corporations tongue-wagginly deferred to NSA securocrats requests to release private information is a timely indication that we have to nip this infringement of our civil liberties in the bud - though I admit, we may have gone about too far for that catch phrase to apply. Blair and the vast majority of those in Westminster feel threatened enough to remove all Brian Haw's placards but one, despite the fact that he is basically telling him what everyone elso knows - that the Iraq war was illegal the activites which have taken place since have been and continue to be immoral.
So with the decisions of Microsoft, Yahoo and Google to sell their non-existent corporate souls to the Chinese oligarchs for access to their markets, we have indeed come to a relevant stage of internet history for a renewed, wide-ranging, sustained campaign to ensure that our online brothers and sisters are allowed to freely politically dissent. Our laps may be warm from overblogging - but many throughout the world run the risk of incarceration and worse for typing for real democracy and freedom - not the crap most of our leaders banter on about.
Let's consider the following before thinking; ah, sure I don't have time for this cause: "Shi Tao, a Chinese journalist, was sentenced to 10 years' hard labour for using the internet to tell people newspapers were being restricted in their coverage of the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square democracy protests. Yahoo gave information to the authorities that was used in evidence for his conviction."
The more we blog, the less they'll flog!
Comments