Justified censorship

Does hate on the internet matter?

We have laws to eliminate inflammatory statements in other media. Should they be enforced on the net? Even though the bombs sent in Scotland were amateurish they could have killed. It may be only a single deranged bigot who is responsible, but the verbal threats on the websites are blood curdling. Other mentally challenged people could be persuaded to take violent action.

The Celtic-Rangers rivalry is deep-seated. The Police are right to silence the most vituperative trouble stirrers. Crime has always been part of the divide. Happily in Wales our battles are superficial.

The Welsh blogosphere is now free of the malicious ranters. There were a few about before the General Election. None of them made any impression on public opinion. They managed only witless abuse and were talking only to themselves and like-minded air heads. They all wrote badly. They were reminiscent of the pub bore who shouts in your face and burps beery fumes. None of the candidates in 2010 General election have complained of being damaged by net abuse.

The only criticism that damages politicians are those based on truth. They wound only when delivered with wit and panache. Happily those occasions are very rare.

Jibes are best ignored and unread. MPs have much bigger issues to work on.

 

Lucky break

Take it as a happy escape not a snub.

The lack of invitations to the Royal Wedding  for Gordon Brown and Tony Blair has been seen as a snub by the Telegraph. Two other former Prime Ministers, Thatcher and Major were invited. Having spent 24 years avoiding all royal occasions I can promise them they are missing nothing. Once I had no choice. But I vowed it would the last time. There is always something more worthwhile to do.

If Gordon and Tony are keen to see what it is happenning they are better off watching the TV in the comfort of their homes. They will have a better view, rather than being stuck in row 64 behind a pillar. They will not have to take their place four hours before the event and left to suffer without a cup of tea or access to toilets. That was Bahrain's torturer in chief will endure.

If you had been invited Tony and Gordon as a gesture to the 'Big Society', it would have been difficult to refuse. Better this way. It's possible that they did decline the invite before it was sent. I always do.

PASC- cancelled

Disappointed to hear that next Tuesday's planned meeting of my select committee has been cancelled.

I presume it's because the Tory members of the committee will be busy ironing their tails.

 

Comments

[Ad]

'The only criticism that damages politicians are those based on truth. They wound only when delivered with wit and panache. Happily those occasions are very rare.'

That seems back to front. Politicians being wounded by criticisms based on truth is always a happy occasion. The fact that this rarely goes on in a meaningful sense is a shame.

I look forward to when they all have to retreat into hiding. Some of them ought to be spared, as for most of them they are useless. Conceited fools who have seen nothing.

They have not fought for this country, to protect it. They go after vain and false schemes. Their only job is convincing others they are the answer and to trust in them to deliver.

They are liers tyed up in pontlessness. And I will say the media are just as much at fault, just as much a target. They are not representitives of the people. Merely useless conveyers of lies. They reflect the pathetic and empty show of 'politics'.

These are the ones who said a war would bring peace. They seduce the people. They build up the justification, and another supports them. But its all built upon a foundation of lies.

Therefore it can only fall. A storm will easily tear it down. So those who support it will be left with nothing, will have accomplished nothing. The foundation will be destroyed.

[Paul Flynn]

I have been in this business for a very long time . Twice I have had contacts with the police about threats. Only once did I face a half-hearted attack. The details are in my last book.

Your view of politics is excessively cynical. I am working on a book about the late David Taylor. He was the best of MPs. It was only when he judged himself to have failed to live up to his high ideals that he felt wounded. He was a model MP.

Most criticism of MPs are miles off target.

[Ad]

I don't doubt that there are examples worthy of our gratitude for their character and the skills they have. I just don't feel that the majority are taking pains about how best they can serve the people they claim to represent.

You say it is a rare thing that British politicians are correctly criticised. You are wrong and that is nothing to do with cynicism. The ruling class interests which most politicians cravenly serve will seek to destroy any critics or any dissenting voice against the advancement of their interests. They hate to hear it. I celebrate it. The 'truth' is a long way from the actions of mainstream politics.

There is no absolving or dismissing the contempt and cursing which many people rightfully pour on politicians. There are few which I would not cheer to see taking their own medicine. They will drink it.

[HuwOS]

"There is no absolving or dismissing the contempt and cursing which many people rightfully pour on politicians."

As so much of the contempt and/or cursing is generic "They're all the same" crap, it is easily and rightfully dismissed.

Only reasonably targeted, sane, thoughtful criticism will have effect, the very same elites that you talk about Ad, adore the thoughtless politician bashing as it is so easy to ignore and tars all indiscriminately, allowing them to do whatever they want while those who are better than them have to waste time trying to prove to people who don't actually care what the truth is that they are not as they are being painted.

[HuwOS]

On the heading of Paul's piece..
For me there is no such thing as justified censorship.

We can agree that people can manage their own websites, so that if inappropriate material for their website is posted to it they should and can remove it. As far as laws go, the internet is international, national laws should stay well clear.