State Censorship In The West

First they came for the news websites, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not running a news website.

Then they came for the Newspapers, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not running a Newspaper.

Then they came for this blogging comment site—

and there was no one left to speak for me.

Donald Trumps 'fake news' and 'enemies of the people' jibes at the press reports he doesn't like (whether reports are accurate or not), has prompted over 300 news and blog sites to write editorials on the 16th of August, objecting to the attacks, and the risk to democracy that they represent.

Self Censorship Is A Dangerous Path ....

We should not think that this is purely a US matter.

• Firstly because American free speech and its link to democracy, is the lifeblood of western democracy, which is a far more fragile function than we like to think.  

• And secondly, because free speech is also under threat from the far-Left and Islam in the UK, as recent events around Boris Johnson's remark that women dressed in Burka's risk looking like 'letterboxes' (but that they shouldn't be banned in the UK, as they have been in much of Europe), has shown.

A public observation that many think is correct, some find mildly offensive, or a few find very offensive (whether its real offence or not), should not be censored in a free society. Those who want to impose a foreign culture onto us all, should simply be told to leave if they don't like living in a free speech culture.

We must not fall into the trap of voluntary censorship (as the BBC regularly does), lest it becomes the norm, and we find ourselves living in a totalitarian Islamo-Fascist state.

So this blog supports free speech, whether the attack comes from the Right and President Donald Trump in the USA, or the Left and Islamic groups demanding Muslims be immune from comment or criticism as it is in the UK.