Tuesday 9 June 2009

This freedom of speech, but only for those I choose-thing

On the edges of the internet I visit, via Uncle Constantly, there's been a wee bit of a fizz about this egging of the BenP chaps outside Westminster.

Old Holborn got the BBC clip with an interview with Donna Guthrie who arranged the egg pelting where she says:-
We don't believe in free speech for fascists
Its a bit harsh, as The Lone Voice asks:-
So who defines who is a fascist?
Whatever also has it
This interview with one of the protestors Donna Guthrie is also rather enlightening. On the one hand she claims to regularly speak to BNP supporters, and seemingly have no issue with them - nor desire to throw eggs - and on the other she claims that facists have no right to speak in free democratic society. Quite how she decides who is and who is not a facist, is not clear - nor indeed why she doesn't go everywhere with half a dozen eggs in her handbag.
Donna has a bit of a history for this sort of thing
One UAF campaigner, Donna Guthrie, is quoted as having said "There is no place for fascist ideas in the arts, we're calling on her (Simone Clarke, ballet dancer) to resign from the party or leave the company."

No place for fascism in the arts? Are we going to start burning books? Ripping down paintings in the Louvre? Boycotting the theatre?
Now, about fascism in the arts, its a difficult subject, I do find the music of Richard Wagner quite stirring, and pop mythology has it that Dead or Alive hit You Spin My Round (Like a Record) is the same tune.

Trivialities aside, this freedom of speech, but only for those I choose-thing is a familiar tale. Remember back when Geert Wilders was stopped from entering the UK because some Lord was going to drum up a crowd of protestors who'd cause havock, and yet Liberty and David Davis didn't do anything to defend his right to speak. Bishop Hill has it back here.

And letting socialist types chose who's fascist is asking for trouble, as that would probably encompass all the Tories and all of UKIP. In the interest of balance, if you asked libertarians they might consider Labour to be a bit fascist too.

There's no clear solution, we're just going to have to have freedom of speech for everyone.

Sorry Donna, but like Searchlight, there's no way I can support Unite against Facism on this one.

I'd check out the website, www.uaf.org.uk, but the link doesn't work so good, I just get this:-
Provider error '80004005'

Unspecified error

/INCslideshow/slideshowSCRIPT.txt, line 7

1 comment:

  1. I've been having a discussion over the past couple of days on this one too. One of my regular commenters has let himself down badly in my opinion - he believes that the BNP are not entitled to freedom of speech because he doesn't like what they have to say. He has failed the ultimate test, I'm afraid.

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