Our laws are muzzling speech, from private chats to social media, leaving the country’s tradition of free expression hanging by a thread, warns David Frost in the Telegraph. Here’s an excerpt:
We all agree that rioting and violence should be punished. We all agree that threats and – genuine, meaningful – incitement to violence are not covered by the right to free speech. Many of those punished in recent days have been convicted for exactly those things. But not all have. We shouldn’t be surprised by that. For our legislation goes much wider than that, to criminalise far wider categories of speech and messaging. It’s now being used, brutally, by a Government that has little real regard for free speech.
Take some examples. The 2003 Communications Act criminalises “grossly offensive” messages, even sent in private, and whether anyone reads them or not. Sentencing is tougher if messages are motivated by “hate”. People have been given prison sentences for (admittedly unpleasant) private Whatsapp messages.
Or the 1986 Public Order Act, which, broadly, makes it a crime to cause someone “alarm” or “distress” through writing or speech that is “abusive” or (in some circumstances) just “insulting”. It also criminalises messages likely, or intended, to “stir up” hatred on grounds of race, religion or sexual orientation. In these latter areas, the Attorney General’s consent to prosecute is required, as a safeguard, but many such charges have been brought in recent days, so it looks as if the new Attorney General has given a very broad sign off. Perhaps the Shadow Attorney General would like to investigate, if it is not too much trouble?
And finally, we have our unfortunate Online Safety Act. This creates a new concept of “false communication” and makes it illegal to send a message known to be false and intended to cause “psychological or physical harm”. Newspapers and broadcasters are exempt, but individuals are not. Yes, “fake news” is now a crime in Britain, and people are being prosecuted for it. …
In my view, these laws should mostly be abolished or focused much more clearly on genuine incitement. Until that happens, and I’m not exactly holding my breath, our only protection is a government, an establishment, or a wider climate of opinion, supportive of free speech.
Unfortunately, we have no such thing.
Worth reading in full.
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Best news from Scotland for two nightmare years.
“Cancel Culture” and the all out assault on our basic values and freedoms simply must must be stopped if what is still left of our civilisation is to survive.
True but welcoming in esp current SNP members is surely inviting the fox into the henhouse -I remain to be convinced that any SNP member has anything other than selfish desires for the FSU
I remember a story about an SNP MSP who went to work on Ash Wednesday with ashes on her forehead. In the days of I Like Salmon, they were quite conciliatory towards churchgoers. With things as they are now, I can certainly believe that some members would feel they have reason supporting the FSU. As almost all separatist activists in Scotland seem to coalesce around the SNP, presumably they are quite a “broad church”, and don’t all agree with some of the first fish’s nonsense. I assume that there are separatists who see her as an embarrassment to the independence movement and to Scotland.
That leapt out at me too, but Sillars is an old (old) school Nat who actually worked in the real world before getting into politics, in stark contrast to the carefully groomed career creatures infesting the party now.
He needs to be treated with caution, but repentant sinners can make the most zealous converts.
Yes, I was perplexed, to say the least, by something so utterly out of character for anyone associated with the SNP, however peripherally, never mind someone so close to the centre. I’d treat with caution . . .
(I speak as a Scot)
Nickerless will be scheming already.
Its very disheartening to see so many on here have swallowed the big lie about a novel virus based on unvalidated fraudulent tests and not a lot else. Here is another piece of the puzzle showing how the whole thing really is just a massive scam – rebranding old illnesses, plus not mentioned in this article, killing people and calling it covid – ventilators and remdesevir and midazolam for example – plus outright death certificate forgery to bump up the numbers. All very well known in these parts, but still most believe there is a novel virus among all this crime and deceit. Its unreal.
Was Covid19 a re-branded flu?
https://off-guardian.org/2022/04/12/was-covid19-a-re-branded-flu/
No in the sense that it was/ is similar but not identical. Yes in the sense that it was of similar importance (or lack thereof).
’CTR’ please take COVID-denial pseudo-science drivel like this somewhere else, this is a facts-driven site for the scientifically-minded
Or you might just be a COVID-fanatic trying to spread false conspiracy ideas to tarnish the site? Who knows…
Why are you denying the massive overuse of Midazolam?
Remember so far the tinfoil hat conspiracy theorists are up 52 – nil
More being added by the day.
Goodness, you’ve managed to keep count – well done!
Interesting article, certainly a very plausible theory, the flu did seem to do a disappearing act, an off duty GP assured me this anomaly was due to social distancing, masks and lockdowns etc.
tl;dr summary: “Ignore the many labs who have independently sequenced SARS-COV-2 and determined that it is indeed a novel coronavirus. Based solely on under-reporting of influenza, I assume and therefore assert as a fact that SARS-COV-2 does not exist.”
It’s fine to be sceptical, but that’s not worth reading in full.
You really have swallowed the scam, because those of us who really know call it the common cold.
URGENT!!! Comment on the WHO treaty **NOW**
Comments CLOSE in less than 21 hours from now! It will take you <2 minutes to do. Here’s exactly how to comment.
https://stevekirsch.substack.com/p/urgent-comment-on-the-who-treaty?r=o7iqo&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Done (again, for what it’s worth. I suspect that big pharma and their collaborators will find ways of punishing rebel states).
Is this what the New World Order looks like?
Why do you keep calling this a “treaty”?
If memory serves (and it usually doesn’t) that’s the term used by the WHO.
Tuesday Horse & Groom roundabout) Bracknell (Downshire Way Broad Lane & Bagshot Road) a great response and 2 new recruits for Bracknell Stand in the Park on Sunday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKFjjWDA0-8
The video is from Brian who joined us from Woking!
Stand for freedom with our Yellow Boards By The Road next events
Thursday 14th April 3pm to 4pm
Yellow Boards
Junction A329 Reading Rd
& Station Approach
Wokingham RG41 1EH
Monday 18th April 2pm to 3pm
Yellow Boards
Junction A3095 Warfield Rd/
A329 Millennium Way
Bracknell RG12 2XT
Stand in the Park Sundays from 10am – make friends & keep sane
Wokingham Howard Palmer Gardens
(Cockpit Path car park free on Sunday)
Sturges Rd RG40 2HD
Bracknell
South Hill Park, Rear Lawn, RG12 7PA
Telegram http://t.me/astandintheparkbracknell
I wish all involved in FSU Scotland the very best.
At least this will wind up Krankie.
On the subject of Scotland, there’s an article in the Guardian today from one of Scotland’s chief Covid-mongers: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/apr/12/herd-immunity-covid-reinfection-virus-world
Got to keep that hysteria level whipped up!
Devi Sridhar – how did I guess. Wants locking up with Fauci and Schwab.
Along with all the other dirty crooks in Westminster.
Please give us a clue, as I would not commit the sin of linking to that rag , especially during Holy Week.
“Testing, testing, testing. Keep those numbers up, keep the panic going, a deadly new variant could arrive at any second.”
I assume from the above comment that Sridhar has had the nod from Billy that his new brew is about to be released.
Hiding in plain sight.
$generic_corona_bs should be sufficient.
Strangely, I’ve been getting occasional colds for as long as I can remember. From what planet does The Devi[tm] come from if she thinks this must be news?
Toby deserves our thanks.
Yes thanks Toby, we enjoyed your Bafta appearance with Mark Steyn.
Free speech with Ayatollah Krankie at the helm? No chance