Free speech - are the lines being drawn?

[TheOstrich]

We can vote in a council and a parliament with 100% of councillors and 100% of MPs all 100% against the toppling of statues and that solves the problem does it? It might, until reality kicks in and a group of SJWs turn up with a chain hitched to a 4 x 4 and bring Nelson's column down. And they could do it because they believe it is right and they do not give a stuff what we voted for.

Then the only thing you can do is laugh at them, tell them you don't give a flying fig about their views, and then ramp up the pressure by boycotting them, incarcerating them for criminal damage, and finally, off for a 2 year "holiday" at a re-education camp on Salisbury Plain.

We have the power to carry out at least the first three measures individually, (IIRC, someone posted on here recently about unfriending someone on FB because they didn't accept their views - this is a good tactic to use against people you don't agree with and hopefully gets the message across to them that they've overstepped a mark), but it remains to be seen if we would, as a society, have the cojones to implement measures 4 and 5.

[TheOstrich]

Certainly intimidation has been used on a big scale to shut people up; especially in the public sector.

Very true, and very rife in Birmingham City Council back in the 2000's. One word outside the party line, and you were off on a re-training course .....

[Suff]

WM, I don't want to make it political, I want to use the power we all have to stop it.

So, for instance, if we vote in a government that passes a law making social justice criminal damage punishable with a mandatory minimum 10 years in jail and 0 time off for anything and this stops. Permanently.

Also making Concillors aware that they will be held responsible if the police are told not to police these acts works too.

Unfriending and laughing at doesn't work on SJW's any more than it worked against rabid communists in the 60's and 70's. It just drives them underground.

[Workingman]

Suff, voting in a tough administration might possibly reduce some of the physical vandalism, but it does not curtail the disease of intolerance..

Many prominent figures have made controversial statements on any number of subjects, as is their right. Parts of what they say are accepted by society in general where other parts are not - that is how things should be. However, those who cherry pick the parts they do not like tend to be well connected in magazines and newspapers, in TV and radio, in publishers the arts and think tanks and so on. They get a free ride in attacking the messenger and garnering the support of the unthinking. They then never let up until they get a full mea culpa public apology from the author of, in their view, the Devil's words.

Their 'right-on' and populist message goes unchallenged with the result that other prominent figures who might agree with the original statement stay silent for fear of similar attacks: "I don't need that shit so I'll keep schtum" and so debate dies. And if the debate killers do not get their way there is always the 'Hate Speech' card to play, you know, the law we all voted for, right?

[Suff]

I don't disagree that the social justice hate message (yes I consider them hate messages), is going unchallenged. But it does not have to go unaddressed.

Whether I trust the politicians and my fellow citizens to address it is an entirely different matter.

We, the socially oppressed, are never going to get our message out there. The minorities have all the avenues to the public tied up and go legal if they look like losing.

What do we have left? A vote. All we need is someone to vote for.

If it means repealing the law on hate speech, so be it.

As for Unfriending people, the only "social" platform I use is LinkedIn and the day I stop working I will kill that and I was one of the first 100,000 users.

[medsec222]

Apparently Nigel Farage is quoted as saying:

"The generation now believe diversity is everything, unless it comes to diversity of thought and opinion"

I think he is right but no doubt he will be called a racist for voicing his opinion.

[Suff]

Well, it is how they shut down debate.