Pete’s blog

Onto freedom of information and speech… I have been reading a lot of troubling stuff lately with regards to this – mostly in America. The following quote is a very prophetic prediction that comes from a computer game called ‘Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri’, released in 1999:

As the Americans learned so painfully in Earth’s final century, free flow of information is the only safeguard against tyranny.
The once-chained people whose leaders at last lose their grip on information flow will soon burst with freedom and vitality, but the free nation gradually constricting its grip on public discourse has begun its rapid slide into despotism.
Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.

Specially love that last line.

Currently in America, protest, dissent and freedom of speech all seem to be taking a back seat. CNN has become so biased that Ted Turner himself is shaking his head in disgust and thinking about starting another news network. Most of the TV networks in America are now owned by a small group of corporations, deciding exactly what to show on TV, and lining the pockets of which ever politician looks after their interests (that politician having the initials GWB). Strangely the networks are becoming more and more conservative, and yet more biased at the same time. Janet Jackson’s breast during the Superbowl is an absolute classic – just about every story I read about the incident has a picture of the allegèd breast, even the Economist (the European edition) had a picture! It seems that only the Americans, or only some of the Americans, are getting worked up about this. Another crack-down is old Howard Stern being kicked off the air. For a nation that once prided themselves on freedom of speech, or at least on crass commercialism (we’ll keep him on air, as long as he keeps the ratings up), this is a sad state of affairs.

Political protest is even sorrier. Central Park in New York is refusing to allow a protest against the Republican convention… because they might damage the grass… the same grass that has seen countless concerts and other activity… hmm… Apparently people aren’t allowed to protest anywhere where the belovèd president goes, special demarked ‘protest zones’ are allocated for that purpose, a few kilometres off of his route. If you dare to hold up any sort of dissenting poster in the crowd on the route, you will probably get harassed by police and secret service men. Note that “Peace” or “Make love, not war!” are considered very critical of the current presidency. Dare to say anything against the president, and you are siding with terrorists, you are being unpatriotic and you are being un-American. Yes, the terrorist card. Sound familiar? Anyone know anything about the communist ‘trials’ and paranoia in America (think it was in the 40s and 50s)?

Could ramble on and on about all the dodgy stuff happening in America, but another time. In South Africa, our main problem seems to be Telkom trying to bully its way through everything… as usual. Their latest one is suing the author of the www.hellkom.com site – a site set up to protest against Telkom’s high tariffs and shoddy service. A much more blatant form of free speech suppression, but still worrying. Hopefully our constitution will come to the rescue.

One last quote from one of the original liberal thinkers, John Stuart Mill:

If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.

Might continue the free speech theme into hate speech and war journalism next week… but we shall see…