Hate speech laws threaten free speech – Keith Locke memorial debate 2026
The second Keith Locke memorial debate was held in Auckland on the 2nd. There is a live stream of the debate on youtube, linked here.
free speech
Joseph Mooney cosplays as alt-right hypocrite
National MP for Southland Joseph Mooney has been trying to capitalise off the US culture, and using free speech to attack academic free speech
Surviving the apocalypse of the Great Twit
The Great Twit at Twitter has been cauterising off staff in excess. I suspect that the platform is going to go down the toilet for that (amongst other reasons). My concern here has been to preserve the embedded tweets in posts and comments on this site if the idiot engineer manages to destroy the platform through simple stupidity.
The Non-Partisan Populism of Popper’s Paradox
When democracy and free speech are hijacked to silence others, they can no longer support their principles and become a contradictio in terminis.
Freedom of speech – the knife-edge.
I have a problem with dimwits waving around a slogan of “free speech” without understanding it. Ignorant fools more interested in screaming slogans than understanding the constraints of their ‘right’. The events of the last 4 years in the USA have made that very clear. So I thought I’d point out a few facts of life about constraints on freedom of speech – with a sidetrack through Trumps’ incitements to riot.
Assange’s torture and the death of journalism
On the eve of Assange’s extradition hearing in London, award-winning freelancer Jonathan Cook has written a scathing indictment of corporate journalism’s collusion in ignoring his official torture. I posted an example of that here last year, where Richard Harman denied Assange was a journalist at a panel convened at Parliament by the British High Commissioner.
Social Media – A force for good?
Nick Kelly on the role of social media in the UK election.
Small start to inflated bullshit.
I was reading one of Chris Trotters reflections which looked at the Corrections Amendment Bill 2018, that just passed its 3rd reading. “Putting The Check In Right-Wing Prisoners’ Mail”. It sounded odd and oddly lacked detail. I came to the conclusion taking press releases at face value without thinking was a very bad idea.
The Free Speech Coalition goes to court
Jordan Williams and the Free Speech Coalition are in the High Court protecting the rights of Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux to express views the details of which Mr Williams does not know.
Hate Speech Is an Evitable Evil
Online behaviour like any other behaviour can be modified but this will not happen by itself.
Censorship again.
I’m not a great fan of George Monbiot. And Alex Jones is rubbish. But …
Enough Bullshit!
White South African farm murders.
Just a quick thought…
Yeah, okay, it’s a couple of thoughts on the Canadian jokers and what is and isn’t happening in response to their stuff.
Free Speech.
It’s a principle.
Freedom of Speech and Expression
Bollocks and bullshit lands on shits and giggles.
Free speech vs hate speech
Auckland Uni is in a difficult position – a classic dilemma with two important principles at stake.
Dirty Politics was in the public interest
Today’s anonymous editorial in The Herald makes for interesting reading, with the right conclusion in the end – Hager’s Dirty Politics served a genuine public interest, and should be legally protected as such.
Greens allow split vote on online speech bill
The Greens will split their vote on the Harmful Digital Communications Bill.
Update: The Bill has passed.
Only ACT standing up for free speech?
ACT has withdrawn support for the Harmful Digital Communications Bill. Bravo. Labour, Greens – where do you stand on this badly drafted and damaging bill?
NRT: National wants to jail people who expose politicians
Interesting post from I/S at No Right Turn on the Harmful Digital Communications Bill.
Free Raif Badawi
Saudi Arabian blogger Raif Badawi has been sentenced to 1000 lashes. The international outrage is growing.
Free speech and surveillance online
A long, fascinating piece by Glenn Greenwald on The Intercept this morning.
No free speech at convention centre
National’s dirty deal with Sky City includes the right for the government to ban groups it doesn’t like from booking the convention centre.
Free speech. Use it or lose it.
Key declares war on the media
This headline speaks for itself. Tea tape: TVNZ, RNZ to be searched – “Four media outlets, including Radio New Zealand and TVNZ, are to be searched for any material they might have in their possession that relates to the tea pot tapes”. Outrageous.
Angry marine
Marine Corps. Sgt. Shamar Thomas speaks his mind to some New York police. A bit repetitive, but he gets his point across!
How not to handle a rebel
The Maori Party handling of rebel MP Hone Harawira has been a complete mess. The latest bizarre chapter in the story is the gagging of Harawira with “a complete media ban” to be “strictly observed by the Maori Party”. I’m trying to recall any precedent for such an extreme gagging of free speech by a political party…
Hoots overshoots
I see the NBR lost another 6% of its circulation last year, so I thought it was worth giving Matthew Hooton’s latest rant in that publication a wider audience. Hoots has a go at us and Clare Curran for criticising the violent rhetoric of Sarah Palin and the Tea Party. Apparently, holding people accountable for what they say is restricting free speech.
The story Bill English doesn’t want you to see
On Wednesday last week, Labour released new information on Bill English’s housing allowance rort. Naturally, the media raised the issues with English. TVOne […]
EEC votes ‘No’ on should-a.com
should-a.com, the site that lets you write your own parody of the upcoming referendum question, has been issued with a takedown notice by […]