Free Speech Champion

Trunkage

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So some new bills for legislation has appeared in the UK.


In an unsuprising turn of events, they're cancelling wokeness. The legislation actually doesn't do much to do that but it's got a nice ring to it. War on Woke!

Nothing much has changed. The biggest difference is that Student Unions will now be under a government official... which sounds like really good Free Speech. Oh and that position has been renamed Free Speech Champion.

Also worthy of note is that most of the students and public agree that they think Free Speech is curtailed in Universities. But if you ask the same students if it's happening in their Uni.... the rate of believing Free Speech curtailment goes down. Probably because they're actually seeing what happens in real life...
 
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PsychedelicDiamond

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If the idea of free speech only ever gets invoked to excuse bigotry, rudeness and other forms of poor behaviour, and that is what it's mainly being invoked for these days, it doesn't justify that behaviour, it simply casts a bad light on the right to free speech. What makes free speech such an important right is that, in theory, it should protect vulnerable people from harassment, ridicule and most importantly, institutional repression when they try to get their voices heard. But in recent years it has been almost entirely subverted to enable the harassment, ridicule and repression of vulnerable people. Cliché as it is to invoke Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, it's the logic of an establishment that would refer to an agency that burns books as a "Fire Department". Using a term with positive associations as a trojan horse for repressive practices.
 

Thaluikhain

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Boris Johnson is up to something stupid and evil? Is this to distract from the other evil and stupid things he's been up to?
 
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Chimpzy

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Ah, the wonders of Free Speech


Well, 'Freedom of the Press.' Which is not actually free at all
Literally the first question that came to mind reading that headline was "are those 8 papers owned by the same corp?" And lo and behold, they are. By ol' Rupert Murdoch even. A reminder that the fat cats are the ultimate gatekeepers of what is or isn't news, and they have loyalty to nothing but money.
 
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Silvanus

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"Free Speech Champion", bloody hell.

This is the most transparent, meaningless and lame sop to culture-war eejits.
 
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Schadrach

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If the idea of free speech only ever gets invoked to excuse bigotry, rudeness and other forms of poor behaviour, and that is what it's mainly being invoked for these days, it doesn't justify that behaviour, it simply casts a bad light on the right to free speech.
H.L. Mencken said:
The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
 

BrawlMan

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Bitches. All of them. They can't handle the fact they're are people that think or speak differently than them.
 

Xprimentyl

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Completely off topic, but what is it with Boris Johnson’s hair? Why does he always look like a re-animated corpse coming off a week-long bender in a wind tunnel? Why hasn’t anyone pulled him aside and shown him what a comb can do before he gets on television looking like he just outran sunlight and personal hygiene?
 
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Baffle

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Boris Johnson is up to something stupid and evil? Is this to distract from the other evil and stupid things he's been up to?
I don't think the Isle of Man roundabout idea is evil, but it is extra stupid.
 

Baffle

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Completely off topic, but what is it with Boris Johnson’s hair? Why does he always look like a re-animated corpse coming off a week-long bender in a wind tunnel? Why hasn’t anyone pulled him aside and shown him what a comb can do before he gets on television looking like he just outran sunlight and personal hygiene?
It's deliberate. Supposed to make him look like an affable, happy-go-lucky man of the people. A bit oafish, a bit of a laugh. Helps to hide the gaping hole where his soul should be.
 
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Xprimentyl

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It's deliberate. Supposed to make him look like an affable, happy-go-lucky man of the people. A bit oafish, a bit of a laugh. Helps to hide the gaping hole where his soul should be.
Are you serious? That look is intentional? Whose idea was THAT?? Since when is it preferable to have a political leader look like an old friend from high school who's now a middle-aged drunk about to ask you for "gas money."
 

Baffle

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Are you serious? That look is intentional? Whose idea was THAT?? Since when is it preferable to have a political leader look like an old friend from high school who's now a middle-aged drunk about to ask you for "gas money."
Since the English gave up on politics and just wanted the funny man to do a haha.

Seriously, he messes up his own hair before he goes live. It makes people think 'My mate Boris, he's a bit of a laugh!' rather than the more accurate 'Awful sociopath Boris, he couldn't give a shit about anyone except Boris'. It bridges the divide between extremely wealthy Johnson and Dave the struggling mechanic.
 
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Silvanus

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Are you serious? That look is intentional? Whose idea was THAT?? Since when is it preferable to have a political leader look like an old friend from high school who's now a middle-aged drunk about to ask you for "gas money."
Since it became more important to be able to imagine your political leader having a pint with you than balancing a budget.

The same reason Nigel Farage makes sure he's photographed in pubs with a pint glass wearing a tweed jacket, and Dominic Cummings makes sure he's photographed wearing a dishevelled anorak and a beanie hat. Cummings doesn't look like that without extensive forethought; hence why he left via the front door of No. 10 holding a big cardboard box of his possessions (rather than leaving by the back door, as he would have done if he didn't want a media circus when he was let go).

That said, I think Johnson looks particularly dishevelled recently due to stress. He didn't expect the job to be difficult. He never thought much about what he'd do in power, beyond delivering Brexit, and even then he didn't care much for detail. His end goal was getting the job.
 
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Kwak

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If the idea of free speech only ever gets invoked to excuse bigotry, rudeness and other forms of poor behaviour, and that is what it's mainly being invoked for these days, it doesn't justify that behaviour, it simply casts a bad light on the right to free speech. What makes free speech such an important right is that, in theory, it should protect vulnerable people from harassment, ridicule and most importantly, institutional repression when they try to get their voices heard. But in recent years it has been almost entirely subverted to enable the harassment, ridicule and repression of vulnerable people. Cliché as it is to invoke Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, it's the logic of an establishment that would refer to an agency that burns books as a "Fire Department". Using a term with positive associations as a trojan horse for repressive practices.
I've always only ever heard it invoked to defend the right of nazis and other bigots to spread their poison.

Completely off topic, but what is it with Boris Johnson’s hair? Why does he always look like a re-animated corpse coming off a week-long bender in a wind tunnel? Why hasn’t anyone pulled him aside and shown him what a comb can do before he gets on television looking like he just outran sunlight and personal hygiene?
It's his trademark USP.
 

Xprimentyl

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Since the English gave up on politics and just wanted the funny man to do a haha.

Seriously, he messes up his own hair before he goes live. It makes people think 'My mate Boris, he's a bit of a laugh!' rather than the more accurate 'Awful sociopath Boris, he couldn't give a shit about anyone except Boris'. It bridges the divide between extremely wealthy Johnson and Dave the struggling mechanic.
I've had a multitude of pints with people I like and relate to, but would never trust to carry a bowl of soup farther than three steps let alone act in any appreciable position of governance.

Since it became more important to be able to imagine your political leader having a pint with you than balancing a budget.

The same reason Nigel Farage makes sure he's photographed in pubs with a pint glass wearing a tweed jacket, and Dominic Cummings makes sure he's photographed wearing a dishevelled anorak and a beanie hat. Cummings doesn't look like that without extensive forethought; hence why he left via the front door of No. 10 holding a big cardboard box of his possessions (rather than leaving by the back door, as he would have done if he didn't want a media circus when he was let go).

That said, I think Johnson looks particularly dishevelled recently due to stress. He didn't expect the job to be difficult. He never thought much about what he'd do in power, beyond delivering Brexit, and even then he didn't care much for detail. His end goal was getting the job.
Do you think the dishevelment has just been exaggerated for the image, or is it genuine? Like, under the stress of the job, is he intentionally making himself more "common," or has the job actually caught up with his capability?

Well, if you're interested, we've got a "politician" with nothing better to do lately; you're welcome to him. He paints himself orange and his lips are permanently pursed in an attempt to kiss his own ass; sounds like he'd fit right in with acceptable levels of absurdity. Though, if you don't give him a life-long position, without question, he will flood your media with propaganda and lies to incite the most ignorant of your population in his defense. Curious, how far into Buckingham Palace do you think dissenters might get when convinced they've been robbed because someone else didn't get their way?
 
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XsjadoBlayde

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Ah, was wondering when their meetings with american right-wing culture war moguls would bear fruit in policy form. This must be phase two of their crypto-fascist throttling, after making it clear teachers are now barred from presenting material critical of our present capitalist systemic trap. This fucking sordid country hiding behind smiles and politeness while pushing fascism yet again, repeating history as long as it keeps them and their unimaginably rich buddies clutching into all the power and wealth they can. The rich will always pick fascism over socialism or even minor fucking progress as long as they continue filling their purses. There isn't a single bit of hope for the future left.
 

Trunkage

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Since it became more important to be able to imagine your political leader having a pint with you than balancing a budget.

The same reason Nigel Farage makes sure he's photographed in pubs with a pint glass wearing a tweed jacket, and Dominic Cummings makes sure he's photographed wearing a dishevelled anorak and a beanie hat. Cummings doesn't look like that without extensive forethought; hence why he left via the front door of No. 10 holding a big cardboard box of his possessions (rather than leaving by the back door, as he would have done if he didn't want a media circus when he was let go).

That said, I think Johnson looks particularly dishevelled recently due to stress. He didn't expect the job to be difficult. He never thought much about what he'd do in power, beyond delivering Brexit, and even then he didn't care much for detail. His end goal was getting the job.
Identity Politics ruins things again
 

Dalisclock

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Completely off topic, but what is it with Boris Johnson’s hair? Why does he always look like a re-animated corpse coming off a week-long bender in a wind tunnel? Why hasn’t anyone pulled him aside and shown him what a comb can do before he gets on television looking like he just outran sunlight and personal hygiene?
I always assumed BoJo escaped from the Jim Henson's Creature shop and somehow became PM. I mean, I'm glad a muppet can achieve high office, but would have much preferred Kermit the Frog, who has actual empathy and is likeable.
 

Silvanus

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Do you think the dishevelment has just been exaggerated for the image, or is it genuine? Like, under the stress of the job, is he intentionally making himself more "common," or has the job actually caught up with his capability?
Oh, it's absolutely an exaggerated act. He wants to appear "blokey" so people forget how enormously wealthy and aloof he is.

But he looks a bit worse than usual right now, which i think is partly down to stress. On today's briefing it looked like he was losing his hair.