Well, What Do You Expect?

This is why I'm against the Fairness Doctrine or anything that'll let government start sticking its nose into Free Speech. Thank God America has a tradition of free speech absolutism, that so far anyway is holding up just fine. Not to hate on Queen and Country, but the problem with the UK isn't necessarily multiculturalism and the tiresome debates about identity and assimilating immigrants I think the problem comes down to Free Speech.

The UK pretty much let the Ulster Unionist run amuck in Northern Ireland until they couldn't pretend the situation wasn't happening anymore. Then London got involved and everything went pear-shaped in a hurry. And laws controlling speech just go down unpleasant roads and lead to things like well, fascism- and you'd think that a country that had the balls to stand alone and spit in the eye of Hitler for two years would care a little more about that.

Not to sound insensitive, but who cares if some nutjob Dutchman has extremist views on Muslims? There are people in this country who have extremist views about African-Americans, gay people, handicapped people and other people who aren't white. Do I think they should be banned from saying such things as a matter of 'public safety'? Nope. I just ignore them, which is what they so richly deserve. By banning this dude for his views on Islam, all you're doing is guaranteeing that everyone with an internet connection is going to go and find out WHY he was banned.

Does that make sense? Giving such views credence only gives them attention- and a soapbox to stand on so they can shout it out to the world. So, don't give 'em credence. Let wackos be wackos. Anyone with a brain in their head is going to ignore them.

But authoritarianism is all the rage these days in the United Kingdom, apparently. There's a shiny new report out that gives all the juicy details... oh, and by the by, I'm all for cultural sensitivity, but I'm tired of Muslims in Europe having such thin skins. If you don't like anti-Islamic views, police your fellow Muslims and have them stop blowing shit up! You have the right to your beliefs- that's an absolute. But where I jump off the train is where you- or anyone else for that matter (unlike the UK government I am NOT selective about this) try to force those beliefs on me. That's not cool.

Not cool at all.