The debate over free speech

The banning of Donald Trump from twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat has caused a freedom-of-expression furore not seen in America for half a century and before.

The Independent Workers of the World – Wobblies as they were known – fought for free speech for nine years in the 1900s. They wanted One Big Union.

Almost 50 years later the Free Speech Movement demanded to be allowed to speak their minds out and suffered mass arrests at the US’s seats of learning.

On each occasion they faced the Right-wing of ‘good ol’ ya all’ conservatism which simply revealed a deep anxiety within the Right about something or other.

And there is much evidence that this fear was sparked by laws designed to stop wars and protect all complexions of humanity.

The question has to be then – why was the Right so afraid?

But this present-day furore is different. Apart from anything else it involves right-wing attacks on mammoth businesses – the normal happy-hunting ground of capitalists and conservatism.

Those who believe in wage slavery.

This time the enemy of the republicans are billionaires who have, for decades, used their giganticness and the lack of the natural tangibility of their businesses to actually live in an artificial world far beyond the control of earth-bound laws.

Were they then supporting the clampdown on unfettered free speech because of a fear of moves to regulate them?

So the next simple question has to be were these behemoths right to dump Trump, the king of paper unimaginable wealth, from the supposed ‘cyber voice of the people’. And what grounds were they doing it on? Grounds that include legality, philosophy and morality?

In reality social media, perhaps by accident, was protecting America’s First Amendment?

I say a resounding YES they did, they protected it!

One hallowed section of the wide-ranging First Amendment says that the US government cannot restrict speech, the press or other forms of communication media.

And fundamentally, that’s what gives us our free speech.

But we have to remember that social media is not a form of government – despite running its own fiefdoms in the massively unregulated Wild West of Cyber space.

This nebulosity of social media, this lack of control, this lack of governance over its world-wide ‘population’ means they are NOT in violation of the First Amendment.

And yet the grand influencer of the Free World, The Donald, actually did try desperately to restrict the reporting of traditional media by under-mining it as ‘fake news’ and by banning news providers from his conferences.

Was that because he didn’t want to be caught out over something? Misinformation for instance?

Remember mainstream media never ‘banned’ Trump in the four years he was in power.

After all even his staunchest supporters have to admit that he did blunder through at lot of his Presidency stating many things as facts when they actually weren’t.

In fact the Washington Post – a leading daily constantly under fire for the application of its own free speech in its political reporting – has said that Trump made 30,753 false or misleading claims in his ‘quadruplet’ of years.

But like Donald Duck he took to the uncharted waters of social media until it began to take against him in a far more draconian way than the hated MSM had ever done.

It started to ban him!

Then even his friend Parler, where many with strong and sometimes unpalatable views, rested their slippers by the roaring fire of, I for one would say, scary political ideas, was removed by Amazon.

Yes, the mainstream media picked away at his suggestion that disinfectant would counteract COVID-19 – we were horrified at him urging his supporters to “fight” to overturn the election.

We were shocked that he seemed oblivious to the fact he could be culpable in endangering life.

Supporting the fears that were created by such – dare I say – incendiary-ness? – Jack Dorsey, co-founder and CEO of Twitter, is quoted as saying: “A company making a business decision to moderate itself is different from a government removing access, yet can feel much the same.”

Let’s remember Donald Trump pledged to defend the Constitution and yet so much suggests Trump has made a mockery of the First Amendment’s right to freedom.

Yes, the President should be allowed free-speech just like everybody else. And by calling the news media “the enemy of the American people” and describing their efforts as “fake news” he almost certainly didn’t offend the spirit of the First Amendment.

However when he hinted darkly at government retribution against news providers he had crossed the Rubicon.

His government of course denies that any retaliation was going on.

Yet Trump threatened to withdraw the press credentials of reporters who criticized him. They were pompously considered to be impertinent.

But individual writers, like me, may think twice before publishing pieces they believe are true.

America is not a Central European state where so many journalists have – and still do – work under threat from governments. Look at what is happening in Russia right now.

America is supposed to be the land of the free where you can state your case in a no-holds-barred fashion.

Except apparently in the minds of so many when it comes down to the traditional media.

#biden #trump #usa #republicans #capitolhill #riots #twitter #facebook #freespeech #therightospeakmymindout

Cafcass has said one of its leading advisors has been misrepresented in the ‘bear garden’ of social media.

The organisation, described as a child protection agency and the largest employer of social workers in the UK, is regularly attacked on Facebook, twitter and other ‘free speech’ sites by alienated parents.

But it has defended itself after Dr Adrienne Barnett, a member of the Cafcass Research Advisory Committee, became embroiled in a ‘fake comments’ debacle.

Cafcass published a guarded statement saying: “It has come to our attention that there have recently been some false statements on social media about Dr Adrienne Barnett’s views about parental alienation.

“These give the impression that the quotes attributed to Dr Barnett were made in her capacity as a member of the Cafcass Research Advisory Committee. These statements falsely suggested that the views of Dr Adrienne Barnett about parental alienation were the views of Cafcass.”

The organisation, which often operates behind the closed doors of family courts, were quick to point out Research Advisory Committee members are not employees of Cafcass and do not represent the views of the organisation.

This mealy-mouthed and oblique statement by Cafcass has created anger amongst campaigners in the UK – and many parts of the world – who are battling to get parental alienation made a crime.

Many claim to be victims of relentless attacks on social media too and say that the battle has brought ‘toxic’ elements to the campaign to get justice for parents and children alike.

Dr Barnett may well be a victim of this toxicity – but in a way, by distancing themselves from the words they say have been put in her mouth, Cafcass has effectively put up a Trumpian wall between themselves and those fighting for rights of the children Cafcass claims to be protecting.

Andrew John Teague of DADs and NAAP said: “The world of parental alienation has become toxic.

“May 2019 was the start of a relentless campaign against myself, D.A.D.s and NAAP.

“We campaign for change.

“What a nightmare. Not many will know the after-effect of these bitter attacks.”

“Parental alienation has nothing at all to do with the attacks. But,for-sure it highlights abusers using parental alienation.

“Parental alienation is a scandal, but truthfully the way some of these people go about it, use it and abuse it is scandalous too.

“As a victim of abuse both sexual and physical historic they even chose to attempt to use that against me in supporting their narrative. Simply in the end again showing their support is there more with the nonce supporters.

“We all know what the family courts are like. God help the children.

“Many parents mental health is under attack going through the family court. Sadly, in many cases they then use it against them. Consequences many parents may not seek the help they need.

“To attack someone’s mental health in order to try and justify the terrible behaviour and ignorance is shockingly disgusting and doesn’t make these people any different than the people behind the family courts.

“Simple fact is abusers abuse.

“Manipulators will manipulate and use others.

“Bullies you will always find are part of a bigger pact.

“The hypocrisy of Cafcass distancing itself from fake comments on social media.

“There are true monsters amongst us.”

#CAFCASS #social media #thugs #liars #monsters #children #parents #family #parental alienation #courts #secrets #closeddoors

Does Dylan really owe the wife of one-time song collaborator Jacques Levy £5.25m?

Or is this just a desire to get a share of Bob’s fortune at a time when he is, quite rightly, cashing in his assets?

In the complaint, to the New York Supreme Court, Claudia Levy has accused Dylan and Universal of failing to pay Levy’s estate its rightful portion of the catalogue sale for the songs he co-wrote with Dylan way back in 1976.

Levy died in 2004. He co-wrote seven songs.

Claudia claims that a deal gave Levy 35pc “of any and all income earned by the compositions”. They included Hurricane, Isis and Mozambique.

Levy’s publishing company Jackelope is listed as a co-plaintiff.

Desire was the follow-up album to Blood on the Tracks and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart and was eventually certified double Platinum.

It then reached No. 3 in the UK and was placed at 174 on The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.
Levy’s contribution can’t be denied, particularly on the enigmatic, cinematic Western Isis. But Dylan rarely worked with other writers.

The row follows the sale of Dylan’s catalogue to Universal Music for a reported £217.3m. Claudia Levy’s claim could actually constitute 20 per cent of the value of the whole sale!

So how does that work?

Dylan’s lawyer, Orin Snyder, has been quoted as saying the lawsuit was “a sad attempt to unfairly profit off of the recent catalogue sale. The plaintiffs have been paid everything they are owed. We are confident that we will prevail. And when we do, we will hold plaintiffs and their counsel responsible for bringing this meritless case.”

Dylan met Levy in spring 1974.

Hate speech online will become a criminal offence under proposed legislation.

But there will be a high tolerance before any prosecution.

Irish Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has revealed the findings of a consultation on Hate Speech and Hate Crime.

And she is expected to launch legislation within the next three months and curtail at least some of the internet’s wild west of incitement and hatred.

The world should watch the progression of this Bill.

So many people, like me, who use freedom of speech to lampoon, irritate, ridicule and expose liars and cheats in power see it as an enshrinement of liberty.

Freedom of speech is there to protect people of all races, creed, religion and political persuasion.

The new Bill repeals the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989 because it is no longer fit for purpose and needs bringing in to the cyber-led 21^st century.

The proposed legislation aims to tackle online speech that is racist, abusive to religion, gender expression, gender itself, Travellers and disabled people.

It will be there to protect freedom of speech and social media outfits if they prove they took reasonable action to prevent the publishing of irrational and dangerous attacks.

And attacks by the right, the left and the middle-ground will all have to face the responsibility of what they say.

It is expected too to contain protection for freedom of expression, reasonable and genuine contributions to literary, artistic, political, scientific or academic discourse, and fair and accurate reporting.

This will be tempered by high thresholds for criminal incitement to hatred and it will not be necessary to show that anyone was actually influenced by the incitement or acted on it.

But will this kind of legislation take away the right to speak their minds out from the common man, the man on the street, the keyboard warriors, the angry and the dispossessed and hand it squarely back to those, like me, who have traditional and cyber platforms to make their points of view public?

I and so many others believe that everybody should have freedom of speech but, if you have that hard-won right, then you also have an implicit duty to behave responsibly and to respect other people’s rights too.

The rules surrounding freedom of speech exist to protect national security, territorial integrity, protect public safety, to prevent disorder or crime, to protect health and morals, protect the rights and reputations of people, prevent the disclosure of confidential information and allow authorities to restrict views that encourage race or religious hatred.

Freedom of speech has never been absolute, and never should it be. Libel, slander, obscenity,  extreme pornography, sedition, incitement,  copyright violation, trade secrets, non-disclosure agreements, perjury.  All this things are damaging and offensive to society.

Jo Glanville, editor of the Index on Censorship, said that ‘the Internet has been a revolution for censorship as much as for free speech’.[

The Internet for so long has been unfiltered, vulgar and indecent. Why does the world have to face this every time it switches on its screens.

Surely this just gives us all disinformation, misinformation, insults and ultimately chaos?

Let’s repeat the tenets of the right to free speech …

1. don’t lie about people to do them harm

2. don’t say things which could damage people and countries

3. don’t defend evil

4. don’t incite violence and wars

5. don’t do what Assange did – a scatter-shot of state secrets

6. don’t incite racism

7. don’t publish damaging pornography 

8. don’t encourage hatred

It just seems right, doesn’t it?

Gentlemen Ranters Rodney and Leigh get to the nitty gritty of freedom of speech and still have a laugh along the way, tell us what you think in the comments section below the show.

#rant #trump #freedom #the media #newspapers #freespeech #US #biden #election

Phil Spector was known as the first Tycoon of Teen. And yet he thought he could ‘improve’ Bob Dylan.

It’s hard to say that it is sad that Spector has died aged 81 in squalor and prison, rumoured to have been dispatched into the after-life by Covid.

After all, he was a murderer and a gun-toting madman.

But on the other hand he revolutionised pop music and created an amphetamine rush that had generations dancing like dervishes for more than half a century.

It is fair to say however that it is sad that Phil Spector died trapped in the Walls of Prison when his Wall of Sound set so many of us free.

He was born in the Bronx and began his career in 1958 with the Teddy Bears, singing their US number-one single “To Know Him Is to Love Him”.

Spector became a music producer known for creating The Wall Of Sound used by 60s bands like The Ronettes and The Crystals.

But in 2009 he was sent to prison for the 2003 murder of Lana Clarkson, sentenced to 19 years.

He caught coronavirus in prison four weeks ago and died after being transferred to hospital.

Before the murder Spector had lived an exclusive and eccentric life in his electrified 10-bedroom mansion in Alhambra, LA. It had electric fences covering the windows and front door. Inside it was festooned with framed pictures and clippings all about Phil. There were pinball machines and jukeboxes with his hits firmly on the playlist.

His hero was John Hammond who, while with Columbia Records, brought Bob Dylan to the label.

But Dylan had created his own wall of sound on his incredible Like a Rolling Stone.

And mad Spector didn’t appear to like it when he heard the howling vitriolic poetic dramatic attack on the middle-class senses of America and then the UK.

In an interview with music writer Nick Bornholt which appeared on Gaslight https://gaslightrecords.com/news/phil-spectors-first-listen-to-like-a-rolling-stone

Records, his attitude was described this way: “Phil doesn’t hear fresh and new and revolutionary in “Like A Rolling Stone”. He hears stolen chord changes, handing Ritchie Valens the credit to a timelessly reworked rock & roll rhythm; that’s how it feels to Phil, that’s how it feels.

“The production’s all wrong in Phil’s eyes, too dependent on the genius of the artist, but the canvas ain’t right. The recording’s never been right.

“He dreams of taking the reins and ringing the thing for all its worth. He dreams of making something like opera with a folk-rock fat lady… He dreams of improving Dylan.”

Hmmm.

Finally, when Leonard Cohen collaborated with Spector on Death of a Ladies Man – which featured Bob on backing vocals on one track with Allen Ginsberg – Spector pointed a loaded pistol at Cohen’s throat, cocked it, and said, “I love you, Leonard.” Cohen responded, “I hope you love me, Phil.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WovFPbLrnro

#spector #covid #dylan #cohen #prison

As US President-elect Joe Biden outlined his $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief plan Slovakia has decided on a street-wise way of administering vaccines outdoors in cities and towns.

Slovakia’s parliament has decided that ‘jabs’ will be given outside doctor’s surgeries, despite freezing temperatures, to speed up the inoculation process.

In the US the pandemic death toll could pass 400,000 before Biden is sworn in on Wednesday, according to a CDC ensemble projection.

But in SlovakiaCOVID-19 infections are decreasing with 2,502 new infections reported on average each day. That’s 77% of the peak — the highest daily average reported on January 6.

There have been 222,752 infections and 3,417 coronavirus-related deaths reported in the country since the pandemic began.

And in another move showing the determination of Slovak leaders have negotiated a deal that, if hospitals fill up beyond capacity patients can be hospitalise in neighbouring countries. Their health care will be covered, with health insurers told to issue patients with documents free-of-charge.

There is also a clampdown on perceived corruption. People who attempt to give shots to people not on the authorised list will face a fine of €10,000.

The latest moves received support from 79 out of 89 present lawmakers.

Third and fourth-grade medical students are to give COVID-19 tests without supervision.

Following reports of the new coronavirus mutation in Slovakia, a local company has presented a dedicated PCR test to help combat the spread.

The test’s developer, MultiplexDX International, reported that trials have ended last week.

Meanwhile The UK has banned arrivals from multiple Latin American countries and Portugal following reports of a new coronavirus variant in Brazil.

#slovakia #USA #uk #cuba #covid #vaccine #jabs #brazil

Leigh and Rodney put the world to rights with laughter, rants and serious talking

Derek Buckham is a British singer and songwriter with a career stretching back almost half a century …

In the early ‘80s he put together a band called Tokyo Rose with Val Ophfield, Graham Bradley and Geoff Pybus.

Their first big gig was Annabels in Sunderland, still Derek’s home town and pretty quickly Tokyo Rose recorded a single called Dry Your Eyes which became a collectors item in Japan!

Vinyl dealers were selling it for £100.

And that prompted Derek to dig out the music and videos and put them on social media which rapidly lead to a series of lock-down songs.

One of them, Angels in Blue, dedicated to the NHS bears his strident vocals as he reaches ‘middle age’ … Derek said: “This is my tribute to the bravery of our NHS. Any money from the sale of it will go to the NHS charities.”

Well done mate! Let’s see if we can help Derek to help the NHS!

ANGELS IN BLUE

I’ve never known this in my lifetime

Doctors and Nurses dying on the front line

They are on their knees

They begging us please

Stay at Home to Beat this Disease.

So when this is all over

clap clap clap

the Bravery of our Medical Staff

and when this is all over

say thank you

to the bravery of Our Angels in Blue

The streets are empty

The shops are full with idiots

stocking up on toilet rolls

The Pubs and Clubs are on Lock Down

And fear is spreading around our Town.

Angels in Blue

Angels in Blue Angels in Blue

looking after you.

When this is all over

say thank you Say Thank You

to our Angels in Blue

When this is All over

clap clap

the Bravery of our Medical Staff

The Bravery of our Medical Staff

#nhs #tokyorose #covid19 #hospitals

Donald Trump is a conservative rich white American.

And nothing wrong with that … just as there is nothing wrong with being a black and poor American.

Forbes estimated Trump’s net worth at $3.1 billion in March 2019.

And all we can say is – well done Donald; you are successful and you have the trappings to prove it. You have become all of the things white Americans – and black Americans too – aspire to be.

But there is a disparity here which many rich conservative Americans try to ignore … and those are shocking racial disparities.

The net worth of a typical white family, at $171,000, is almost ten times larger than that of a black family. Those figures come from 2016 and I’m sure they haven’t improved incredibly.

Gaps in wealth between black and white households are a product of differences in power and opportunity. And this goes back to the beginnings of American history.

Yet, racism towards black people in America has little to do with immigration or nationality.

It is made up of domestic alienation, dehumanisation and criminalisation.

These are the sophisticated narcissistic psychological weapons of hatred and control.

And it doesn’t stop with black people, Mexicans are targeted for being who they are.

This statement by Donald Trump right at the beginning of his election campaign just a few years ago is shocking: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best.

“They’re sending people that have a lot of problems. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

And when he said this, millions in America metaphorically applauded him, seeing him as a tough guy – after all he”d used the ‘rape’ word.

And nobody really understood what was going on in this statement, particularly when he mitigated it all by implying Mexicans only raped their own, in the moonlight, in the desert, in the shadow of his great wall.

Well, that’s alright then Donald.

Certainly Trump gives the impression of loving his great country but like many Americans he is a bit of an isolationist.

He is also a reality TV presenter with a beautiful wife and an acerbic and cutting wit. He is ambitious, energetic and determined … and these qualities – along with his mountains of money – took him to the heady climes of world politics.

Yet, he had no real experience to take over the helm of the world’s most powerful ‘ship’. But sometimes he steered it with aplomb. Other times though he steered it with abandon. Most of the times he steered it in the shallows of rhetoric and misinformation.

The siege at the US Capitol on January 6 has to be his great downfall in the eyes of worshipping Americans.

The US has a history of mob violence stoked by white politicians seeking support from rich white conservative Americans.

But what was a shock for them this time, was the fact that it was a white mob turning on white politicians, rather than people of colour.

And some of these white Americans died.

The traditional targets are undeniably African-Americans. Look at history – black people trying to vote, fighting to use buses, fighting for housing and schools. Fighting to stay alive as the poplar trees dripped with blood.

And what about native Americans trying to protect their hunting grounds.

So did Trump see this all this as he addressed the gathering mob who believed they had turned up to save America? “Let the weak get out. This is a time for strength,” he shouted.

And there can be no doubt that America’s culture of white mob violence goes hand in hand with its gun culture. There are hundreds of millions of privately owned firearms in the US and the bulk of them belong to white people. Some of them took their guns to what so many are trying to portray as a peaceful march on Capitol Hill.

So peaceful that five people died – one shot through the neck – and 120 have been arrested.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/10/22/facts-about-guns-in-united-states/

https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/race-and-gun-ownership

The Republican Party has backed Trump and his politics right up until the happenings on the afternoon of January 6,

And now people are starting to realise that he may have besmirched all that is normal in American democracy.

He has turned white against white.

Below we have compiled 11 questions about the man who, despite everything, will always be able to call himself President Donald Trump and we have given links to fact-check sites and some others to try and answer them fairly.

But the answers are actually more or less random, to avoid accusations of supporting our own argument. We used, generally, the first answers we came to. We only rejected those that appeared to be unedifying or illegal.

Questions and answers:

How many arrests over Capitol Hill

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55626148

Is Trump fit for office?

https://www.npr.org/2021/01/07/954324557/is-president-trump-unfit-to-remain-in-office-for-the-next-2-weeks

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55611630

Why do people like Trump?

https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-why-experts-are-split-over-trumps-mental-health

https://www.factcheck.org/2021/01/trumps-falsehood-filled-save-america-rally/

Does Trump tell lies?

https://www.factcheck.org/person/donald-trump/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veracity_of_statements_by_Donald_Trump

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/13/donald-trump-20000-false-or-misleading-claims

https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-ap-fact-check-joe-biden-donald-trump-pandemics-c922b24065310f8e0494572a8676692c

Is Trump mad?

https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-why-experts-are-split-over-trumps-mental-health

https://eu.thespectrum.com/story/opinion/2020/02/23/opinion-get-your-facts-straight-trumps-behavior/4835841002/

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-dangerous-mental-illness-yale-psychiatrist-conference-us-president-unfit-james-gartner-duty-warn-a7694316.html

Are his election claims true?

https://www.voanews.com/2020-usa-votes/ap-fact-check-trumps-claims-fake-georgia-votes-are-unfounded

Biden and Trump views on covid

https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54248080

What is Trump’s record in business?

https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-election-debates-economy/fact-checking-u-s-economic-claims-in-tumultuous-trump-biden-debate-idUSKBN26L0ME?edition-redirect=uk

https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-trump-virus-taxes-biden-3d7fb045c2b12c0a79552424f3f54b20https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-trump-virus-taxes-biden-3d7fb045c2b12c0a79552424f3f54b20

Has Trump filed for bankruptcy?

https://bankruptcy-toledo.com/fact-checking-donald-trump-has-filed-bankruptcy-six-times/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_career_of_Donald_Trump

https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/bankrupt-and-indebted-trump-s-taxes-show-he-threatens-us-security-120092800788_1.html

Trump and social media

POV: When Twitter Fact-Checks Trump’s Tweets, It Polarizes Americans Even More

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/11/trump-twitter-ban-capitol-attack-facebook-youtube-google

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-communication-explainer/explainer-how-will-trump-get-his-message-out-without-social-media-idUSKBN29G138

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/can-social-media-companies-boot-trump-us-capitol-13934274

Is Trump dangerous?

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-37022435

https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-danger-america-needs-to-go-former-us-diplomats-2021-1

Is Trump a Christian?

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-satire-trump-christian-nati/fact-checkarticleabout-trump-signing-a-law-to-make-the-us-achristian-nationissatire-idUSKBN27E2N8

https://www.deseret.com/2019/5/2/20672337/fact-check-is-president-donald-trump-a-champion-of-religious-freedom#president-donald-trump-speaks-during-a-national-day-of-prayer-event-in-the-rose-garden-of-the-white-house-on-thursday-may-2-2019-in-washington-ap-photo-evan-vucci

https://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/21/politics/trump-religion-gospel/index.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-42866176

#trump #seige #capitolhill #lies #facts #news #truth #impeachment #conspiracy #white #black