Freedom of Speech & Expression
Join Me On The Watchlist
In my previous article, I asked readers to consider making a submission to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) regarding the draconian Misinformation Bill. I have always been sceptical of the effect of such submissions, but it is hard for government to fly in the face of overwhelming public backlash. Politicians, like prostitutes, are in the business of pleasing...
Welcome To Free Speech
A non-illustrated guide to where conservatives continually fall short on a key pillar of liberty… Libertarians and conservatives might be friends on certain issues, often shoved into the same corner by the ‘progressive’ left, but it’s time we libertarians took a hard stance on free speech. James Hol’s recent commentary regarding the proposed ‘misinformation’ bill reflected an attitude towards freedom of...
Green Sky Thinking
Imagine a fictional country named "Straya" has an authoritarian government that prohibits the publication of misinformation. The law defines misinformation as any information that is not approved by government authorities. It also states that misinformation does not require proof of intent to constitute spreading false information. Straya's government publicly declared that the sky is green. John, a citizen of Straya,...
The Ministry of Truth
The Government recently released its exposure draft of the Communications Legislation Amendment (Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2023. It is just as Orwellian as it sounds – if not more. The Bill empowers the even more Orwellian-sounding Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to not only engage in fascistic partnerships with social media giants, but to impose industry-wide standards and codes...
Offence Is Taken, Not Given
Nobody forces us to fall in love, to dislike another person, or to prefer a certain type of music. One person could spend six months sailing around the world and not feel lonely for a moment, while another can feel desperately lonely in the midst of a crowd. In the Australian vernacular, being called a 'bastard' can be intended as...
The Censorship Industrial Complex – A Threat to Democracy
In a democratic society, freedom of speech is an essential human right that enables the contest of ideas, intellectual debate, and societal progress. However, recent years have revealed a disturbing trend: those in power view free speech as a threat to their control and a hindrance to their plans. Nowhere is this more apparent than on social media platforms, where...
Laughing In The Face of Tyranny, $1 Million Bounty On Their Heads
Imagine you lived in Australia and enjoyed a great life. Then the government became tyrannical, you protested for democracy, but an anti-democratic security law was passed and you were intimidated and arrested. Released, you fled to New Zealand and were granted a visa there. But the Australian Federal Police placed a bounty on your head of $A190,202 (US$127,728) and...
Labor Betrays Doc Evatt And South Australians
For all my life, Australia has been a place where freedoms were safe. In fact, Dr Herbert Vere Evatt, a Labor man of letters, youngest ever High Court justice, Opposition Leader during the Menzies era and a not so distant relative of mine, led an Australian delegation to the brand-new United Nations and pushed through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights....
The Iron Curtain Draws Across The West
The Iron Curtain referred to the boundary separating the Soviet Union and some European countries from the Western world. It became not just of a physical border but a symbol of the ideological distinction between communism and liberal democracy. As is well known, the Soviet regime was authoritarian and repressed individual freedoms such as freedom of speech, freedom of assembly...
8 Reasons Liberal Democracies Should Never Ban Political Speech
Never ban political speech.This is especially true if the political speech in question is radical, is expressed by the craziest, most dangerous people. Never ban a communist, a fascist, an ethno-nationalist or a militant jihadist.Why?I’ll give you eight reasons … Banning political speech white-ants liberal democracy.How is this the case when liberal democracy is the very thing we cherish and want...
