Friday, March 5, 2010

Quote of the day

Dan Hannan:
You cannot force people to have liberal opinions, or legislate for good manners. A free country must tolerate obnoxiousness. An open society must allow eccentricity to the point of insanity.

4 comments:

kensei said...

Farage should have been censured, but not for what he was done for, which is a bit ridiculous. Instead, he acted in an unparliamentary manner, and good parliaments have rules against that kind of thing. We might have free speech, but if a football manager is a bit too disaparaging about the ref they are promptly whacked with a fine. He should ahve been done because he failed profesional standards, not because he insulted the European President.

De Wilders. Hmmmmmmm. My instinct says he should be allowed to say what he likes, short of incitement. But the question of whether he should be allowed entry is not quite the same thing. There is no doubt that if he came to england, he could probably whip up some nstiness. Hnnngghh. Probably wrong, but you can see the dilema.

O'Neill said...

More than anyone else, Farage let himself down, difficult to take someone seriously after such a personal as opposed to political diatribe. But he gets the fine, end of the matter - I think the point Hannan makes is the inconsistency amomgst the chattering classes re censorship.

De Wilders, I read much worse on ATW on a regular basis and it seems to have no problem escaping various race and religious discrimination and incitement legislation.

As soon as he steps over the boundary, by all means we should come down on him like a ton of bricks and although personally I think de Wilders is a twat, I also don't think his entry is going affect the present situation one way or the other. That being the case, the principle of free speech must be paramount.

tony said...

Farage will have increased support amongst his electorate, let's not kid ourselves.

><>De Wilders, I read much worse on ATW on a regular basis and it seems to have no problem escaping various race and religious discrimination and incitement legislation.<<

I don't know how you can "regularly" read it. I do now and again and it can be soul destroying. I am all for De Wilders being allowed in, and actually defended his right to hold his views this very week. After all he is not calling for the mass murder of innocents and carpet bombing like a certain individual who appears on the BBC and lately named TUV candidate for East Belfast ROFL!

What is the opposite of midas touch ;¬)

O'Neill said...

Farage will have increased support amongst his electorate, let's not kid ourselves.

Won't increase that electorate merely consolidate support amongst those who already vote.