FadeTheButcher
08-05-2004, 10:59 PM
This thread is precisely why I don't believe in 'freedom of speech'. And why is that? Its because 'freedom of speech' equals 'private speech' and those who privately own the discursive means of production censor out viewpoints they don't like, in some cases, more effectively and ruthlessly than any government. Those who own the discursive means of production in democratic societies use such institutions to pressure the government to do their bidding because they are the intermediaries between the government and the public. They ultimately set the public agenda. The most disturbing thing about freedom of speech/private speech is that private interests can use their hegemony over the discursive means of production to change the system, to criminalize the speech they don't like, as is now the case with 'hate speech legislation'. In other words, these private interests often have the power to shut the door behind them. There are groups out there, in my view, such as the Jews, who have demonstrated an utter inability to respect 'free speech'. They seek to use 'free speech' to destroy 'free speech', as they are now trying to do, as has been documented on this forum. So this is why I no longer trust people who throw around this phrase. The end result of free speech/private speech is the absolute repudiation of the common good and the long term interests of entire peoples in favour of the short term agendas of private actors, who often have no obligation of concern for anyone else but themselves.
-- FadeTheButcher
By The Associated Presshttp://www.haaretz.com/hasen/images/0.gifhttp://www.haaretz.com/hasen/images/0.gif
PARIS - Jewish groups said yesterday that they are hopeful France will soon ban an Arab satellite channel that has been accused of inciting hatred with anti-Semitic programming.
The Council of State is expected to act in the coming weeks on a July 12 request by France's media watchdog, the CSA, to block Al-Manar broadcasts through the Paris-based satellite operator Eutelsat.
CSA action was sparked last December when CRIF, an umbrella group of French Jewish organizations, complained that Al-Manar - the broadcast operation of the Shiite Muslim militant group Hezbollah - had televised an anti-Semitic series in France.
The 29-part series, "Al Shatat," was produced in Syria and broadcast throughout the Middle East by Hezbollah. Based on "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," it depicts among other scenes the killing of a Christian child on the orders of a rabbi so the blood can be baked into matzos for Passover.
The series has been broadcast throughout the Muslim world and in France, which has an estimated 5 million Muslims, many of Arab origin.
In a speech to CRIF in January, Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said he was revolted by the series, and pledged to stop it. His pledge was one of many steps taken by the French government to stem a tide of anti-Semitism over the past four years.
Jewish groups have applauded France's steps.
"If I look at all the actions taken by the CSA, by the prime minister and now by the Council of State, I think that everything that needs to be done has been done," said Marc Knobel, a CRIF researcher.
Lebanon's Information Ministry and audiovisual authority was quoted in France's Le Figaro newspaper on Tuesday as expressing its "full support" for Al-Manar, which was licensed by the Lebanese government in 1997.
Al-Manar has powerful detractors. Protests were filed by American diplomats with the Lebanese and Syrian governments over "Al-Shatat" late last year, and the station has been taken off the air in Australia.
-- FadeTheButcher
By The Associated Presshttp://www.haaretz.com/hasen/images/0.gifhttp://www.haaretz.com/hasen/images/0.gif
PARIS - Jewish groups said yesterday that they are hopeful France will soon ban an Arab satellite channel that has been accused of inciting hatred with anti-Semitic programming.
The Council of State is expected to act in the coming weeks on a July 12 request by France's media watchdog, the CSA, to block Al-Manar broadcasts through the Paris-based satellite operator Eutelsat.
CSA action was sparked last December when CRIF, an umbrella group of French Jewish organizations, complained that Al-Manar - the broadcast operation of the Shiite Muslim militant group Hezbollah - had televised an anti-Semitic series in France.
The 29-part series, "Al Shatat," was produced in Syria and broadcast throughout the Middle East by Hezbollah. Based on "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," it depicts among other scenes the killing of a Christian child on the orders of a rabbi so the blood can be baked into matzos for Passover.
The series has been broadcast throughout the Muslim world and in France, which has an estimated 5 million Muslims, many of Arab origin.
In a speech to CRIF in January, Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said he was revolted by the series, and pledged to stop it. His pledge was one of many steps taken by the French government to stem a tide of anti-Semitism over the past four years.
Jewish groups have applauded France's steps.
"If I look at all the actions taken by the CSA, by the prime minister and now by the Council of State, I think that everything that needs to be done has been done," said Marc Knobel, a CRIF researcher.
Lebanon's Information Ministry and audiovisual authority was quoted in France's Le Figaro newspaper on Tuesday as expressing its "full support" for Al-Manar, which was licensed by the Lebanese government in 1997.
Al-Manar has powerful detractors. Protests were filed by American diplomats with the Lebanese and Syrian governments over "Al-Shatat" late last year, and the station has been taken off the air in Australia.