Wednesday 21 November 2007

Quote for the Day: Censorship

CENSORSHIP: Censorship, in its old-fashioned meaning, is a government edict that forbids the discussion of some specific subjects or ideas—such, for instance, as sex, religion or criticism of government officials—an edict enforced by the government's scrutiny of all forms of communication prior to their public release.

But for stifling the freedom of men's minds the modern method is much more potent; it rests on the power of non-objective law; it neither forbids nor permits anything; it never defines or specifies; it merely delivers men's lives, fortunes, careers, ambitions into the arbitrary power of a bureaucrat who can reward or punish at whim.

- Ayn Rand

Non-objective law? Censorship? How else to describe a law that will “permit legitimate lobby groups to carry on” only if they comply with “minimal” registration requirements (not mentioning the accounting, auditing, record keeping etc), only so long as they “do not advocate for or against any politician or party,” and for which the only justification is that the more draconian provisions "will not be enforced."

KILL THIS BILL!

2 comments:

not an architect? said...

I wish i was in Wellington today. Maybe i should organize a march in Rotorua?

Peter Cresswell said...

Yes, maybe you should.

If there's a march in Christchurch and another march in Auckland, as I've heard suggested, then let's try and have a Day of Shame right across the country!