The pace for shutting down free electioneering is picking up here in the People's Republic of Aotearoa with Billy Bob English putting National's political weight behind outlawing "third-party advertising that attacks political parties" and either banning or making bloody difficult private donations to political parties.
D'you think it might have something to do with the two big parties recognising a mutually beneficial interest in shutting down the smaller parties? Some call it speech rationing, you know.
LINKS: Helengrad's speech rationing - Bernard Darnton at Section 14.
RELATED: Politics-NZ, Politics-National, Free Speech
The title of my story for submission for Thee Freed Radical is so true. Especially with National supporting such speech rationing.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone is interested that title is Freedom RIP 2006.
Yegods!!
ReplyDeleteWhy not replace those inconvenient election thingies with something simpler?
Say, a poll which asks "voters" which flavour totalitarianism they prefer--the full-flavoured version or Totalitarian Lite?
Hmm, National and Labour don't like free political speech. Why aren't we surprised. Socialists have never been in favor of free speech.
ReplyDeleteWe hear about these things, express a day or so of outrage, and then proceed with docility to accept it. If you vote you can't complain.
ReplyDeleteWell said, KG!
ReplyDeleteIf you vote you can't complain.
Rubbish! Rights violations are something that should always be complained about!