Thursday 14 October 2010

Cry “Power-Lust” and let rip the censorship of the blogosphere [updated]

While most eyes here and round the world were on the miner miracle in Chile, a speech in the House by Simon Power-Lust this afternoon signalled (if anyone were looking) that things ahead are looking ominous for bloggers.

Cameron Slater’s tilt against name suppression did eventually earn him a partial victory. But as I said when Cameron, aka Whale Oil, was given his lumps earlier by Justice Harvey, that decision was very much not a victory for free speech—because in his bewailing the lack of official “oversight” of the blogosphere, Harvey was floating a trial balloon to which Power-Lust this afternoon gave motive power by asking Jeffrey Palmer’s inveterately lemon-sucking Law Commission “to review the adequacy of regulations around how the internet interacts with the justice system.”

In other words, to begin drawing up plans for full regulation of the blogosphere by bureaucrats like Jeffrey—who has never seen a committee, board or tribunal he hasn’t wanted to join.

We may continue to post what we like and what we think. For the moment.  But all that will stop when Jeffrey Palmer and Simon Power-Lust—men who look at the freedom of the blogosphere and see only a “Wild West” that needs manacles—men between them who have a face that needs punching and an ego that needs puncturing—bring in the very shackles on we bloggers that Justice Harvey’s 70-page decision presaged.

This is how easily censorship comes to a country.

Who now will rise up in protest?

UPDATE: Question answered. Voices already raised in protest among those about to be shackled:

  • FIGJAM dreaming if he thinks he can control us – Cam Slater, WHALE OIL
    ”Instead of embrac ing freedom, FIGJAM has decided to go all 1984 on us. He will succeed in regulat­ing me and my fellow bloggers like Andrew Williams succeeded in winning re-election. I’ve been looking for a new target and I think I just found one…”
  • Government looking at further regulation of speech on the Internet – Thomas Beagle, TECH LIBERTY
    ”These is no mention in the press release of the freedom of expression guaranteed to New Zealanders in the Bill of Rights Act. Nor is there any recognition that many forms of old media such as leaflets, posters and books are also unregulated…”
  • Eff Off, Power! – CRUSADER RABBIT
    ”…this, in a socialist country where the MSM are no more than lickspittles pushing government propaganda and recycling handouts!  No wonder this little statist creep wants blogs to conform to the same standards’.”
  • High Noon – ROAR PRAWN
    ”…who in tarnation advised him to set about making the bloggers and online community the enemy?”
  • From The Hood : Absolutist Simon Power Corrupts Absolutely – Lyndon Hood, WEREWOLF
    ”Simon is so powerful nobody’s allowed to argue with him..”
  • Internet no wild west – lawyer – NBR
    “I don’t agree internet is the Wild West,” Rick Shera told NBR…

While other voices are raised just to clear their own throats and say “on the one hand…”

9 comments:

I.M Fletcher said...

The US Govt may be about to seize control of the whole internet as well, if THIS is anything to go by.

KG said...

"Who now will rise up in protest?"
Crusader Rabbit just did and there's going to be much, much more protest to follow.

Anonymous said...

In respect of Slater, I was surprised you supported his self-aggrandising, ego driven campaign. It was always going to end in tears/epic fail as it was not philosophically based. I wouldn't give him the steam off my tea, let alone money.

Compare it to Perigo's campaign years ago about the broadcasting fee. We went to court over that, and got fined several hundred dollars.

As has been said many times, we need a revolution in people's minds first - otherwise you are just trying to sweep water uphill.

Anonymous said...

(My $1000 "fee" fine could have been used for much better causes i.e. on me)
It seems unrelated now, but my ancient father always warned about arming the police as history shows they would always enforce a law no matter how draconian, unreasonable, unjust, unconstitutional etc.

Dirty Mind said...

If Mr Simon Power is having a Lust after Jeffrey Palmer, let them book a room together. I think that fat-fuck Simon is going to sing Hallelujah when Mr Palmer give him a good service.

MFasher said...

Dirty Mind, why don't we call it what it is, huh? Chris bum-fuck is going to reveal all his dirty sexual activities with some of those senior Labour MPs. I bet that some of those are wetting their pants now, because Chris bum-fuck Carter is going to tell all.

Peter Cresswell said...

@Fasher, Dirty: Lift your game, guys. If you can't do any better than that, then go elsewhere.

@Ruth: I'm pretty sure if you followed any of what I said about Cameron's campaign, you'll find I made the point constantly that it needed to be philosophically based. And wasn't.

Anonymous said...

Farrar needs to work out for himself where the line in the sand is. He railed against Labour's attempt to restrict freedom of speech, and now he supports something that is equally as vile, different medium, same goal. Fuck him, grow a pair Manatee and stand up for wht you believe in. You surely never wanted to be commie lickspittle did you?
If the Nats are going to listne to anyone it would be their most ardent supporters, but for them to be pansy sycophants does no one any favours.
Screw power lust, Nick off smith, dip yor quill in some freedom ink for once Dipton, and stop assainating our rights as free individuals smiler. We had enough of this shit from the last mob of tyrants.

peterquixote said...

I volunteer to hang Geoffrey Palmer tomorrow morning;

His offences are.

being Geoffrey Palmer
being the worst PM in New Zealand's history.
being the shortest term PM in NZ's history
being verbose and pompous
acting against the spirit of New Zealanders
Inventing the worst regulations ever in NZ, including the RMA
sentence may be put aside if he shift further North than Iceland today,