Random Irritations

cliveb

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What does this even mean? Nothing has changed with regards to free speech as far as I am aware.
Remember that saying: "I disagree with what you say, but defend to the death your right to say it"? (Often attributed to Voltaire, but probably not correctly so).

It appears to have been replaced with "I disagree with what you say (or even what you said a decade ago and have apologised for), and declare you to be a non-person who must shut up".
 

Slab

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It's just sad to see so many angry people in the world.
I wonder if it has always been so.
I understand many people have very good reasons to be angry but it's those who go looking for something to be angry about which really has nothing to do with them that seems a waste.
I know we see more on social media but has it always been so?
You only have to watch the news to see crowds of people protesting about something or other and everyone has their phone in their hand, filming it. Why? What's it got to do with them?

As I've said, many people have very good reasons to be angry but why don't the rest just mind their own business and move on.
Sad

Outside of the terrestrial nightly news, people used to get much of their ‘news’ over the garden fence or down the pub from folk they knew & still treated the source with some doubt

Now they get if off social media from complete strangers/not real humans, and somehow believe every word of it
 

GreiginFife

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Outside of the terrestrial nightly news, people used to get much of their ‘news’ over the garden fence or down the pub from folk they knew & still treated the source with some doubt

Now they get if off social media from complete strangers/not real humans, and somehow believe every word of it
Social media has created the biggest echo chamber imaginable. A place where “news” is only real if it fits your world view. Gone are the days of limited source news with due diligence across the board.

And on free speech, the concept itself hasn’t changed but what does seem to have happened is a marked increase in people who believe that the concept of free speech is exactly that, free. Free of consequence, resistance or reprisal.

I was always taught that everything comes with a price, even if it’s touted as free.
 

Fade and Die

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What does this even mean? Nothing has changed with regards to free speech as far as I am aware.
Must be lovely to be so naive.

Free speech in Britain is losing ground to the “right” not to be offended.



The UK has been ranked only in the third tier of a new global index of freedom of expression due to what was described as the “chilling effect” of government policies, policing and intimidation of journalists in the legal system.
 

Slab

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Social media has created the biggest echo chamber imaginable. A place where “news” is only real if it fits your world view. Gone are the days of limited source news with due diligence across the board.

And on free speech, the concept itself hasn’t changed but what does seem to have happened is a marked increase in people who believe that the concept of free speech is exactly that, free. Free of consequence, resistance or reprisal.

I was always taught that everything comes with a price, even if it’s touted as free.

I’m very often surprised how many GM forumers have an opinion on such a vast range & quantity of topics

I’m not sure whether to admire them or feel a wee bit sorry for them, there is so much 'news' I really don’t care about (i.e I dunno if I'm missing out or if I'm better off out of it)
 

GreiginFife

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I’m very often surprised how many GM forumers have an opinion on such a vast range & quantity of topics

I’m not sure whether to admire them or feel a wee bit sorry for them, there is so much 'news' I really don’t care about (i.e I dunno if I'm missing out or if I'm better off out of it)
It comes down to the very simple concept of the difference in not caring about a piece of news because you don't like it or actually don't care and then just simply dismissing it as fake or false because you don't care or don't like it. And this seems to be the very simple principle that's been lost.

It's very much another Americanism that we've inherited.

I do love to hear the "Free speech is dead" mob though. What's acceptable in society is ever changing, it always has been. The right to say what ever you want has always been there and still is. And it's always been the case that sometimes it has consequences due to being unacceptable (to societal norms), it's just the norms are changing but people don't like to let go of what's comfortable to them.

It's like that scenario, you're in the pub with a dumb 6' 6" well known psycho (Begbie type character). You absolutely have the right to call him a psycho nutcase or what ever you fancy. That is absolutely your right. But it doesn't come without consequence.
 

RichA

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It comes down to the very simple concept of the difference in not caring about a piece of news because you don't like it or actually don't care and then just simply dismissing it as fake or false because you don't care or don't like it. And this seems to be the very simple principle that's been lost.

It's very much another Americanism that we've inherited.

I do love to hear the "Free speech is dead" mob though. What's acceptable in society is ever changing, it always has been. The right to say what ever you want has always been there and still is. And it's always been the case that sometimes it has consequences due to being unacceptable (to societal norms), it's just the norms are changing but people don't like to let go of what's comfortable to them.

It's like that scenario, you're in the pub with a dumb 6' 6" well known psycho (Begbie type character). You absolutely have the right to call him a psycho nutcase or what ever you fancy. That is absolutely your right. But it doesn't come without consequence.
Yep. And just because there are sections of the public who might find a story that tramples all over a person's privacy titillating, it does not mean that the story's publication is in the public interest.
Public interest is supposed to be about the best interests of the nation, not satisfying a base love of gossip.
 

Arthur Wedge

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Outside of the terrestrial nightly news, people used to get much of their ‘news’ over the garden fence or down the pub from folk they knew & still treated the source with some doubt

Now they get if off social media from complete strangers/not real humans, and somehow believe every word of it

It all comes down to the person

It’s not hard to seperate the nonsense from the real news or to spot the fake stuff

As with anything in life you can filter out what you don’t want to read or see

There appears to be a running narrative over social media that there is no longer “free speech” because people are being charged for things said and posted on social media

Free speech hasn’t changed , people still have free speech , you still have responsibility when saying things to ensure you are not causing harm or inciting

Free speech doesn’t mean you can say and post any old racist , facist , bigot , sexist etc rubbish as people are finding out
 

Voyager EMH

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I’d not normally write in the way I’m looking to - but trying to convey a sense of stunned disbelief…without saying stunned disbelief that being the impact the two preceding words spoken had had - and also giving emotional meaning to these two words 🙄
Upon reading for the first time, I related it to my experience of holding my 93 year old mother's hand when she took her last breath.
I might have written something like,

She's gone.
Those quietly spoken words remained in the air, while I came to understand that they meant everything and nothing to me.
 

hambugerpete

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Must be lovely to be so naive.

Free speech in Britain is losing ground to the “right” not to be offended.



The UK has been ranked only in the third tier of a new global index of freedom of expression due to what was described as the “chilling effect” of government policies, policing and intimidation of journalists in the legal system.
You use an article with jso as it's tag line about the squashing of our freedoms and at the same time advocate sending them to jail for protesting. Deary me sir, please make your mind up.
 

IanM

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What does this even mean? Nothing has changed with regards to free speech as far as I am aware.

When I was a student we used to give groups with alternative views a platform so debate could happen.

Now anything not taking a certain position is likely to be "cancelled."

That's quite a difference, even if not officially statute. 😉
 

hambugerpete

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When I was a student we used to give groups with alternative views a platform so debate could happen.

Now anything not taking a certain position is likely to be "cancelled."

That's quite a difference, even if not officially statute. 😉
I'm sorry thats just nonsense, you're entitled whatever views you want , the issue comes when they're on the wrong side of acceptable. What's acceptable evolves overtime and will continue to.
 

IanM

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I'm sorry thats just nonsense, you're entitled whatever views you want , the issue comes when they're on the wrong side of acceptable. What's acceptable evolves overtime and will continue to.

I think your words demonstrate the point I'm making precisely.

The National Front were invited into my University in the 80s. They didn't win many votes in as a result. In fact the opposite was true. Hence the invite.

Equally dear old Neil Kinnock got his bottom handed to him in another session.

What, invite left and right? Gosh. Radical🤣🤣
 
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