[ExI] UK now jailing people for unapproved online posts

[Ben Zaiboc]

When someone says something like "won't someone rid me of this 
troublesome priest?", or prints and sells T-shirts with the words "Don't 
miss next time!", this can be considered an expression of ill-will 
towards an implied someone. In other words, an opinion. It might be in 
bad taste, but that shouldn't be a crime.

On the other hand, when someone sticks a sword through someone else, or 
shoots someone in the head, these are crimes of violence, and whether or 
not the utterance or T-shirt could be said to be the thing that prompts 
the action, it's always the deed, not the word, that should be 
considered a crime.

Unfortunately, it's often a lot easier to persecute and prosecute people 
who can be interpreted as encouraging a crime, than the actual 
perpetrators of the crime. So we get police and politicians who 
concentrate on the much easier task of vilifying and prosecuting people 
who are exercising free speech, diverting attention and effort away from 
catching the actual criminals.

This is why, I think, we get this continual effort to erode the right of 
free speech. Effectively, it's laziness (to be charitable, and not 
assume that it's a deliberate strategy to erode freedom (which is 
probably getting too paranoid. Probably)).

Problems with violence among teenagers? Blame violent videogames, and 
ban, censor or restrict them.
Want to stop rapes? Make pornography illegal, and censor any mention or 
depiction of rape (or, if you want to be really ridiculous, nudity) on 
social media.
Want to stop child abuse? Make cartoons and stories depicting (or that 
can be interpreted as depicting, or implying) child abuse, illegal.

Job done, at a fraction of the cost and effort of actually tackling the 
crimes. Never mind that the real bad guys continue to do bad things. 
Never mind the harmful side-effects (like restricting access to rape 
victim support services). As long as you're seen to be 'doing something 
about it', you're golden.

It's pathetic, and sickening, and dangerous. Not to mention totally 
ineffective (at stopping the crimes, but it's brilliant for eroding 
people's freedoms).

Ben