[ExI] UK now jailing people for unapproved online posts

[efc at disroot.org]

On Tue, 20 Aug 2024, Ben Zaiboc via extropy-chat wrote:

> 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
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Agreed. Nothing new under the sun. Let me add this classic as well...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Horsemen_of_the_Infocalypse

Enjoy!

Best regards,
Daniel