Thursday, October 12, 2017

Free Speech, More Speech

Bad idea, Mr. Trump:

We get to decide what's fair, pal. Not you.
I get why Trump is frustrated. I don't doubt much of what is reported isn't accurate. Much of it is outright crap. But when someone, anyone, with the ability to wield the vast powers of the regulatory state threatens to shut off the liars, that's no good.

Free speech is not provisional. And never claim power that you would not be willing to have used against you.

10 comments:

Bike Bubba said...

It strikes me that a couple of decades ago, I started to realize that the media were not calling Bill Clinton on obvious lies. I responded by not watching the evening news, and nothing I've seen since then has caused me to reconsider.

They've got the bandwidth, but not the audience. Eventually they'll catch on.

Mr. D said...

And that’s the right approach to take, Bubba. You are under no requirement to pay attention to what they have to say.

W.B. Picklesworth said...

This is the Era of Trump. He identifies a hypocrisy on the part of the Left. And he suggests a solution that a Leftist would support. I don't think the idea is to actually DO the thing. I think the idea is to highlight the hypocrisy.

In any event, the Left has already arrived at the point of using power to shut down people they disagree with. Quiet principle isn't going to overcome that (insofar as Republican pols are capable of principle). I may be wrong, but I think the goal is to make the Leftist behavior visible and toxic to average people. To this point, they've been able to benefit from it because people who are not engaged don't realize how bad it is.

Gino said...

You're falling for it again. Take Trump seriously, not literally. Trump nation just eats this shit up... Total red meat that also proves a point... While the haters, not realizing they're being trolled, spend another week berserking all over Facebook.

Mr. D said...

You're falling for it again.

No. I understand Trump won't get anywhere with this. But I also understand he won't be president forever. Another Democrat will become president some day and then the idea of threatening the licenses of those who say bad things about said Democrat will suddenly be nifty and cool. And possible.

Gino said...

Where you been? The Democrats had this idea 25yrs ago with the Fairness Doctrine. Trump isn't giving them anything new. He's now got them on record in opposition to such a thing. Viva Trump. Doing the job GOP presidents won't do.

Mr. D said...

The Fairness Doctrine had been around for almost 40 years (it began in 1949) when Reagan got rid of it (in 1987) and it’s been gone for 30 years now. The whole reason we have something other than a left-liberal media is because we got rid of the Fairness Doctrine. Democrats used it to stomp out conservative viewpoints. If Trump revives it in a de facto way, it will come back with a vengeance the next time the D’s take power, and they will. And you won’t like the way it goes when it’s Viva Kamala or Viva Oprah.

I’m all for Trump calling out the MSM every chance he gets. His Twitter account is highly useful. But he’s got to fight the urge to use the power of the state, via licensure, to stymie his enemies. I’m not particularly worried about Trump becoming a tyrant, but I worry like hell that the next Democrat will be.

Mr. D said...

I’d also add that getting any Democrat being “on record” about any topic means nothing. Ask 2002 Hillary and Joe Biden about their opposition to the Iraq War, or ask 2008 Barack Obama about gay marriage.

Gino said...

We have already seen a lotus use his executive powers to shut down opposing opinion, and to shut down the press itself... The reaction from the electorate was crickets... You are still fighting a war that has been long lost. The republic is over. Get that. All that matters now is who comes out on top after the current struggle. We might lose, likely will, but never discount the value of drawing retaliatory blood.

Petercorp said...

I heard recently that the Empire is quickly dying, but that as a republic we will go on. And that a republic might be a lot better. Aid to foreign nations only in time of need instead of on a yearly basis. The same with military intervention just to name a couple of obvious benefits. But the actual death of the empire that we may still be could be transitioned by temporary tyranny. A little worse than the slow version that we have been getting for the past few decades now. Unfortunately we will never know fro certain until we can look back upon it like too many things