I suppose in a digital world whether or not the sky can fall is a programming choice. Whether you believe the sky is falling in a metaphorical sense is another matter and a personal choice. Canary Beck has published a list of 10 things that are causing some SL’ers anxiety. See: Are Second Life residents anxious about Project Sansar?
White Fantasy Christmas
I disagree with lots of things Canary thinks. That doesn’t make her wrong and I’m not necessary correct. But, our different viewpoints should prompt readers to think.
I see little blogging in the Second Life community about the threats to free speech. As a blogger in a couple of arenas, the changes being pushed by progressive and socialist liberals are direct threats to me and I think all of us. While a significant number may doubt or wonder how real or pertinent such threats can be to our SL community, I see it as very real and offer this information. Think.
Je Suis Charlie
This year, 2015, has seen a shift in the tactics of those opposing free spech. There is no one human or organization organizing the overall change. But, various people and organizations have vested interest in limiting the free exchange of ideas and information and they are learning what works to stop free speech. They are building on what works and finding new tactics. Those people that value free speech seem to be asleep at the switch, little or no response on any grass root level.
Mick Hume in July was writing about five new threats for Spiked, Battle of Ideas: Five New Threats To Free Speech Today. He points to things most people have heard nothing about.
The limiting of speech is in the main stream media’s best interest, they of course will be licensed to continue while the rest of us are prohibited – competition eliminated.
Consider the things that are happening; a priest in Ireland is facing jail for saying the Muslim religion is satanic. A sports fan there is in jail for singing a song.
As Mich points out the Je Suis Charlie signs had barely been put up before people were talking about how to LIMIT Free Speech to avoid offending anyone… That is the point of free speech, it usually does offend someone. Republicans offend Democrats and vice-versa.
So, we find self-censoring muted conformism is becoming the order of the day. In The Rape of the Mind, the author Meerloo points out how intimidation is used to stop speech and allow thinking to be shaped by removing contrary ideas.
Freedom is based on the idea of an exchange of ideas, which requires free expression of thoughts. Psychologists know how this works and they are being hired by politicians and governments to shape how citizens think by intimidating those that express contrary thoughts.
Mich points to the new threat from those who claim to support that freedom, yet seek to restrict it in practice. As he points out, the attacks on speech are not directly against free speech. But, against; hate, incitement, invasion of privacy, distortion of truth… all seemingly noble and worthwhile. But, the methods to achieve those goals is always limiting speech, removing free speech. You can’t say that…
Mich portrays the new Voltaire’s saying as: ‘I know I’ll despise and be offended by whatever you are going to say, and I will defend to the end of free speech my right to stop you saying it.’
Climate Change proponents have written to President Obama asking that he prosecute anyone denying climate change on RICO laws. (Reference: Letter) Imagine what would have happened at the height of American slavery if the then scientific opinion that black African races were subhuman had been allowed to stand as settled science. Or perhaps Aristotle’s ideas on women?
The new coercive lawsuit tactic of suing for what was said is especially effective in the United States where Tort Law reform is desperately needed. Frivolous lawsuits are very effective as their target, after winning a case, must file suit to recover their damages from the frivolous suit and that is an additional expense with the odds in the current system against recovery.
In most of Europe the loser in a lawsuit pays all costs and that simple idea not present in American law reduces the number of frivolous coercive lawsuits. In the US the frivolous lawsuit is becoming a basic tactic to silence people. We will sue and fight until you are bankrupt, if you don’t shut up… The idea of hate and offensive speech is giving such lawsuits to silence people the cover of apparent legitimacy. Link for next page, below…
Every so often I find people doing things in service to others which I think people should know about. Lindal Kidd teaches a 90 minute class on Avatar Safety. That class is becoming of interest in RL and in several places in Second Life™. Learn more here: Avatar Safety Goes Off-Campus.
Canary Beck is looking at people’s prejudices in Second Life™. She is writing about being on a panel discussing prejudice in SL. Seems prejudices are alive, well, and popular in SL just as it is in RL. She is thinking of studying the SL version of prejudice… but her preliminary questions seem superficial, uninformed, and narrow to me. What annoys me is prejudice is seen as the problem, it isn’t the problem, it is the symptom. So, I take exception to some of her thoughts and ideas.
HelaMiyo – Puppet poses
In this day when political parties and activists have teams of psychologists and marketing types tailoring their messages and delivery systems based on the Lenin/Alinsky model. Looking at any behavior in this limited context is likely to miss the causes of our behavior. But, see Canary’s article: Real versus virtual prejudice comes down to choice in Second Life.
Every so often I have to write something for the Global Warmers that like to deny science, avoid thinking, ignore facts, and are susceptible to propaganda in mainstream media because they are too lazy to think. They typically only respond with Alinsky style ad hominem attacks.
everybody’s clown
There are more and more under reported articles appearing to reveal the nature of those leaders supporting the Anthropomorphic Global Warming campaign. Principia Scientific International has run such an article: Man-Made Climate Change ‘Not About Science’ Admits Naomi Klein.
In America I suspect many will confuse the liberalism intended with the popular liberal/progressive ideology the mainstream media touts. In a 1984 style, radicals and socialists have taken over the word liberal for their use in describing socialism/collectivism, which are not liberal. But, in Ciaran’s quote we see neoliberalism is being used in its more classic meaning, i.e., the core tenets of neoliberalism: privatization, deregulation, commodification, and a celebration of personal profit. My kind of thinking.
