[-empyre-] VII: free speech and its ends

[Jonathan Marshall]

LGM write

>If "liberal" means "right wing" (down under), we have problems. 

Why? 

We should remember that the Liberal Party in Australia, grew out of the old liberal approach that nothing should be allowed to interfere with 'freedoms' in the market - other than the occasional intersts of the State in maintaining order  and national security.

this is the traditional liberal point of view - its more or less present in John Stuart Mill, and in the 19th Century Liberals.

in Australia, this easily joined up with conservativism, as it has done in the US. Largely i would assert because they both worship power.

It expresses the odd 'truth' of the right wing assertion that we have a liberal media - in the media the corporate sector comes first.

Of course the other tradition is that people should be allowed to act in other areas of their life without much state interference or oppression by others, and that has perhaps given the term its contemporary American meaning. 

>On the other hand, mis-speaking and mis-naming is now (during the last 20-30
>years) the style in politics and the media. And they do it on purpose.

sometimes it seems by accident as well...

>Is it free speach? Yes, everybody has the right to say stupid things,
>although it is kinda confusing sometimes.

Obviously i think the idea of free speech is complex in practice

>The real question is: how to moderate politics.

But the main aim of the political game in information society is to politicise everything,
thus no neutral ground can remain. No referee can decide truth
Even reality cannot decide truth any more

Remember the famous suskind quote from an unamed Bush Jr. aid
"The aide said that guys like me were "in what we call the reality-based community," which he defined as people who "believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality." ... "That's not the way the world really works anymore," he continued. "We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do."

of course it may not be true either :)

jon

UTS CRICOS Provider Code: 00099F
DISCLAIMER: This email message and any accompanying attachments may contain confidential information.
If you are not the intended recipient, do not read, use, disseminate, distribute or copy this message or
attachments. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete
this message. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender, except where the
sender expressly, and with authority, states them to be the views of the University of Technology Sydney.
Before opening any attachments, please check them for viruses and defects.

Think. Green. Do.

Please consider the environment before printing this email.