But I will say one small thing, it is a sad world where people are, not 'not allowed', obviously, to say horrific things but feel very comfortable saying 'kill a f*cking terf' or 'death to every IDF soldier' (at a previous concert) or 'Kill your Tory MP', with a fairly relaxed confidence that that is now an 'ok' thing to call for. I applaud debate & have been on the end of a witch hunt, but it saddens me to see that we have now come to wishing violence or 'death' on our opponents instead of 'them' just 'losing' and 'us' winning...
The people on the political right who are always going on and on about free speech are the quickest to demand jail time for those who say offensive words that they disagree with.
They need to be told that if they're serious about free speech, the key test is to stand up for the principle for those one disagrees with as well.
Spot on. The two-facedness of the "be kind", "be inclusive" brigade is there for all to see. We should not lower ourselves to their level. Lord Sunption sadly believes Lucy Connolly should be in jail, so I'm not sure what he is referring to in terms of free speech being harmed for the worse.
Authoritarians versus freedom lovers. And both positions can be centrists, leftists or righties. The only upside is we get to see from politicians to citizens who are the true lovers of democracy and freedom and who are the grand hypocrites.
Similar for me to the behaviours of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) and now Mamdani Derangement Syndrome (MDS). Many are shown to be just hysterical idiots.
TDS is just so ridiculous. It renders commentators who I really respect unworthy of respect. Meanwhile I hope Mamdani wins. I would watch with hope as NYC slips into bankruptcy with mass exodus as he implements his Stalinist measures. Once he's done they'll never have a Democratic mayor again. Pure entertainment watching extremists shoot themselves in the foot!
Though I would not consider Mamdani anymore a Stalinist than Trump is a fascist. Both suck but neither is a 20th century authoritarian cutout.
And on a side note: I can also agree with some of their positions or policies. Trump: getting trans women out of women’s spaces and sports. Mamdani: cutting red tape and fees for street food vendors. Partisan politics is so laughable and thankfully Paul does not play that game either.
I'm not a fan of party politics at all and am very much a floating voter. It's refreshing when people can praise the "opposite" side and condemn their own. I wouldn't go as far as to call Trump a fascist thought I detest the man. I also punched the air when he won. Haven't read anything about Mamdani I agree with yet and all his policies I have read about are pure Marxism. Cutting red tape as you say he's promised is definitely not Marxist but the plight of street food vendors seems something that might be low down in the list of imminent necessary actions for any new mayor.
The media and other actors with power want us to hate Bob Vylan and Lucy Connolly.
Same with Mamdani and Trump, who are both sons of wealthy families. Silver spoon boys. Though credit to both: they play the populist game well at times.
There is a reason I read activists, journalists and media from left to center to right, especially among independents and Substack. Often one can gleam more of the truth from morsels of both the pro, anti and even the do not care sides.
Yea I agree about the press. I couldn't care less what the background of a politician is as long as he or she acts with integrity. So silver spoon or not best to judge by character. And yes it's good to see someone reading across the board. I think one of the biggest problems is people living in their echo chambers. People need to, at the very least, read across the national newspapers rather than just the one whose views align with their own. What's the point of that. Likewise, nice to chat.
It's so disorientating to see free speech switch from being a 'right wing' rather than 'left wing' thing in the last decade or so. Perhaps the only way to snap said left back to sanity is to have to defend people with which they agree, rather than the more emotionally difficult task of doing it as the matter of principle that it used to be.
Paul, I take your point about Ricky Jones. I think the main point of contention for me is that it's taken a year for his issue to come to trial, in relation to Connolly's and others cases.
I realise the latter have been judged due to guilty pleas, but there seems to me there's an aroma about Jones that will not go away.
As I've said to you before, he also demonstrated the act required that his words advocated.
It's unbelievable that Jones was not held on remand as Connolly was. They were both referring to the same demonstrations so why wasn't his case also fast tracked. I simply don't believe he'll be judged by the same standards as Connolly and of course so much time has passed the trial will probably go unnoticed.
Free speech is problematic, but it is a hell of a lot easier to defend than the alternatives.
I think what is going on here is holding those that defend Lucy being banged up but then defend bobs right to freedom of speech / expression. Just like those who called for the beautiful state of Israel 🇮🇱 to be banned from #Eurovision2025 but call for knobcapp not to be "cancelled " .
Its the double standards and hypocrisy.
As they say , what's good for the goose .....
I may also like to add the double standard of met police that give pro hamas supporters a weekly/ bi weekly escort thro central London (psc) while harassing people who hold up a sign saying (uk law ) "hamas is terrorists " .
We need more free speech warriors on the left , right , centre and no alligned or what is left of democracy will soon be garbage (although some may say we are there already) .
All thr best Paul and others , have a lovely weekend 😀
I’m not entirely in agreement unusually. Calling for someone’s death to me is hate speech, not free speech and must be called out for what it is. In Lucy Connolly’s case, the phrase ‘for all I care’ is in context, key to her true intentions which I don’t believe were for the rioters to burn hotels down with people in them, it was a silly throwaway comment which when she had had time to ponder, clearly realised how it may be misinterpreted and chose to delete. The other more significant mitigating factor was her previous loss of a child. I thankfully have never been in her tragic position, I hope I never am, but even beginning to imagine that loss does something to my mind that really scares me. I just don’t think enough care and thought was given to her mental state in this whole sorry incident. Just my thoughts for what they’re worth
The whole point of a free speech society is that people can have opinions that will be unpopular or controversial but we have now reached a point where on both the the far left and far right say its only free speech when you agree with me.
The quote "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" was said by Evelyn Beatrice Hall on Voltaire's views on freedom of speech.
This quote has never been more poignant now than ever before
You're right...as usual ;-)
But I will say one small thing, it is a sad world where people are, not 'not allowed', obviously, to say horrific things but feel very comfortable saying 'kill a f*cking terf' or 'death to every IDF soldier' (at a previous concert) or 'Kill your Tory MP', with a fairly relaxed confidence that that is now an 'ok' thing to call for. I applaud debate & have been on the end of a witch hunt, but it saddens me to see that we have now come to wishing violence or 'death' on our opponents instead of 'them' just 'losing' and 'us' winning...
Spot on.
The people on the political right who are always going on and on about free speech are the quickest to demand jail time for those who say offensive words that they disagree with.
They need to be told that if they're serious about free speech, the key test is to stand up for the principle for those one disagrees with as well.
Spot on. The two-facedness of the "be kind", "be inclusive" brigade is there for all to see. We should not lower ourselves to their level. Lord Sunption sadly believes Lucy Connolly should be in jail, so I'm not sure what he is referring to in terms of free speech being harmed for the worse.
Authoritarians versus freedom lovers. And both positions can be centrists, leftists or righties. The only upside is we get to see from politicians to citizens who are the true lovers of democracy and freedom and who are the grand hypocrites.
Similar for me to the behaviours of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) and now Mamdani Derangement Syndrome (MDS). Many are shown to be just hysterical idiots.
TDS is just so ridiculous. It renders commentators who I really respect unworthy of respect. Meanwhile I hope Mamdani wins. I would watch with hope as NYC slips into bankruptcy with mass exodus as he implements his Stalinist measures. Once he's done they'll never have a Democratic mayor again. Pure entertainment watching extremists shoot themselves in the foot!
Agree on the TDS.
Though I would not consider Mamdani anymore a Stalinist than Trump is a fascist. Both suck but neither is a 20th century authoritarian cutout.
And on a side note: I can also agree with some of their positions or policies. Trump: getting trans women out of women’s spaces and sports. Mamdani: cutting red tape and fees for street food vendors. Partisan politics is so laughable and thankfully Paul does not play that game either.
I'm not a fan of party politics at all and am very much a floating voter. It's refreshing when people can praise the "opposite" side and condemn their own. I wouldn't go as far as to call Trump a fascist thought I detest the man. I also punched the air when he won. Haven't read anything about Mamdani I agree with yet and all his policies I have read about are pure Marxism. Cutting red tape as you say he's promised is definitely not Marxist but the plight of street food vendors seems something that might be low down in the list of imminent necessary actions for any new mayor.
The media and other actors with power want us to hate Bob Vylan and Lucy Connolly.
Same with Mamdani and Trump, who are both sons of wealthy families. Silver spoon boys. Though credit to both: they play the populist game well at times.
There is a reason I read activists, journalists and media from left to center to right, especially among independents and Substack. Often one can gleam more of the truth from morsels of both the pro, anti and even the do not care sides.
Thanks for the discussion. Take care.
Yea I agree about the press. I couldn't care less what the background of a politician is as long as he or she acts with integrity. So silver spoon or not best to judge by character. And yes it's good to see someone reading across the board. I think one of the biggest problems is people living in their echo chambers. People need to, at the very least, read across the national newspapers rather than just the one whose views align with their own. What's the point of that. Likewise, nice to chat.
It's so disorientating to see free speech switch from being a 'right wing' rather than 'left wing' thing in the last decade or so. Perhaps the only way to snap said left back to sanity is to have to defend people with which they agree, rather than the more emotionally difficult task of doing it as the matter of principle that it used to be.
Paul, I take your point about Ricky Jones. I think the main point of contention for me is that it's taken a year for his issue to come to trial, in relation to Connolly's and others cases.
I realise the latter have been judged due to guilty pleas, but there seems to me there's an aroma about Jones that will not go away.
As I've said to you before, he also demonstrated the act required that his words advocated.
It's unbelievable that Jones was not held on remand as Connolly was. They were both referring to the same demonstrations so why wasn't his case also fast tracked. I simply don't believe he'll be judged by the same standards as Connolly and of course so much time has passed the trial will probably go unnoticed.
Hi Paul 👋
Hope you survived London fairly intact 😉
Free speech is problematic, but it is a hell of a lot easier to defend than the alternatives.
I think what is going on here is holding those that defend Lucy being banged up but then defend bobs right to freedom of speech / expression. Just like those who called for the beautiful state of Israel 🇮🇱 to be banned from #Eurovision2025 but call for knobcapp not to be "cancelled " .
Its the double standards and hypocrisy.
As they say , what's good for the goose .....
I may also like to add the double standard of met police that give pro hamas supporters a weekly/ bi weekly escort thro central London (psc) while harassing people who hold up a sign saying (uk law ) "hamas is terrorists " .
We need more free speech warriors on the left , right , centre and no alligned or what is left of democracy will soon be garbage (although some may say we are there already) .
All thr best Paul and others , have a lovely weekend 😀
I’m not entirely in agreement unusually. Calling for someone’s death to me is hate speech, not free speech and must be called out for what it is. In Lucy Connolly’s case, the phrase ‘for all I care’ is in context, key to her true intentions which I don’t believe were for the rioters to burn hotels down with people in them, it was a silly throwaway comment which when she had had time to ponder, clearly realised how it may be misinterpreted and chose to delete. The other more significant mitigating factor was her previous loss of a child. I thankfully have never been in her tragic position, I hope I never am, but even beginning to imagine that loss does something to my mind that really scares me. I just don’t think enough care and thought was given to her mental state in this whole sorry incident. Just my thoughts for what they’re worth
I agree, Kate, that Lucy Connolly definitely should not be in jail.
The whole point of a free speech society is that people can have opinions that will be unpopular or controversial but we have now reached a point where on both the the far left and far right say its only free speech when you agree with me.
The quote "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" was said by Evelyn Beatrice Hall on Voltaire's views on freedom of speech.
This quote has never been more poignant now than ever before
Well said, Dave.