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“Oh no, you're talking historical falsehoods, my father emigrated here from Europe, and my experience is that there wasn't the anti-immigrant atmosphere you're talking about,” froths Andrew Bolt on Q&A getting more and more outraged that anyone, anyone dares disagree with him.
I'm sorry, exactly when was that wave of anti-Dutch hysteria running through Australian society again, Andrew? When were Dutch people demonised in the streets and newspaper editorials merely for being from that country? When did the Dutch have good reason to fear walking the streets?
“We can't possibly publish The List, because then people would go and look at those sites!” obfuscates Senator Conroy. Ahh, if the filter is effective, then it shouldn't matter if you publish the list, surely? If you won't publish the list for fear of attracting traffic to those sites, then is that not a bald admission that the filter is completely pointless?
Moreover, where is the oversight? Where is the accountability? If my business gets labelled a paedophilia site by accident, how do I know besides having traffic (and business) vanish without warning? How do I get it unbanned? How can I blame? Where comes my recompense?
And the thing about freedom of speech is, this isn't about the freedom of speech, it's about the freedom to listen. I'm not writing Incest Porn (which Sen Conroy and Mr Bolt seem to spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about), and if it is illegal to publish same, then go and charge the publishers! Child porn is already illegal, and the best way of making sure I never get to see any is to make sure that there isn't any to see. That way you might actually help children, instead of a secret blacklist without appeal.
They won't respond to that last concern though. They might be forced to admit that this isn't about helping children, but of treating the population of Australia like children.
I'm sorry, exactly when was that wave of anti-Dutch hysteria running through Australian society again, Andrew? When were Dutch people demonised in the streets and newspaper editorials merely for being from that country? When did the Dutch have good reason to fear walking the streets?
“We can't possibly publish The List, because then people would go and look at those sites!” obfuscates Senator Conroy. Ahh, if the filter is effective, then it shouldn't matter if you publish the list, surely? If you won't publish the list for fear of attracting traffic to those sites, then is that not a bald admission that the filter is completely pointless?
Moreover, where is the oversight? Where is the accountability? If my business gets labelled a paedophilia site by accident, how do I know besides having traffic (and business) vanish without warning? How do I get it unbanned? How can I blame? Where comes my recompense?
And the thing about freedom of speech is, this isn't about the freedom of speech, it's about the freedom to listen. I'm not writing Incest Porn (which Sen Conroy and Mr Bolt seem to spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about), and if it is illegal to publish same, then go and charge the publishers! Child porn is already illegal, and the best way of making sure I never get to see any is to make sure that there isn't any to see. That way you might actually help children, instead of a secret blacklist without appeal.
They won't respond to that last concern though. They might be forced to admit that this isn't about helping children, but of treating the population of Australia like children.