Blair Taking A Page Out Of The Bush Administration's Book
Blair Wins Parliament Vote Criminalizing 'Glorification' of Terror
By ALAN COWELL - New York Times: February 16, 2006
Perhaps it is time for the British citizenry to call for a revision of the Magna Carta and other documents that preserve liberty. These so-called counterterrorism laws only serve to restrict free speech and do not address national or worldwide security from terrorists. It is inherently improper to restrict political speech, free association that is not inherently criminal, or cries against the policies and practices of a government. Doing so violates human rights.
No one is suggesting that the British do not have a right to defend against terrorism. Nor is anyone saying that they do not have the right to take action against criminals that seek to do harm to British sovereignty. These, too, are inherent rights. But the focus should be on criminal action, criminal conspiracy and criminal intent... not free speech.
But this is not the first instance of the British taking action against those that speak against it. The Intolerable Acts were passed in Parlaiment to quell those nasty SOBs in the American colonies. The Sedition Acts were passed to prevent people like Mohandas K. Gandhi from speaking against British tyranny, atrocities and oppression in India. The security measures taken in Northern Ireland were not only focused on terrorist activities of the IRA, but also against anyone that spoke against the fascist actions of the British government... and there were a LOT of fascist actions on the giovernment's part as well as terrorist actions on the part of the IRA.
While the UK has better first layer security than we do over on this side of the pond, they still have missed the importance of layering security well while still protecting the rights of free speech, free thought and free association... Have they forgotten that the foundation for these rights were first voiced in Britain?
By ALAN COWELL - New York Times: February 16, 2006
"LONDON, Feb. 15 — After a series of bruising parliamentary duels, Prime Minister Tony Blair secured victory in the House of Commons on Wednesday in a vote to expand counterterrorism laws by making "glorification" of terrorism a criminal offense. Legislators voted 315 to 277 in a ballot that pitted Mr. Blair's Labor Party against the Conservative and Liberal Democratic opposition. Seventeen Labor dissidents voted against the measure."
Perhaps it is time for the British citizenry to call for a revision of the Magna Carta and other documents that preserve liberty. These so-called counterterrorism laws only serve to restrict free speech and do not address national or worldwide security from terrorists. It is inherently improper to restrict political speech, free association that is not inherently criminal, or cries against the policies and practices of a government. Doing so violates human rights.
No one is suggesting that the British do not have a right to defend against terrorism. Nor is anyone saying that they do not have the right to take action against criminals that seek to do harm to British sovereignty. These, too, are inherent rights. But the focus should be on criminal action, criminal conspiracy and criminal intent... not free speech.
But this is not the first instance of the British taking action against those that speak against it. The Intolerable Acts were passed in Parlaiment to quell those nasty SOBs in the American colonies. The Sedition Acts were passed to prevent people like Mohandas K. Gandhi from speaking against British tyranny, atrocities and oppression in India. The security measures taken in Northern Ireland were not only focused on terrorist activities of the IRA, but also against anyone that spoke against the fascist actions of the British government... and there were a LOT of fascist actions on the giovernment's part as well as terrorist actions on the part of the IRA.
While the UK has better first layer security than we do over on this side of the pond, they still have missed the importance of layering security well while still protecting the rights of free speech, free thought and free association... Have they forgotten that the foundation for these rights were first voiced in Britain?
posted by Jim Downey at 10:21 AM
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