Zaphod for President

Before you watch the following video, please consider this

• Is it possible for someone to be a total crackpot, and yet, still enjoy occasional moments of clarity and genius?

• What harm can come from allowing controversial viewpoints to be heard?

• What harm can come from NOT allowing controversial viewpoints to be heard?

• Who was Joseph Goebels? Why is he relevant to this discussion?

• Do we have “free speech” in the developed world?

• If not, do we want it? If so, why?

The following ~45 minute documentary follows the story of David Icke, a conspiracy theorist who believes that a race of alien lizards has infiltrated the highest levels of world government. Sound crazy? Not my point.

The real story here is the reaction of the Anti-Defamation League to a visit by Mr. Icke. As you will see, agents and allies of the ADL are quick to shut-down Icke’s book tour, on the grounds that he is spreading anti-semitic hate speech.

As a Jew (half-Jew) by birth, I hope that I myself am automatically disqualified from any accusations of anti-Jewish bigotry. I have family living in Israel for Christ’s sake! Point being: I base my opinion of people on a case-by-case basis. I have met members of every race, religion and tribe who were jerks, and others who were people worth knowing.


As an American, I have not yet faced the “hate speech” laws of Canada and the EU myself. Speaking honestly, they scare the snot out of me. In my opinion, unless it presents a clear and present danger (read: immediate threat), all speech is acceptable. In other words: yelling “fire” in a crowded movie theatre is out; however, suggesting that people from Papa New Guinea have great tans is a matter of opinion.


As a male, I have been exposed to all manners of racist jokes. In fact, I do not think it is possible to announce myself as a part-Jew, part-Irish, part-German, part-Navajo without enjoying the following bombardment of jokes about each race. As George Carlin might say: I am a kike-mick-kraut-injun-American, a glorious hybrid of insanity made possible by the mysterious melting pot. Racism is schizophrenia; like it or not, we’re all mutts. And it’s a good thing, too- any dog lover can tell you that the purebreeds are always a bit wacky.


As a lover of History, I understand how genuine hate speech can lead to very, very, very bad things. However, if I recall correctly, the true catalyst for Nazi Germany was not hate speech from the masses, so much as an overwhelming control of the mass media by the state. In other words, Germany has harbored anti-semitics (as have all nations) since the dawn of semitics. It wasn’t until the state embraced them as the only authorized voice of the people that we started to encounter major problems.


I would like to think that everyone featured in the above video agrees on one point: fascism is bad. That said, how do we work together to prevent it? Which is more dangerous, which is more likely to breed fascism: unregulated hate speech, or state-controlled media?


Even my fellow Americans must agree with me- so long as our own nation retains the FCC, we are subjecting ourselves to some degree of state control. The real questions are these: how much is too much? And- can “free speech” and “state control” ever truly coexist?

Allow me to leave you with a pair of definitions:


moral
of, pertaining to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical: moral attitudes.


ambiguity
doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning or intention: to speak with ambiguity; an ambiguity of manner


Your thoughts?

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