As F.U. trundled his way to work this morning, ensconced in his filthy railway carriage, he nearly had a stroke when he read a particularly chilling article in The Daily Telegraph (2nd February 2007) detailing the latest act of subtle oppression the European Union is willing to inflict upon the freedom of the individual. See: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/02/weu02.xml&DCMP=EMC-new_02022007
The ever-creeping tentacles of the EU are now hungry to clamp down on freedom of speech, expression and intellectual pursuit by tabling a new piece of legislation designed to outlaw “genocide denial”.
It will, if the Germans have their way, be an offence under EU law to question the historical validity of even the existence of various genocides, extending their vicious clampdown on anyone who denies the Holocaust. It would appear that Orwell’s prediction of the “thought crime” has become a serious reality, Mr. Urquhart notes.
The next of this draft charter banning freedom of speech says: "Each member state shall take the measures necessary to ensure that the following intentional conduct is punishable: 'publicly condoning, denying or grossly trivialising of crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes as defined in'... the Statute of the ICC." So what does this amount to?
It amounts to, in F.U.’s estimation, the European Union creating an Official History. This has been the hallmark of some of the most oppressive and wicked regimes throughout history including Nazi Germany (oops, don’t mention the war), Stalin’s Soviet Union, and Pol Pot’s Cambodia. F.U. maintains that it is a fundamental characteristic of a modern and mature democratic nation to allow dogmatic orthodoxies to be challenged, analysed and reassessed, how spurious, incredibly, offensive or utterly stupid they may be. Outlawing these views will not lead to their destruction, but merely avoid them been properly demolished in the freedom of the arena of open debate.
Free and open access to the world's history, with the ability to reassess it and draw one's own conclusions is an inviolable right of any human being. Indeed, one might construe it as a right to self-determination even, which is already enshrined as an inalienable human entitlement. Through studying history and making one's own conclusions, one understands who one is, and where one came from. This is an area in which Governments, Courts, and Legislatures have absolutely no role to play, Mr. Urquhart asserts.
If this is the flavour that the already oppressive, undemocratic, and dictatorial EU is taking, then F.U. would suggest all nations that value that little ickle thing called free speech should serious consider pulling out.
The ever-creeping tentacles of the EU are now hungry to clamp down on freedom of speech, expression and intellectual pursuit by tabling a new piece of legislation designed to outlaw “genocide denial”.
It will, if the Germans have their way, be an offence under EU law to question the historical validity of even the existence of various genocides, extending their vicious clampdown on anyone who denies the Holocaust. It would appear that Orwell’s prediction of the “thought crime” has become a serious reality, Mr. Urquhart notes.
The next of this draft charter banning freedom of speech says: "Each member state shall take the measures necessary to ensure that the following intentional conduct is punishable: 'publicly condoning, denying or grossly trivialising of crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes as defined in'... the Statute of the ICC." So what does this amount to?
It amounts to, in F.U.’s estimation, the European Union creating an Official History. This has been the hallmark of some of the most oppressive and wicked regimes throughout history including Nazi Germany (oops, don’t mention the war), Stalin’s Soviet Union, and Pol Pot’s Cambodia. F.U. maintains that it is a fundamental characteristic of a modern and mature democratic nation to allow dogmatic orthodoxies to be challenged, analysed and reassessed, how spurious, incredibly, offensive or utterly stupid they may be. Outlawing these views will not lead to their destruction, but merely avoid them been properly demolished in the freedom of the arena of open debate.
Free and open access to the world's history, with the ability to reassess it and draw one's own conclusions is an inviolable right of any human being. Indeed, one might construe it as a right to self-determination even, which is already enshrined as an inalienable human entitlement. Through studying history and making one's own conclusions, one understands who one is, and where one came from. This is an area in which Governments, Courts, and Legislatures have absolutely no role to play, Mr. Urquhart asserts.
If this is the flavour that the already oppressive, undemocratic, and dictatorial EU is taking, then F.U. would suggest all nations that value that little ickle thing called free speech should serious consider pulling out.
It smacks of Orwell’s 1984, quite frankly, and F.U. like any other decent freedom loving Briton should be up in arms about it.
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