Former United States Vice President Al Gore’s campaign to persuade people to accept his and others views of “climate change and about global warming” culminated in the movie, “An Inconvenient Truth” in 2006. The power of the mainstream media has been known for centuries. And yes, there was a mainstream media before radio, TV and the internet!
Gore’s movie illustrates a fundamental issue with “freedom of expression”. It is and has to be completely lawful to spout any particular form of nonsense you like as that is the heart of a democratic society. When you reach the stage found in many universities of views being censored because they cause distress it demonstrates beyond per adventure that we have slipped into a dangerous region that has crossed the boundary of democracy.
We now have a situation in British universities where freedom of expression is limited – to those views and statements that do not offend. This has cross a line. Allow me to demonstrate with two sentences – one of which is redacted to meaninglessness!
#1: “Clear off, you [XXXXing] [nXXXXr]!
#2: “There is nothing wrong in helping homosexuals to cease becoming homosexuals!”
In the present state of affairs in the UK, statement #1 openly stated would get me arrested. Statement #2 (if made in a public place) would likely result in an arrest as well.
What this shows is that the UK is no longer a democracy.
That is NOT to say that broadcasters should be allowed to get away with almost anything they want. Mr Gore has a right to peddle his nonsense!
HOWEVER: There are certain aspects of broadcasting that should be controlled, which at present are not.
My world (and those of all BG readers) has changed a lot recently! I now have access to what is called “streamed TV” and am able to watch all sorts of TV programmes that are not accessible via the transmitter on the hill above my flat!
I have been watching a US drama which employs British actors called “The Spanish Princess”. The Spanish princess in question is Catherine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII.
Having looked at some of it I can state without peradventure that it spouts more nonsense than does Ed Milliband when he is talking about his beloved Climate Change Act! And that is going some!
Now whilst Mr Milliband’s prattlings are deeply irritating they tend to be limited in their effects. I am very concerned however the fantastical nonsense broadcast as “The Spanish Princess” will be absorbed by many people (especially children and teenagers) as mostly factual. It is NOT! It is mostly nonsensical!
Suffice it to say that it is very very “woke” and even more PC! The heights on nonsense exceeded even the limits of farce when it was screened (with straight faces would you believe) with Miss Charlotte Hope who plays the princess, getting dressed up not only in a suit of armour but one specially made to protect her heavily pregnant condition, getting astride a Calvary horse and leading the charge at the Battle of Flodden!
You know, I thought the wokeist PC brigade had some small sense of proportion and cognisance of what can and can not pass for reality, but quite frankly this broadcast bullshit not only takes the biscuit but the entire biscuit factory!!!!!
In retrospect this beyond farcial broadcast may have help the situation as only the most demented and self deluding wokeists could not reject this as complete hokum!
Did I mention black actresses (married to a Mulsim!) playing the roles of Ladies in Waiting at Henry VIII’s court?
Of course, I fully expect one particular BG reader to refer this blog-post to Devon & Cornwall Police for sexism, misogyny and racism!