Tuesday 27 November 2007

Free speech

In today's Guardian, Brian Klug makes an interesting point about the brouhaha surrounding the Oxford Union's decision to invite two fascists - who shall here remain nameless - to participate in a debate on free speech. He points out that if these two have a right to contribute to the debate then so has he, and so have you, and so has everyone else. And if they don't have a right, then that right can't be denied them.

So what are they doing there? Other than advertise the Union and its attention-seeking president, whose name I shall also not provide.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Nice point. I (ahem) actually lunched with the unnamed Nazi fantasist - twice! He was utterly fascinating, very charming but clearly (to me) living a life completely based on lies and bullshit. If I could see it after two lunches, why can't brighter folk see it after he's published falsified history? The man isn't a historian he's a LIAR and LIARS don't have a right of free speech, unless it's to correct their LIES.

Sorry, off soap-box now, but it does annoy me that people insist on giving him an academic title when he's forfeited that right by making up his 'facts' and publishing them, and been caught doing it.