i have a "free
speech" - i shall explain my appropriate parenthesis, major legal test
case in my name simonclayton 2020 dotty coms. Leaker although i do
(surprisingly) agree with some of his position, like EVERY single free speech
warrior the last decade i listen to misses the REAL world why of free speech.
By which i mean every personality debating whither free speech from Sam Harris,
via JK, via Whittle, down to the sadly lost Guardian ...as i kindof lived FS i
do take note.. but more importantly i have mainly inhabited the world of the
ordinary non metropolitan people. Although a mix of 25% intellectual
progressive supposedly enlightened elites and 75% the proletariat - my friends.
Who i often over many years assisted with issues they may have against ever
more tyrannical bossocracy tendencies in their local benefit, housing, or
family/medical court systems... among many genuine oppressive systems. THE
'purpose' of FS must surely be to get the ordinary person - the 'bottom third'
to quote Gladwell's only useful wording, to be comfortable in calling out
unfair behaviour. Drawing attention to oppressive bullying or cruel behaviour
that affects their REAL lives. COMFORTABLE.. feel they have a right or even
duty to use their "free speech" to speak out in their local cafe or
nowadays FAkebook or whatever next..(most not using your twitter) And the great
majority of 'oppression' is the unpleasant boss or landlord manipulating all
sorts of power disparity modern cultural developments from the zero hour
contract to (in the UK) impossibility for the bottom third to secure stable
tenancies beyond the two months of the current tenure law..(in reality - often
used to manipulate or bully tenants, or worse). The problem with ALL of this -
'identity politics' .." you cannot say that" (THE way of nuking that
is by " hannah Arendt NAzi prisoner etc etc .. great writer Banality of
evil..etc.. said 'when there are things we cannot say in society we already
have a tyranny" -i cannot find the quote but i am 99% sure she did, if not
i claim it :-) is that it has freaked out the REAL people who NEED real
functional free speech in ther ordinary daily banal but pretty shit existence..
And from many many personal experiences speaking wit thousands on the Socratic
streetcorner the last 10ish years it is obvious the ordinary people no longer
are comfortable even with the term "free speech" because of all these
frankly very vain concerns of the so called professorial or journalistic
elites.. Essentially ALL of of you make it about YOU.. no one actually cares if
a prof is 'cancelled' or even sacked for making a joke about 'big girls blouse'
e..s a lovely oldschool term of endearment.. i deliberately use more these days
as you have all bored me to death.. Profs journos can always get another job.
The meek person of the bottom third who has been emotionally blackmailed at
Mcdonalds (as an ex girlfriend of mine was) ,.... nothing to do with 'identity'..
is so confused (by YOU all) whether or not she should make a public complaint -
a serious matter as if she doesnt get the good reference may not be able to
even rent a bedroom any more.. In summary - i am aware of every single nuance
of the arguments of the elites pro con, for a decade... (penned a short essay
on my RS dotcom site recently) and Leaker has seemingly ultra humanist takes on
some of it .. and yes its great to attempt rethinking but i feel ultimately
flawed.. as some commenters here have said....but... sorry... until utopia is
created - i think we all know is at the very least ww3 away, as nothing much is
going to destroy or even adjust the neoliberal consensus that IS even most
supposed thoughtful Westerners even the 'woke'... cannot imagine life without a
cheaper data package only available with a good credit rating into
contract......... (the great genuinely humanist far wiser than current graduate
class hippies ..i knew a few ...sold out to consumerism.. sad but true) but it
all - this too, takes away - steals the oxygen adding more and more
complications into why free speech so i can quite assure you the people who
really DO need it - the millions of the bottom third have been bamboozled by
these minority issues, and the only self serving arguing among supposed
intellectual elites YOU sadly are far more the 'problem' in respect of the
utilitarian purpose of things like free speech.. universally not some middle
class dinner party version... because the less educated are utterly bamboozled
by what they can and cannot say - without being maybe punched or maybe
arrested...so they default to silence... and that is a very banal evil that
will not end well... Unless you all somehow help the ordinary person - yes even
the Sun reader.. rediscover what many before you have died to try and
protect...
ps i have a website 'blog'
but just splurge collection of waffle in the name of my youtube penname dotty commms... i have at great length the last few
weeks riffed upon the REALITY and more this morning.. ask any 60 or 70
something woman..i do often - in fact i interview many, randomly for my many
year real chronicles of uk.. " is there a sense that almost all under 40
are hanging on your every word..i mean normal non elite words..not about sex or
race just day to day things.....they seem to be waiting sharp-eared poised like
a MAntis..to try and stab you ...eat your head off..for what you say or
ACTUALLY get you arrested..?" they now reply "yes" - i mean nice
balanced oldschool decent women.. you really HAVE utterly ruined our humanity..
wise up its serious
