For once Brussels has unified Europe, albeit by marrying Kafka with Orwell in a modern day Ministry of Truth.
Freedom is fundamental to prosperity. Those who cherish freedom most are often those who have not always enjoyed it. Thus the souls whose lives were blighted by Communist totalitarianism often rejoice at the simplest pleasures, even 25 years after the evils of the system were unraveled across Europe. Their joy in being able to travel has been hugely enhanced by that core Western value - freedom. Unfortunately, just as the European Union appears to have forgotten how to create prosperity, so, too, it seems to have gone somewhat patchy on the notion of freedom.
The latest developments on censorship expand upon the core carping of the politically correct - a group whose senses of humor, irony and objectivity were obviously removed when doctors meant to go for their tonsils during childhood. Pardon my ignorance, but what was so bad with the simple maxim “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will not affect me?” Back in the day it was fair to say “it’s a free country” and get on with life...but no more.
The latest political insanity comes from meddlesome Brussels bigots and their judicial cousins at the European Court of Justice, or the liberal loonies of Luxembourg as they deserve to be named. The phrase Orwellian is often overused but here it is justified after the ECJ upheld the utterly daft “right to be forgotten.” It was driven by the desire of a Spaniard to have his name expunged from the records. This man, Mario Costeja from Gailicia, claims to have been against totalitarian regimes from a childhood spent under the Franco era dictatorship. He was deeply affronted because apparently he sold his house before the taxman endeavored to repossess it. Readers will doubtless ponder the deep irony that Mr Mario Costeja has now become a footnote in history for having a squabble with the Spanish tax office, precisely because he had the record eradicated from the internet… However the search “Mario Costeja right to be forgotten” returned a mere 12,800 results on a well-known search engine last evening, which suggests Mr Costeja has rather opened a can of worms for himself. At the same time, it is intriguing to ponder just what on earth the EU, which has been discussing this daft oxymoron of the “right to be forgotten” for some time, was thinking.
Complete story at - Europe: A Union of Common Censorship — RT Op-Edge
Freedom is fundamental to prosperity. Those who cherish freedom most are often those who have not always enjoyed it. Thus the souls whose lives were blighted by Communist totalitarianism often rejoice at the simplest pleasures, even 25 years after the evils of the system were unraveled across Europe. Their joy in being able to travel has been hugely enhanced by that core Western value - freedom. Unfortunately, just as the European Union appears to have forgotten how to create prosperity, so, too, it seems to have gone somewhat patchy on the notion of freedom.
The latest developments on censorship expand upon the core carping of the politically correct - a group whose senses of humor, irony and objectivity were obviously removed when doctors meant to go for their tonsils during childhood. Pardon my ignorance, but what was so bad with the simple maxim “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will not affect me?” Back in the day it was fair to say “it’s a free country” and get on with life...but no more.
The latest political insanity comes from meddlesome Brussels bigots and their judicial cousins at the European Court of Justice, or the liberal loonies of Luxembourg as they deserve to be named. The phrase Orwellian is often overused but here it is justified after the ECJ upheld the utterly daft “right to be forgotten.” It was driven by the desire of a Spaniard to have his name expunged from the records. This man, Mario Costeja from Gailicia, claims to have been against totalitarian regimes from a childhood spent under the Franco era dictatorship. He was deeply affronted because apparently he sold his house before the taxman endeavored to repossess it. Readers will doubtless ponder the deep irony that Mr Mario Costeja has now become a footnote in history for having a squabble with the Spanish tax office, precisely because he had the record eradicated from the internet… However the search “Mario Costeja right to be forgotten” returned a mere 12,800 results on a well-known search engine last evening, which suggests Mr Costeja has rather opened a can of worms for himself. At the same time, it is intriguing to ponder just what on earth the EU, which has been discussing this daft oxymoron of the “right to be forgotten” for some time, was thinking.
Complete story at - Europe: A Union of Common Censorship — RT Op-Edge
No comments:
Post a Comment
All comments subject to moderation.