Now back to the question of who should get tagged with the dismissive Orwell-invoking cliche “Thought Police”. Let’s review the bidding. Sarah Palin and GOP surrogates stir up controversy by using blunt and divisive language to question Barack Obama’s judgment in the Bill Ayers matter. Voices around the liberal blogosphere then call for Palin & Co. to be criminally investigated and even prosecuted for riding this campaign issue too hard. Kuo, entering the debate, does not call these bloggers and Huffington Post writers “Thought Police” for suggesting that speech that offends them be subject to legal sanction, but instead conveys their views uncritically if not sympathetically. She then takes up her hypothetical of possible enforcement action against McPalin, outlining theories under which prosecutors might bring such charges and judges might agree to impose punishment, but does not label these hypothetical prosecutors or judges “Thought Police” for punishing the impassioned expression of political opinion. No, the only time the Thought Police make an entrance at all is after the fact, when someone presumes to criticize her. Only then does she detect, with fearful intake of breath, the sound of the hobnailed boots ascending the stairs. And it turns out to be that scary libertarian bogeyman, me!
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2 Comments
I am beginning to think that with an Obama Presidency, I would rather be in jail with the free thinkers than outside with the mush heads who would suppress my speech.
Olsen and his supporters are dead wrong and Professor Kuo is on the crest of the new wave of Obama that will transform America.
Professor Kuo is not against free speech at all. She’s just against hate speech, and after all, who could be in favor of hate? Further, since only the misguided, the stupid, or the downright evil could oppose Obama, letting such people say anything they want is merely fostering error, stupidity, or evil, and that of course goes beyond the reasonable bounds of free speech.
In an Obama presidency America in general will enjoy the benefits of the civiliy and lack of hate that exemplifies university campuses. Who could oppose that? Only people who are in favor of hate and evil.
We can characterize such people thus: “Oldthinkers unbellyfeel Ingsoc.”
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