Our Freedom to Speak !

We cherish the right to publicly air our views, even if what we say offends others.   In the distant past such opportunities were limited.   We could write a letter in the hope it would be published in the local newspaper but extremist views could either be edited or the entire letter rejected.

The computer and the internet changed all that.  The era of " social media " had arrived and phenomenons such as Facebook and Twitter quickly became the meeting place of the masses where any subject could be discussed without hindrance.   The usual taboos on discussing politics and religion melted away and this new media quickly became a forum where extremists of all colour could gain a following.

We have just had a horrifying example of where this could lead.  Extremist views can radicalize followers and a disturbed young man with an assault rifle launched an attack on two mosques in New Zealand, killing fifty people and wounding an equal number before he was arrested by the police.

Social media is the platform used by hate groups who despise migrants generally but with specific venom for followers of Islam.  In this New Zealand attack, the massacre was showing live on the internet as the bullets were mowing down men, women and children in prayer.  It is obvious that this was carefully pre-planned to gain  the maxim world audience to recruit others with similar views.

There is criticism that Facebook was slow to take down that offending material.  Even now, it is being constantly replayed in Muslim countries and this will whip up aggression against the followers of other religions.  Radicals in those countries are using it to generate hate and draw followers to militant groups like Islamic State and its war against western culture.

New laws are being considered to make Facebook and Twitter impose a form of censorship to remove hate material from going to air.   It is quite possible that this would result in a form of time delay used when talk back became a feature of radio programmes.   Continuity seemed normal to listeners, but there was a five second delay when what was said actually went to air.  This would enables a censor to cut transmission and edit out offensive language or vision that contravened the new standards imposed on social media.

Any form of censorship will be offensive to many people.  Unfortunately, extremists now recognise the value of social media as a weapon of war and it seems that it can even be used to influence the voting patterns which decide elections.  It is plain to see that social media is emerging as a new decisive force that controls public opinion and which can be used for good or evil by the manipulation of what goes to air.

Politicians  face an impossible task.  If they impose the strict censorship that excludes anything that could offend they would probably kill the Facebook phenomenon entirely.  It is doubtful if any form of censorship has ever managed to gain universal approval and censors tend to be heavy handed.
Somehow that fable about killing the goose that laid the golden eggs seems appropriate !