Guardian Continues to Promote “Progressive” Censorship
But don’t worry, they only want to shut down “settled” debates
Kit Knightly
There’s a lot of talk about “free speech” being under threat these days, with reports of de-platforming at universities, academics losing their jobs because of their political opinions, artists and celebrities getting “cancelled” over an off-colour joke, an even vaguely non-PC opinion, or just supporting Donald Trump.
The entire reason this website exists is the sheer amount of censorship in both corporate media and social media.
We have an archive dedicated to it, that doesn’t include even half of 1% of the deleted comments on The Guardian alone.
Rather notably the US is trying to extradite (and perhaps execute) a man for simply telling the truth.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that free speech was, indeed, under attack.
But you’d be wrong. The Guardian says so, or at least Martha Gill says so. She headlines:
Free speech isn’t under threat. It just suits bigots and boors to suggest so
Before explaining:
But is free speech really under threat? The first thing to say is that the scale of the problem in universities has been exaggerated. The practice of denying people speaking slots over their views has rightly caused concern, but every single instance has also attracted vast coverage in national papers, giving the impression of an epidemic. They are not reflective of the feelings of most students.
Free speech advocates also misunderstand the motivation of those who might want to shut down a debate: they see this as a surefire mark of intolerance.
…some debates should be shut down. For public dialogue to make any progress, it is important to recognise when a particular debate has been won and leave it there.
It’s a magical journey:
- Censorship ISN’T happening, that’s just something racists say
- If censorship WERE happening it would be for a good reason
- Censorship IS happening, and is a good thing
Personally, I love the phrase “For public dialogue to make any progress, it is important to recognise when a particular debate has been won and leave it there”, wonderful. Perfect. The liberal argument for censorship – The debate isn’t shut down, it’s just over. We won. We need to move forward.
Dissent will be bad for “public dialogue”.
The examples she cites – Flat Earth, burning witches etc. are deliberately extreme and ridiculous, but the principle could equally apply to anything. Global warming, Assad’s “war crimes”, socialism, antisemitism. MH17. The Skripals.
The list is endless. All they have to do is assume a political position, declare the debate over and then silence the dissent for the sake of “public dialogue”. This does not make them “anti-free speech”:
No-platformers are not scared – they simply think certain debates are over. You may disagree, but it does not mean they are against free speech.
A beautifully totalitarian position. They will rebrand intolerance as being “enlightened” and “woke” and “progressive”.
Don’t worry guys – The only debates being shut down are ones which should be, because they’re over.
How comforting.
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Hasn’t anyone over 20 learned? Your speech is only as free as it is ineffective. You may shout vigorously about the immutable and debate fervently the trivial, but as soon as you peck at the veil of establishment dogma you will be swiftly silenced.
ABC are proposing to sue the Australian Police, (i heard in the early hours), so looking for any news on that, I found this article below, tucked away in the “Australian politics” section, in the Oz version of the Guardian.
Clearly, already these charades make a mockery of the true discussion of Freedom of the Press and are designed to dilute the ammunition that Wikileaks & Julian Assange hold & their ‘Higher Ground’ !
Be 100% sure that any Guardian journalist of old would have had the nouse to at least mention & connect Wikileaks & Assange to this legitimate discussion and the need for re-defining & re-writing Laws in the UK, as well as Australia, indeed all 5eyes nations >>> point:-
Check the meticulous Guardian efforts to avoid mentioning JA & Wikileaks & also by
ALL ‘faux’ CONCERNED PARTIES
Then the almost hidden lowly positioning of priority societal matters,
most current & of most concern.
Expect a whitewash ! when the following,
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/jun/26/australian-media-unite-to-demand-government-change-laws-after-afp-raids
is usurped by this “Australia News”
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jun/26/israel-folau-acl-australian-christian-lobbys-fundraising-sparks-complaints-to-watchdog
You know when you’ve been ‘tangoed’ & deceived …
P.S. I assumed that it was absofirkin’lutely obvious and no need for me to mention that Assange should have been mentioned in some form or another, given his roots:-
Loyalty in principle & law is neither a national nor corporate, let alone a
PROFESSIONAL VALUE TODAY !
Just to add, 24 hours later, the first link has been ‘disappeared’ !
Say no more . . .
And characteristically, you have no chance to comment on Miss Gill’s article. That’s so typically Guardianist these days…
come on folks put that Fraudian ‘Report’ function to good use!!!! Don’t be shy! Tell that widdle stasi “mod’ what you really think of their FRAUDIAN. Be persistent!!! And gosh dang they’ll usually disable the ‘Report’ function with this message:
Sorry there was an error. Please try again later. If the problem persists, please contact Userhelp
More and more frequently the Stasi Fraudian ‘mod’ will open the comment thread with this little gem:
CommunityMod 7h ago
Staff
Guardian Pick
Comments on this piece are premoderated to ensure discussion remains on topics raised by the writer. Please be aware there may be a short delay in comments appearing on the site.
YESSIRREE!! At the FRAUDIAN “Dissent will be (is evidently) bad for “public dialogue”.
Free Julilan!!! Free Chelsea!!!!
The WSWS.org recently ran an article exposing the close cooperation between the UK/USA military and intelligence agencies and Guardian deputy editor Paul Johnson: “Paul Johnson, was personally thanked by the Defence and Security Media Advisory Notice (or D-Notice) committee for integrating the Guardian into the operations of the security services.” Johnson came on board the Guardian in 2014, right after the Snowden revelations. So basically the Guardian not only censors any story the military and intelligence agencies want them to, but also peddles their propaganda. It’s a good read, check it here-
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/06/22/guar-j22.html
I quit reading the Guardian back in 2014 after the nonstop ‘war on Russia’ propaganda shitstorm kicked into full throttle mode. Propaganda and lies back then, even worse now! I’m amazed people still read it, I feel sorry for them.
Ha…just read Kit Knightly was banned from commenting on the “Comment is Free”™ twice, well, I was banned 7 times…
So … for public dialogue to make any progress .. we must shut up, and, only the Elites –who all happen to be Friends of Israel– can decide what is good for all of us.
Even The Independent’s horribly biased and myopic reporting isn’t quite as gut clenchingly risible and self-righteous as The Guardian. It’s the little appeal to support and “safeguard their editorial independence” which I find both hilarious and tragic at the same time. It’s a place which is infested with those totalitarian type listed in the article. And it’s not a little chilling to think that such people are so identified with their perceived moral rectitude and care for the other, that they cannot remotely develop any kind of objective analysis of their sacred belief cows.
Delighted to find this website by the way. Great job.
By Martha Gill’s logic, no one should have been allowed to challenge the Weapons of Mass Destruction narrative in 2002/3.
By Martha Gill’s logic, invasion of Iraq didn’t happen!
By Marths Gill’s logic, the Pentagon, US State department, CIA and NSA do not exist.
By Martha Gill’s logic, Glyphosates make a healthy nutritional drink.
By Martha Gill’s logic, privatisation and deregulation are making life sooooooo much better for ordinary people.
By Martha Gill’s logic, those who discuss politics are ‘like bigots and boors’.
The Guardian will go out of business if it continues to alienate its readership.
I have been reading it all my adult life, but nowadays, if you do not embrace AGW, extreme feminism, veganism and transgenderism, then you aren’t welcome there.
The guardian is nothing but an intelligence mouthpiece, a shell. Ever wondered how it’s able to continue publishing at all? It must have lost a million readers with the agendas it daily pushes.
I’d like to explain it to you.
But I neither have the time or the crayons.
“I have been reading it all my adult life … ”
Not long then, apparently, Bill Bonney: how old are you, in fact ?
It won’t be going out of business in a hurry, even after alienating all its’ old readership and clients, that had happily advertised within societal needs for Trust. Trust, taking often a lifetime to earn, but lost in seconds >>> Long lost, Bill.
Clearly your knowledge, (regarding the Media Wars & Soros’ Media Matters, that have entered into extreme ‘play’ since September 2001), is inadequate and one must conclude that your adult life is one that began after 2001, somehow … either that or you’ve lived your life in LaLaLand, absent Murdoch & Co.
In reality Bill, when you finally wake up, you will come to see, one day, that the Guardian was doomed from September 2001 onwards, (let alone Snowden, Greenwald & Assange) ) and most readers @OffG are fully aware of the role, rhyme & reason for the MIC’s Deep State New Pearl Harbour, with which the Guardian still colludes, in denial of all . . .
PHYSICS !
& Bill Binney’s courageous efforts, whistleblowing.
Clearly Bill, you have no understanding of WTC7, Physics or Soros’ ‘media matters’, let alone the need for Leveson 2:0 & relevant new legislation, under various jurisdictions: nor indeed the media wars of the last decades and who owns & controls the output of each, with the funnel feed & speed of Reuters, AP & AFP, determining amplification & agendas.
The Guardian has a completely new role to play in global charades & a new business model, where i’m sure you’ll be welcome, once you fall into line with the Mi7 moderators & their censorship, already long installed, whilst you were …
where ? Asleep ? 🙂
Johnson & Johnson’s & Bo. Johnson’s plans for the Guardian, read like “The History of ‘D’ Notices” as chapter within … Gore Vidal’s “The History of the National Security State” , with
Military T.U.R.D.s for backup (TURDs = the ubiquitous russian distraction, seriously ? ) !
Sense the contempt.
Attempted TREASON has occurred & been censored, within 5Eyes so blind, that they needed to incorporate both the Italian & Ukrainian Secret Services to help try & ‘boot’ the existing lies to the public, in an attempt to ‘right’ the direction, all to no avail, just more projection & transference, Bill !
Whilst we’re on that subject, Bill, regards to Antonym and remind him that you got 11 likes, by just keeping your comment simple & plainly absurd 🙂
Regards to
Absurdistan.
I think folks will be very interested in Matt Kennard’s tweet about The Fraudian’s deputy editor Paul Johnson and the work he did in bringing this propaganda sheet back into the embrace of the Ministry of Defence, and their compliments to him.
Good morning … a mixed bag of a comment… it is not intended to be off-topic, but to go with many excellent posts here that prompts me.
This explains the Harry Potter >> Super Power exceptionalism >> GOT arc of full spectrum brainwashing entertainment perpetrated upon the population
(who happily consume it like so many foi gras geese lining up to be force fed their corn daily.)
I think when Potus was summoned by the ancient Luddite god botherers to HQ he was tasked to step in and do something to make their hard brexit happen, kill the EU and stop the Corbynites – by starting another war in the ME so that the UK goes rushing into all out conflict and suspends its barely normal parliamentry democracy completely and avoids a GE – terrorist attacks will be furnished and blamed on isis – err Iran!
Donald was introduced to his partner in this criminal escapade, the chosen one, Jammy Runt.
A fine week of mid summer madness continues – hey look! theres that guy who’s head has been turned into an actual asses head, running around royally jesting as the conspiracy unfolds.
That’s the current top story in the daily Obsessive Groan.
Happy Monday to all.
(yes you trollbots too)
The Groan is serving it up in dollops now with the Tom Tuggendhat and ‘cross party’ MP’s saying let more Indians in to get a trade deal with Modi!
Hillarious – not a word about trying to break the growing cooperation between India and Pakistan and China and Russia and the rest of the SCO and ASEANs that will finally see the raising of the poorest after centuries of imperialism and its hangover.
Too little too late Tuggendhat toot toot you missed that train!
Thank you for this important analysis which shows how we are staring down the abyss. An abyss built by the Pentagon and intelligence agencies, and, heavily promoted by the Guardian & Co.
Yes, the every-growing influential connection between the military and the press is OUT OF HAND. Yes, it is now out in the open, and out of control!
Advocating for censorship by the Guardian & Co. is a clear indication that the argument by the Establishment has been long lost and the necessary action for them to take now is to shut down debates.
The Guardian has essentially made an art form called SDD: Shutting Down Debates which alienates non-conforming views; views that are often manufactured to mislead and waste people’s time and energy.
There was a time when the Guardian was playing the role of enlightening the crowd. Now it’s the exact opposite: Mislead and there doesn’t seem to be any shortage in time-wasting mind games.
The Guardian is the only place with some significance which is not 100% Colluding Class ruled. We have to take that or join facebook and p1ss in the wind as we used to say. I checked the Spiegel today and on their front page they do NOT have the protests against the RWE owned lignite mine near Aachen. Not only do they refuse to ditch coal and turn to other fuels – THEY PLAN TO EXTEND THE MINE. Obviously significantly or they would not plan to relocate a village.
So why do the Guardian and the Spiegel not feature prominently these protests which attracted 40,000 people? The mine is owned by RWE, which is a public company. US company BlackRock owns good chunks of key companies in Germany, including the Stock Exchange. As the US fight all efforts to do something about reducing air pollution it does not surprise that BlackRock directs RWE to keep burning lignite. BlackRock influences the big companies and through their advertising revenue, they direct the media.
Kerosene can be made by plucking CO2 from the air, use water plus sunlight. Are the guys who follow BlackRock’s directions burying this invention?
No more oil wars when kerosene is made from CO2 and diesel is replaced by hydrogen?
It is entertainment. The sexual dysphoria is a state sponsored creating mass folie a deux outbreaks to keep us all amused. The bullshit that is Novichok, ditto. Brexit, same same.!
You are being played. WW3 is albut upon you and you are being entertained. Not thinking in survival mode, no, chortling instead at trannies, in the private still recesses of your failing mind.
You are a dude cut from a camel and hung up to dry.
Not an ounce of courage left in you.
Number 6.
Fourteen Defining
Characteristics Of Fascism
Dr. Lawrence Britt has examined the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia) and several Latin American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each:
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism – Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights – Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause – The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
4. Supremacy of the Military – Even when there are widespread
domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
5. Rampant Sexism – The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.
6. Controlled Mass Media – Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7. Obsession with National Security – Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined – Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is Protected – The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10. Labor Power is Suppressed – Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts – Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment – Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption – Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections – Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
Thanks for the List, differnt frank
Let’s see what the Fascism barometer say about Australia:
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism – going very well
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights – Privatise and Deregulate Corporates/Big business first and human beings last: Going extremely well
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause – demonising ethnic minorities and foreigners is th ethe bread and butter for some major media outlets
4. Supremacy of the Military – Sure thing: ‘Soldiers and military service’, better recognised as the killing industry, are glamorized on a daily basis. These are the Untouchables!
5. Rampant Sexism – In the latest gender debates, the Australian government has effectively abolished the principal of separation between Church and Government
6. Controlled Mass Media – Hello Murdoch! Even media outlets not controlled by Murdoch need to toe the Murdoch line for survival
7. Obsession with National Security – Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined – What happened to the separation of Church and Power?
9. Corporate Power is Protected – Protected and rewarded for their hard work. For anxiety relief, the neoliberal government keeps decreasing the number of tax-inspection roles
10. Labor Power is Suppressed – The ardent conservative Presbyterian prime minister has vowed clearly, he is there to crush labour union movement
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts –The undying rule in mainstream media: Everything is Scripted. No non-conforming views allowed!!!!!!
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment – Interesting how the Police/Spies are being given more and more power to extract all details of private lives .. and at the same time .. they (law enforcers) are given less resources when it comes to effectively ‘help’ citizens with their safety/daily issues. This is a real sinister governmental planning in the age of NeoLiberalism
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption – Time and time again, we see big projects (as well as big grants) being awarded to corporates and friends without proper scrutiny
14. Fraudulent Elections – Smear was widespread the last election in marginal seats by the incumbent government. That certainly helped them stay in power
Can anyone dispute the fact that the Australian government is indeed applying all the Fascism Characteristics very religiously?!
15. Wholesale wanton poisoning and destruction of the entire biosphere throughout all of Penal Australia by the Corporate Greed Death Machine.
Go onto the independent and the daily mirror.
There are vile racist trolls that post all the time.
They seem to be protected.
And of course the public are never allowed to debate issues that might upset the rulers, such as the Royal Family, ‘anti-semitism’, American control of our foreign policy etc. Even some media figures seem to be out of bounds – the Guardian was deleting comments critical of an article by Adrian Chiles a couple of weeks back, for example.
Presumably Mr Chiles being in a relationship with Katharine Viner affords him some protection. I can think of no other reason why he:
a) Has a column in The Guardian
b) Is paid to write the lightweight, short, undeveloped drivel he writes
c) Has not been sacked from this, as he has from his other jobs
So, by their logic, a person wrongly convicted of an offense must never be allowed to fight for their innocence. They should have no path to have the conviction overturned and should just suck it up and serve out their sentence, be it life in prison or even a death sentence… Because the debate was “won” in the courtroom.
Also, by their own logic, all of these lefties need to back the *bleep* off of the constitution because it is no longer open for discussion. It is a debate that was held long ago and has been over for quite some time.
In saying that, free speech is free speech. If someone wants to express their opinion on a debate that is “over” (most likely a debate they were not a part of so they couldn’t express their opinion during the open debate), then they should be allowed… No, they ARE allowed, to express whatever opinion they want. And if the Guardian does not want to open the debate back up then they can shut their mouths and ignore the opinion.
Free speech doesn’t mean everyone in the world must acknowledge the expressed opinion, it just means that anyone can express it however they like ( without breaking other laws, of course).
“I got entangled in my own data, and my conclusion directly contradicts the original idea from which I start. Starting from unlimited freedom, I conclude with unlimited despotism. I will add, however, that apart from my solution of the social formula, there can be no other.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Demons
😉
Aren’t we lucky to have these Superior Beings like Gill and Harding at the Guardian to tell us what to think?
How dare you say bad things about your betters
When I first noticed that article it didn’t seem to be allowing comments, so I didn’t read it. Later I returned and saw it now had comments, so I started writing but comments were closed before I could post anything. The Guardian used to open comments on everything for 3 days and moderation was fairly light, but then they told us “the web we want” was a censored one, before they clamped down hard on free speech below the line, suddenly it was rare to even get a chance to comment or contradict an article especially on foreign policy, while they offered an ever narrower range of opinions ATL.
Another hilarious aspect of Gill’s appalling article was the comments selected to be highlighted, all 6 of them more or less agreed with the article although few of them had anything like the amount of up votes being given by readers to those contradicting them, and despite being highlighted by the Guardian, they obviously selected a very few unrepresentative examples to give the false impression the bulk of the readership agreed with the sentiments they are promoting.
After seeing what the Guardian did there, I’m more alarmed for free expression than I was before.
You still have the freedom NOT to read the Guardian and to give Katherine Viner the full benefit of your reasons to stop reading.
Nothing at The Guardian will change by you complaining here.
Things might possibly change if 500,000 readers stopped reading and told Viner she was a neoliberal c**t practicing 1950s-style McCarthyite propaganda.
Of course, the Guardian is going global, looking for readers in the US and Australia. It is no longer a Uk newspaper.
That is the biggest reason to avoid it. We will never be that important in a US media strategy, so we should not waste time convincing them that we should be.
I’ve told her that via email.
She never replied
Shouting at Viner is pointless, why would she care? So is boycotting their website, it’s still read by millions, it’s the readers that matter, it’s better to trip up and contradict the official narratives as often as possible, so readers have access to counter arguments and opinions. But it’s getting to the point where you often can’t say things directly without being censored, so like artists in authoritarian regimes, you often need to find subtle ways of making points indirectly, not everyone will click, but some will grasp it.
The guardian is not read by millions
I’m talking about the website, they don’t do comments in the printed paper, the website got 21 million unique visitors per month in 2014, it’s now up to 24.9 according the Guardian advertising.
if you believe that I have a bridge to sell you. Notice they don’t say “unique page impressions”?
I can generate about 500 “visits” to a page just by loading it into a browser.
They most likely chose the metric that measures loading webpages. Each “visit” by you to their front page shows up as loading about 4-500 elements.
I’d love to see their stats. If 21 “unique” visitors read the Graun every month they wouldn’t need to beg for money.
And lest we forget: the Graun is the “acceptable” face and organ of the British security state. They lie, they cheat and they steal. (think it;’s just the yanks?!)
lols – 21 unique visitors is all they deserve..I meant 21 million of course
Indeed and that is exactly what I have done. I have emailed them several times in the last year explaining explicitly what my issues are with it’s current editorial content, it’s betrayal of its roots, it’s former readers etc. I received zero replies. My only way to make my voice loud and clear is to never ever buy the pitiful spiteful rag it has become and never ever open it online. I am a lot happier now since I only ever support and read non MSM outlets.
As George Carlin once said and I firmly believe him, “ it’s bad for you”
That is what the masses should be doing. Not following the legacy media and following other forms and platforms is a transformation in its self. Unfortunately free speech in our dying western paradigm is rather a loaded term. One is free to say what ever one wants as long as it is with in the Goebblesque epistemology. the Guardian is no different to any of it sister or brother formats be it The daily mail,NYT and the Times etc they all fulfill the basic Vico principle of the elite control the narrative and Skinnerean principle of behaviour management and control. Plain and simple Mussolini’s dream.
Alternative sites like off the Guard ,UNZ , and L’antidiplomatico which allow comments and are where the future lies. NYT has virtually downgraded and let go so many staff and News Corp would be in the same boat. Eventually this will concentrate the msm to full blown oligopolies but it will be a further nail in their coffin.
POST SCRIPTUM: I love fiction so I watch and read the news, and that my friend more and more people are waking up.
That must have been just another one of those debates that was “settled” and “needed to be closed down”, C.
Just checked, the comments have ALL been removed!
What a disgraceful, totalitarian rag it has become. Once The Guardian Of The Truth, but now sunk to The Guardian Of The Establishment,
The comments are still there for me, although the number has gone down, there was something like 990+ last time I looked, it’s now 977, but I can’t tell which have gone. I’ve noticed that sometimes comments as a whole are opened then disappear and reappear later. I have no idea what’s going on with that, you find an article with open comments write something, but when you want to post they’ve all gone, then they reappear for a short time just before they close comments, but I notice others have posted comments during the time comments disappeared for me, maybe it’s just busy, I don’t know!
Meanwhile I think I’ll be looking to slip this article into “CIF” somewhere, if I can.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/06/22/guar-j22.html
Very strange. I reckon they must be disconnecting the whole comments on an article, then sifting through, deleting those they don’t like, tidying the thread up, then switching it back on. Otherwise, they won’t be able to keep up with all the comments and their desire to censor most of them.
Trying to clean up the Internet by censorship is a bit of a lost cause. The original comment threads were Usenet and from the earliest days flame wars and a certain amount of rudeness has been inevitable (despite frequent reminders about netiquette). The thread layout made it easy to ignore the noise, though.
CiF started out a bit like Usenet but as it went through software revisions it turned into a moderated single thread rather than grouping threads by sub-topic. This was combined with an awareness of individuals which appears to determine what content should be displayed and whether or not that individual will be allowed to comment on the content.
I don’t like the modern Guardian much. I’ve been reading this paper since the days when it was the Manchester Guardian and while its editorial policy has shifted around over the years its was never as strange as its been in the last couple of years. Its not really the comment policy that’s the problem but the emphasis given to the articles, its like a sort of Whole Foods version of the Daily Express. I actually find the Daily Telegraph more informative (but its editorial slant tends to stick in my throat, its readership seems to include a lot of “Make England Great Again” types and its general interest pages seem to be forever trying to chase down that bargain that puts you ahead of your peer group in terms of how trendy you are).
One of the defining freedom of speech issues revolves round the treatment of Julian Assange.
The UN have lent their imprimatur to the fact a journalist is being tortured simply for revealing war crimes: Sweden, Britain and America are all implicated in a long running campaign to get him.
Savid Javid has already signed him over to the neocons while Emma Arbthnot a judge with powerful links to right wing politicians and the intelligence community refuses to step down from handling the case – this raises obvious questions about the legitimacy of so-called legal proceedings.
Of course when not making regular calls for censorship (under the fake-news, or we know what’s best for you rubric) the Guardian has been at the forefront of whitewashing just how badly Julian Assange has been mistreated.
The sneering tone written by supposedly ‘liberal’ journalists illustrates just how low the MSM has sunk and how unwise it would be to assign any authority to them, especially when it comes to discussing controversial issues.
The shitty article Kit links to is a warning of how fragile freedom of speech is once colonised by corporate apologists, and self-appointed censors – it goes without saying we should do everything we can to resist such developments.
its you fault that your government has been used by those who control it, to deny you your freedom of expression and freedom of movement.. .. all of us have been watching you and you just have not done your part.. you let them do it, you kept electing the same swine, we kept telling you but you would not listen.. now after they put you in a barrel, sealed the lid, turned it on its side, and rolled you down the hill, you complain.. if we journey down the hill, and remove the lid, and allow you to join us in trying to get back to the top of the hill, you will still, I will bet, not do your part..
Nice to see that Amnesty International isn’t wasting any time on that reprobate Assange. It’s joined the campaign outside the Iranian Embassy instead to spring Zardari Ratcliffe, the MI6 asset, from the Persian chokey.
oh ffs…
Did you know she was a female James Bond before she was caught, or did she gain that status by dint of being arrested by the Iranians?
she gained that status by dint of “training journalists” in Iran, a “hostile” country. How on earth did FCO expect the Iranians to act?
She most likely is an asset of some sort, as most British Council reps are at some level, even if they don’t know it, but stop muddying the waters with the Bond strawman. As you well know, fieldcraft isn’t what it was the days of Sean Connery..softly, softly catchy monkey (and hack their devices) these days..Training journalists to oppose somebody you don’t like is as much “spying” as overtly organising a coup (like the yanks did in the Ukraine)
No, she gained that status by working for BBC Media Action, training anti government activists to overthrow the Iranian government. It’s all part of a $600 million US regime change programme.
Strange how Iranian TV is banned in this country. I don’t think it would go down too well if the Iranian government was funding activists to overthrow the UK government.
Oh ffs… try doing your bit inside Persian Chokey, with BoJo4Zardari , leaving Amnesty to focus on the most absofirkin’lutely unfirkin’believably obvious
priority @HOME !!!
Check your toilet & CLEAN HOUSE !
It stinks from deep within of Projection & Transference . . . 😉
Off-G really ought to have a pinnned article where we can post whatever daily Guardian ‘Coleman Balls’ weasley utterances we come across. Please.
Also highly recommend reading Jonathan Cooks latest (if not republishing in full here, Admin?) on the media narrative management after the assault by a beligerent man of a peaceful woman walking past him in a function.
https://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2019-06-22/mark-field-assault-sidetracked/
Nice idea about the pinned open thread for Guardian iniquities. We may well implement it!
Yes. The Cook piece is excellent, as always. Ditto this one.
I have a thing for ‘freeze peach’. That why I no longer patronize The Guardian, but read The Off-Guardian instead.
The ancient, lets plump for say Augustus, on hearing Buckingham palace is overrun by vermin would see an empire’s end foretold.
I used the Guardian’s “contribution support” email to send the following message today. Of course I doubt it will ever reach any eyes worth mentioning:
“Sorry to use this facility to say my piece, and I’m assuming it will not go any further, but I have to say that when the Guardian ceases to isolate itself from public opinion by preventing us from commenting on controversial issues, then, and only then, will I consider supporting it.
Good journalism means digging for information on important issues, not providing the same click bait on utter trivia as the shockingly enslaved mainstream rags do.
Whoever reads this might even agree with me, but of course there is no likelihood of change as long as nobody in your offices ever reacts to public outrage on serious issues, like America’s subservience to Zionists, perpetual warmongering for profit and the persecution of those who do the media’s job for them.
Good luck.
wardropper
P.S. If you want to take the Guardian’s current censorship agenda one step further, you might like to propose that this “contribution support” email address be taken down.”
Once upon a time… didn’t the Guardian have a sort of ‘readers editor’? Who was supposed to be ‘neutral’ and someone one could complain to if one thought the Guardian was ‘straying’ from that wide and liberal yellow brick road? Like, imposing what amounts to censorship, whilst presenting a parody of liberal arguments designed to defend censorship as a core liberal value.
I suppose, as liberalism collapses, having fulfilled its historic role, and the middle class is consigned to history’s dustbin; one shouldn’t be surprised by this development; the Guardian increasingly sounded both desparate and parody.
It’s both commical and disturbing, that the Guardian, since it hopped into bed witht MI5, has clamped down on dissent and now rarely allows anyone to forcefully challenge or even critise the national security state.
Let alone discuss “The History of the National Security State” . . . JA oder Nein ?
“… Who, Gary Hoy ?”
Therefore, wouldn’t it be a great idea if someone were to write a book about all the Gore
& Vital elements of what would be required of people,
in order to hatch & exact such empirical societal
. . . Apathy and censor the discourse under the control of
murderers, pedophiles, sociopaths, Egos &&& Narcissism,
harmonised with Naziism.
A Corporate Caligula DC (take yer’ pick on the DC bit), ACC/DC springs to mind, but I can’t think why, after all . . . Highway to hell in a tesla powered, colour coded LGBT’Q’ RS 2000 mossad remote controlled tech. heavy handcart, with false flags written all over i T
Art4Art’s sake & 10cc’s, of money for God’s sake >>>
Life’s cheap, like societal morale, searching legal principle !
Don’t look down now @theguardian, Mike
or you’ll see the Mic. of monetisation 🙂
*********************************
Genesis: “By their fruits, you shall know them . . .”
& respectfully, we shall & furthermore consume the fruits of what’s right,
finally, profoundly understanding that, & how with
Rights come Responsibility !
Inextricable parallel interconnectivity 🙂
Hopefully,
regards,
Tim
If freedom of speech is to mean anything it means not being afraid to discuss contentious issues – we all know that this is about as likely as a balanced article on the treatment of Julian Assange when it comes to the Guardian.
Take antisemitism and Jeremy Corbyn, an entirely fabricated media trope.
What chance of the Guardian allowing a range of comments on this issue, especially should contributors wish to highlight the mendacious nature of Margaret Hodge’s complaints or the highly selective accusations produced by a Blairite parachuted into a safe Labour seat and who since has joined two different political parties.
Strictly off-limits at Guardian Towers as you well know my dear Wardropper.
Well exactly, Harry.
Occasionally one pretends to live in the same world as they do – just to keep one’s perspective sharp . . .
The good folk of Streatham must be feeling a bit bemused. In the space of 3 months, they have had a Labour MP, a “Change” MP, and a Liberal MP. Old Chuka may try a stint in the SNP or Plaid Cymru next. Why leave them out? He’ll probably do a sideways shuffle and try his luck in Twickenham shortly, when Vince Cable calls it a day.
Gads, no way mark, Chuka4Twickers ?
never ole’ chap, but Strawberry Hill, maybe …
Yes, it seems he’s got his eye on Twickers now. Quite handy for the rugby.
dammit, i bet you they start changing the road names, like . . .
Strawberry Veil , perhaps 😉
i don’t care if that’s not PC, it still made me laugh, being ‘ürsprunglich’ Welsh & having lived in HQ 🙂
I remember when they renamed Streatham Baths “Mangaliso Sobukwe Swimming Pool.”
There was a street full of mainly white OAPs. It was called Coronation Street or Jubilee Avenue or something.
They insisted on renaming this road after some obscure Indian independence activist who was strung up during British colonial rule.
That wouldn’t have been too bad if they’d just called it Mr. Singh Street or something like that. But they insisted on using the full name of this character, and it was about 30 words long. So the street sign was about half a mile long.
It was something like Mustafa Raincoat Bin Wogga Wogga Al Feisal Sharif Al Patel Bin Salman Mega Chapatis Bin Poppadoms, only longer than that.
So all the old folk who’d lived there for ever were trying to sort out the name for years.