Thursday, July 8, 2010

Freedom of Approved Speech

Liberals are nothing if not strong advocates for free speech. Now, admittedly, sometimes they do accept a few restrictions on speech. . . such as speech codes on college campuses, hate crimes laws based on speech they don’t like, banning groups they don’t like from college campuses, banning people with opinions they don’t like from entering their countries, banning books with words they don’t like, blocking websites with “controversial opinions,” censoring radio broadcasts, outlawing blasphemy against Islam, censoring the internet, demanding that their opinions be given equal time on conservative shows, stopping corporations and people they don’t like from giving to politicians, blacklisting people with views they don’t like from certain professions, shouting down speakers they don’t like, disrupting meetings of people they don’t like, conspiring to keep opposing views out of “scientific” journals, taxing conservative websites to support liberal newspapers, firing people who espouse conservative views, removing religious symbols and words from courthouses, statehouses, and schoolhouses, regulating commercial speech, and a few others. But other than those very few instances, Liberals are staunch defenders of free speech.

That’s why it was so very, very strange to hear about the problem they’re having at various liberal websites like the Democratic Underground. Apparently, a few disloyalists are not enamored with the Democrats and our Kenyan overlord. And these dirty secret-fascists apparently have had the poor taste to actually express their views. Shocking!

Well, that’s not good for free speech or the Democratic cause. So the good people at the Democratic Underground have come up with a solution. From now on, you may continue to post all the free speech your bleeding heart desires, with the following exceptions:

• You may no longer post “over-the-top assertions of bad faith” by Obama or the Democrats

• You may not “advocate voting against Democrats, or in favor of third-party or GOP candidates.”

• You may not make “broad-brush smears against Democrats generally [or] broad expressions of contempt toward Democrats generally.”
Oh, and in case I forgot to mention, there are 59 more rules on what speech will be verboten.

Now I debated whether or not I should even mention this, seeing as how this is obviously tangential to the issue of freedom of speech. Indeed, except for a few fringe Hitler-lovers, I can’t imagine anyone would see this as limiting freedom of speech in any way, right? And I’m sure you feel the same way. . . after all, you don’t like Hitler. . .do you?

In any event, this whole thing has given me some ideas. I think it’s time we too expanded the freedom of speech at our stuffy website. So in the hopes of encouraging true free speech, I announce the new posting rules. From now on:
• You may not criticize Republicans in any way that uses words shorter than seven letters, or longer than six letters.

• You may no longer mention Pelosi’s Botox treatments. Humans need oxygen, vampires need blood, Big Bird needs meth, and Pelosi needs Botox. . . that’s how nature made us, and it’s just not right to turn that into a criticism.

• You may no longer mention Barack’s real middle name -- Trevor. Because that makes his initials BTO, which was not a very good band.

• Speaking of bands, no more threats against Lady Gaga. She is third in line for the British throne after all and we could use the support with a Commentarama Tax Bill we’re trying to get through Parliament.

• And no more poking fun at Joe Biden. I can’t prove it, but I know you’re all making up those quotes you keep attributing to him. . . no one can be that stupid.
If you live by these simple rules, then you won’t be jailed. If you don’t, then I’m going to write to the fishysnitch e-mail address about you and you’ll learn how much liberals love secret police departments.


24 comments:

Tennessee Jed said...

Uh Oh! BTW, extraction went well, am doped up and resting comfortable so don't expect any comments from me with any intellectual heft for a while

rlaWTX said...

if you type a seven letter word backwards does it make shrter than 7 and longer than 6? Just askin'?
(like -- citoidi -- how many letters do YOU see?)

Jed, I've been meaning to go to the dentist for 2 years. I think I'll wait a little longer. Thanks for the encouragement... :-)

AndrewPrice said...

That's ok Jed, we're talking about liberal websites. . . "intellectual heft" is a lot to ask from those guys!

AndrewPrice said...

rlaWTX, I see just enough to find a hole in our rules. I guess we're not as good at squelching dissenting opinions as the left is?!

DUQ said...

Nice list. The left definitely loves them some "speech codes."

AndrewPrice said...

Thanks DUQ, That they do! They made a big noise about freedom of speech being such a fundamental right, but they only mean speech they like.

Ed said...

Sounds like the liberals I know. I have to admit I am getting a kick out of them censoring their own websites though.

Let me suggest another rule: "no comments deemed hyperbole by anyone." :)

LawHawkRFD said...

Andrew: Are you suggesting that the left actually has talking points (except on subjects about which they're not allowed to talk)?

AndrewPrice said...

Ed, I would say that I get a kick out of it except that they don't see the irony. They actually think of themselves as the defenders of freedom of speech and us as the thought police. That's the kind of twisted thinking that leads to any number of horrible results.

AndrewPrice said...

Lawhawk, It sounds to me like they have "non-talking points" and more than just sticking to those themselves, they want everyone else to stick to them as well.

LawHawkRFD said...

Andrew: Apropos of your post, I just saw scumbag Democratic operative Lanny Davis defending the gag orders as simply asking candidates and their supporters to be civil. Yeah, right. Besides, I've already expressed my feelings about so-called political civility on the pages of this blog. Oh, and did I mention--I hate Obama?

AndrewPrice said...

Lawhawk, Lanny Davis is a scumbag, and I have no doubt that she would have been a horrible leader for DOJ. Didn't she believe in proportional representation for blacks in Congress, i.e. separate votes for each race?

LawHawkRFD said...

Andrew: That was Lani Guinier. Another one of those leftists that Clinton knew for years, both personally and professionally, and they both taught law at Yaleat the same time, yet somehow he didn't know about her extraconstitutional legal opinions.

But you made a reasonable misidentification. Lanny Davis was Clinton's White House Counsel, and there has never been a shyster as accomplished as he at making a lie sound like a simple misunderstanding. Since that time he's played musical chairs as a lawyer at several high-power law firms. But it was just window-dressing. In reality, he's just another nasty leftist Democrat politician and fact-spinner. Since Clinton never nominated him for the Supreme Court, maybe his fellow genius law professor from Harvard will nominate him for the third seat if, God forbid, he should get the opportunity.

AndrewPrice said...

Lawhawk, Oh yeah, I got my a~shole leftists confused! They are rather hard to tell apart these days. Thanks for the clarification.

You're right about Davis. I don't like or respect him either.

Don't even mention the idea that this jerkoff could put three judges on the court. Of course, with the ways Ginsburg looks, I'm assuming she'll probably try to go before Obama loses in 2012.

LL said...

Does Barry Soetoro HAVE a middle name?

or

Are we simply to call him B. S. (which applies far better than the band you referred to)??

I'm confused.

StanH said...

Now Andrew, this is Commentarama, rules are to be ignored, or viewed as mere suggestions. You want us to curb hyperbole, conspiracies, and now our free speech! When it’s common knowledge that the world is coming to an end, the CFR is guiding the way, Joe Biden, and Barry are brilliant, just ask a liberal, or otherwise known as a resident of the 57th state…where’s the fun Andrew?

AndrewPrice said...

LL, BS is fine, but we will not tolerate BTO! ;-)

AndrewPrice said...

Stan, We wouldn't try to curb your free speech, we just want to ban you from saying things we don't like! LOL!

Seriously, could you image us imposing a speech code? The only things we don't allow are ads and we won't allow people to attack each other, though we've never deleted a comment for that. In fact, we've only ever deleted a couple spam comments: "You make a good point, which I expand upon at my website HotRussianGirls.com."

Apparently, the left feels no similar restraints, because they don't like freedom of speech. They only like hearing things they believe.

Writer X said...

Leave it to the left to celebrate Freedom of Speech with more rules and regulations! Rich!

And I'm not sure it's possible to get through a day without poking fun at Biden and Pelosi. They make it so easy.

AndrewPrice said...

Writer x, Leave it to the left to master the hypocrisy of claiming that their attempts to limit free speech are intended to protect free speech. That's like "we need to destroy this village" to save it!

CrispyRice said...

//cue zombie-like voice

Yes, Andrew... I like what you like. I think what you think. I will do as you biiiiiiiiiiiid....

AndrewPrice said...

CrispyRice, Excellent. . . my plan is working! Soon the whole country will think as I see fit! Hooo hooo hah hah!

rlaWTX said...

Writer X - you put it perfectly.
I can hear it...
"Now, new and improved -- from our living, breathing, ever-changing to match the nuances of modern life Constitution -- Freedom of Speech! What makes it new and improved, you ask... Excellent question AND on the approved question list! Our new and improved Freedom of Speech now has rules! No more free-for-all speech! You can say whatever you want - from the approved list - and be guaranteed to not get any guff from anyone! Not only Freedom of Speech but freedom from annoying others! And all of this for the low, low price of your integrity! Get your new and improved Freedom of Speech today!"

AndrewPrice said...

rlaWTX, What's scary is that you aren't far off of the way the left tries to sell this. They really talk about limiting "harmful" speech so that true freedom of speech can blossom.

And it's funny how the things they don't like all turn out to be "harmful."

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