To remind: A declaration of an unassailable truth is an attempt to control
Well, that’s how it works out in politics at least:
The UK’s TV and radio regulator is allowing GB News and others to “flout” accuracy rules and broadcast climate change denial, say campaigners. Instances cited include describing global heating as “the climate scam” and suggesting the government was going to introduce “enforced veganism”.
This is very bad as of course no one should be allowed to say that:
“Obviously we’re all free as individuals to hold whatever opinions we like,” said Richard Wilson, the director of Reliable Media. “But running a TV or radio station [means] you’re promising to uphold some pretty basic standards around truth and accuracy. The problem is that Ofcom is now allowing some TV and radio stations to flout the rules and on an issue like climate change the stakes could not be higher.”
Ofcom was “hiding behind a simplistic and distorted definition of freedom of expression”, he said, adding that Arcom’s approach in France showed it was possible for regulators to take robust action on climate misinformation.
Free speech doesn’t include the right to say what you think or believe, d’ye see?
As we’ve noted just recently:
Rather, the way power works. Whether or not the current factcheckers are biased one way or another is an irrelevance. It’s that as soon as there is the one definitive truth to be declared then those who wish to gain power will do so by working to become those who declare the truth. In that manner they will be able to shape society to their ends. This is true whatever those views, whatever those ends - both fascists and communists used to censor after all.
And as we also pointed out there’s only one viable solution here:
Diffuse and free - as with Galton’s Ox we’ve got to allow the truly weird to have their say too - discussion of what is true is vital. A central declaration of the truth is a denial of the very point of liberty itself.
Abolish the factcheckers and let freedom’s delusions, frauds, modest suggestions and polite coughs of “Well, acshully” ring to the very welkin. Because that’s how we find out the truth.
It’s just one of those things that we as liberals really do truly believe in. It’s the freedom itself, the liberty, that is the value so that’s the thing to be protected.
Tim Worstall