Book Review:- Reviewed by Tony Orman.
This book is timely on two accounts in view of the declining democracy that has taken place under the last two governments – not forgetting of course, there is an election looming later this year.
The affronts to democracy have happened relatively recently and to quote just three blatant examples of several, in the John Key’s government’s state grab of a democratically elected council ECAN, National’s environment minister Nick Smith taking away the public’s right to question aerial 1080 drops and the current Labour-led coalition government’s panicked rushed anti-firearm laws following the mosque massacre by an Australian terrorist.
The severe limiting of the public’s right to make submissions to select committees is another and undermines the public’s fundamental right to have a say.
Democracy needs to be a big, big issue at the election later this year.
“Free Speech Under Attack” features five writers who don’t pussy-foot around – Peter Cresswell, Jeremy Fisher, David Round, Robert Stanmre and Tim Wikiriwhi.
As one of the writers Robert Stanmore writes, “This is a fight to retain our long held rights. The globalists and the liberal elite are the enemies —they use every oppressive measure and tactic to ensure that their political opinions will be the only ones —- with ‘hate speech’ being their main weapon.”
“We must fight for free speech —- freedom of speech belongs to the people and it is not in the gift of government to take it away from us.”
In the 21st century new forces have arisen to try to limit free speech on the grounds that certain statements might offend minorities. In fact, offending people is one of the by-products of free speech and is no argument for restricting it.
The current moves to limit free speech on such spurious grounds as “religious hate speech” are the work of power elites whose eventual aim is to limit, if not altogether abolish, the right to criticise powerful minorities and indeed Authority itself.
In recent years there have already been too many encroachments on free speech by the misnamed Human Rights Act 1993 and the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 – all part of a step-by-step erosion of this long long standing and necessary right.
This book should be read by all people who are not too tired to vote.
As Plato observed, “The price of apathy is to be ruled by evil men.”
Footnote: “Free Speech Under Attack” published by Tross Publishing Price $35.
Available direct from publisher or through good book stores. Reviewed by Tony Orman
