Whenever someone says that they believe in free speech, but, everything before the ‘but’ is then negated. Except that I am now going to use the ‘but.’
You will have been aware of the furore surrounding Laurence Fox’s comments on GB News this week. His immediate response was one where he defended his right to speak freely and he also pointed out (accurately) that Ms Evans was perfectly within her rights to make not only her original comments but the subsequent ones relating to his remarks. All so far, so free speech. The problem I have is, was it all necessary? He has handed an open goal to his detractors and they are making the most of it. GB News is now in chaos, having suspended three of its presenters. Calvin Robinson merely defended Fox’s right to voice an opinion and they didn’t like that very much.
Over at the Guardian, completely devoid of any sense of irony, Gabby Hinscliffe complained about the laddish behaviour and accused GB News of being some sort of extreme honeypot for the far right. Yeah, I know, I had difficulty keeping a straight face, just as when she referred to the MSM as being ‘allegedly‘ left leaning. There’s no allegedly about it and GB News is pretty mainstream in its viewpoints and presents a range of opinions, but that is by the by.
The point is, did Fox’s comments add anything to the debate, or were they just a lazy ad hominen? Personally I feel the latter. As it is, I tend to agree with Ava Evans when she said that we don’t need a minister for male suicide. There is nothing solved by getting politicians involved, although I’m not certain that is what she meant by it. Even so, Fox should have played the ball, not the woman. After all, he is trying to present himself as a credible politician and if he wants to win over the undecideds, he should behave as one. I’m pretty sure there will have been many who were put off by his comments. Indeed, I am and I have been a supporter ever since he first rolled his eyes at the casual racism he encountered on Question Time. He’s done sterling work with Harry Miller on tackling the police over reaction to mere speech. So far so good, but does puerile behaviour – which seems to be an underlying theme here – help his cause? Personally, I think not.
Sure, there is free speech, but sometimes things are better left unsaid. This, I think, is one of them
I couldn’t agree with you more. Obvious really but just because you have the freedom to say things doesn’t mean that you can’t make yourself look obnoxious or damage the causes you believe in if you use that freedom crassly.
Sometimes you feel that you just have to let it rip. It doesn’t always work out to your favour. Well, that’s been my experience anyway.
Yes, but the outcome was entirely predictable and it distracts from what is important. The likelihood is that he will lose the platform as a consequence, so was a massive own goal.
It was a stupid remark by Fox who should have known that he was helping the Lefties strap on their football boots to give GB News a good kicking for their vile mainstream views.
Our establishment has moved so far left that any sane, sensible views are labelled “populist”,”far-right” or “fascist”, ignoring the fact that the infamous leader of the infamous fascists proudly ranted “I am a socialist!”.
There were so many other points he could have raised that would have put her in a difficult position. She had, after all, recently encouraged women to falsely accuse men of rape just to intimidate them. Doubtless Harperson will nominate this piece of excrement for a Damehood for furthering women’s rights…
Perfectly put. Thank you. Now I don’t need to post my own.
Sometimes things are better left unsaid. Indeed that’s true, but, how much of the judgement about what is ‘better left unsaid’ is actually a sly form of self censorship?
If Fox said something unacceptable do the repercussions equally apply to feminists when they say something unacceptable? Perhaps we should make more fuss about those ‘better left unsaid’ things too. I’m thinking about some of the Labour MPs (for instance) who seem to have no social limiter whatever.
We all self censor to a degree. We often think things that we avoid voicing aloud. It’s a balancing act – if we always said exactly what we think, there would be chaos (and I’d be shunned forever from polite society). The greater goal in this instance, was keeping Fox on the GB News team because he did some good programming and is a voice that needs to be heard, because it challenges the leftist orthodoxy.
As for the double standards going on, well, what’s new?
Attributed to Idi Amin – “There is free speech but you may not be free after the speech”.
If the tin foil hat fits, etc.
Free speach doesn’t have to be necessary speach. Maybe it didn’t add anything to the conversation and didn’t need to be said, and maybe it was an own goal. Maybe it actually helps expose the left, their censorship and their hypocrasy?
If he wants to talk about not shagging someone, expescially when she’s tweeted about not shagging people, he still has a right to say it, own goal or not
Indeed so and I said as much. Yes, it may expose the leftists in the media and politics, but it also will have dissuaded potential supporters that he is a serious political force. Had it been me, I wouldn’t have said it, quite simply because it would never have occurred to me to say it. That he did say it, exposed him as immature, frankly and this is coming from someone who is not only a free speech absolutist but a Fox supporter. But then, I have very little time for logical fallacies and the ad hom is a classic fallacy.
True enough. I doubt he was eber going to be a serious political force though
I agree. Reform are far more professional in their presentation and are a more serious threat to the Tories. However, the basic point stands. I like Fox, I like his position on free speech, I just wish he’d grow the fuck up.
This is why we are losing this war.
The left say something, anything, and every one of them supports it no matter how bad it is.
The right say something and one of our own agrees with the left saying things like they should have just kept quiet. Well we should think that but lets not encourage the enemy by keeping quite ourselves.
So our ranks are chipped away. GBNews wasn’t that right anyway, it was a bit centre. Maybe we should set up our own Fox news. hey will both get jobs as they got good ratings.
Autocorrect… grr.
I’m not saying that he should have kept quiet, I’m saying that he should have played the ball, not the woman. There was plenty for him to get his teeth into and he goes off on a stupid ad hom.
I listened to his comments as I was wondering what all the fuss was about.
There was absolutely nothing to warrant him getting fired. GB news just caved and this is why the left wins.