RSS
Home
Reining in free speech fits a pattern
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
This story is in today’s Wall Street Journal. It is not about Obama.
He became president … and set about to restore the state-run economic model…; the market, he maintained, had failed. [He] took control of the central bank. He demonized the private-sector and investors. Using price controls, subsidies and regulation he made himself a Robin Hood to the masses. The legislature granted him extraordinary powers.
The economy bounced back as one would expect after a harsh contraction…
Now the illusionists are losing their touch. Not only is the economy going sour, but according to polls, the nation is growing intolerant of what many consider to be the … abuse of power. …
[There] is a widespread belief that … government is using the state intelligence service to collect information against the president's "enemies." …
The president forced a media law through the legislature two weeks ago, creating a new "audio-visual" regulatory board controlled by the executive.
The law also grants the executive control over all licensing of the radio spectrum and reserves at least two-thirds of it for state-owned and nongovernmental broadcasters approved by the executive. …
Hugo Chávez has become a dictator in Venezuela under the guise of democracy, and he has similarly shut down the free press.
This article by Mary O’Grady, “Argentina’s Kirchner Targets the Press,” is not about Obama, but his name could be plugged in to all of these selected statements. State-run economic model, failed market, control of banks, demonizing the private sector, salary controls, subsidies, enemies list, media control…
Though resurrection of the Fairness Doctrine didn’t survive in Congress, so-called local overseer panels of radio are ready to muffle the main outlets for criticism of the government. Most media are overwhelmingly pro-Obama and everything he stands for, but the smaller numbers of media that air speech critical of his goals are too dangerous to be left to public market choice.
We used to caution about the abuses of free speech by saying you can't yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater. According to Obama and Co., free speech doesn't mean you can yell “Fire!” in a burning theater.
Related Articles:
Comments
