4 ms·

This isn't about RT. I personally couldn't care less what happens to RT. What I'm really concerned about is freedom of speech and Free Media in the west. Neithe

by whack 10y ago

This isn't about RT. I personally couldn't care less what happens to RT. What I'm really concerned about is freedom of speech and Free Media in the west. Neither of those are"privileges" to be negotiated for as part of some quid-pro-quo agreement among friends. They are rights. If you really believe in the Free Press, you believe that it's in your own country's best interests, regardless of what some other country might be doing. The fact that a respected nation like the UK is moving to silence dissenting media, is something we should all be extremely concerned about.

trymas 10y ago
TL:DR; RT (and Russia/Kremlin in general) are using 'freedom of speech' to tell utter and blatant lies about proven and accepted history. Not to mention that they will _never_ give a second opinion. Well you described RT (or probably Russia/Kremlin) well. They will come to Europe/US and say whatever they want and then when you say "hey Mr. RT/Russia/Kremlin/Putin, that's not true, please do not do this again", they will scream like bloody murder that you are restricting their freedom of speech. I live in post-Soviet country, just before and during Ukraine conflict russian television (not RT) released "documentaries" which said that gulags have not happened, repressions have not happened, and after USSR collapsed, countries like mine were independent without any oppression. That tv station got banned for a year if I remember correctly. It's like Deutsche Welle would release documentaries in Poland/Israel/France/Check republic, that invasion/holocaust/concentration camps have not happened.
- whack 10y ago
  The UK already has libel laws that are more vigorous than those found in the US. If those laws aren't comprehensive enough, they can pass new laws prohibiting the dissemination of provably-false statements. Arbitrarily shutting down a contrarian media organization is not the answer. Your response that it's ok because "it's Russia" reminds me of a story that I heard. A man asks a doctor whether it's ok to pull the legs off a spider for amusement, and the doctor says it's not. The man asks why, since the spider isn't capable of feeling any pain. The doctor replies "I'm not concerned about what will happen to the spider. I'm concerned about what will happen to you."

by whack 10y ago

trymas 10y ago

TL:DR; RT (and Russia/Kremlin in general) are using 'freedom of speech' to tell utter and blatant lies about proven and accepted history. Not to mention that they will _never_ give a second opinion. Well you described RT (or probably Russia/Kremlin) well. They will come to Europe/US and say whatever they want and then when you say "hey Mr. RT/Russia/Kremlin/Putin, that's not true, please do not do this again", they will scream like bloody murder that you are restricting their freedom of speech. I live in post-Soviet country, just before and during Ukraine conflict russian television (not RT) released "documentaries" which said that gulags have not happened, repressions have not happened, and after USSR collapsed, countries like mine were independent without any oppression. That tv station got banned for a year if I remember correctly. It's like Deutsche Welle would release documentaries in Poland/Israel/France/Check republic, that invasion/holocaust/concentration camps have not happened.

whack 10y ago
The UK already has libel laws that are more vigorous than those found in the US. If those laws aren't comprehensive enough, they can pass new laws prohibiting the dissemination of provably-false statements. Arbitrarily shutting down a contrarian media organization is not the answer. Your response that it's ok because "it's Russia" reminds me of a story that I heard. A man asks a doctor whether it's ok to pull the legs off a spider for amusement, and the doctor says it's not. The man asks why, since the spider isn't capable of feeling any pain. The doctor replies "I'm not concerned about what will happen to the spider. I'm concerned about what will happen to you."