Wrong on free speech

Submitted by Matthew on 28 November, 2012 - 7:47

Workers’ Liberty (Leeds Student and Nick Griffin, 9 November) justifies censorship of Nick Griffin and fascists thus:

”It is because of the threat their physical presence and organising poses to oppressed groups, to democratic rights and to the very existence of the student and labour movements.”

It is even argued that “the reality of his politics ... remain[s] largely hidden” then shortly after asks “the question of why the interview was taking place at all.”

Five days later, Solidarity 264 (“Right-wing threat to anti-war meeting”, 14 November) reports: “Young Tory louts have put out a call online to disrupt a Workers’ Liberty student forum on Thursday 15 November about the meaning of the First World War [... and published] articles arguing that even to suggest a debate on the politics of remembrance is beyond the pale.”

Censoring one particular expression of an idea may be a zero-sum game but unfortunately oppressive ideas (right-wing and left) are qualitatively not.

Leave the slippery slope of censorship to right-wingers and stick up for free speech as socialists.

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