Freedom of speech diminishes in Canada, Turkey: Links 1, Jan. 17, 18

1. Shit just got real

2. Where did Corey Booker learn to emote like that?

3. New Veritas:

Twitter bans political dissidents for despotic governments. “We do that a lot for China”

(Hard to imagine Twitter being much more disgusting unless they are actually selling kiddie porn)

4. Arabic Classes Overtakes English and French in Sweden

Arabic language classes for adults are becoming increasingly popular in Sweden with a major adult education federation saying more students are now studying Arabic than English or French.

The Swedish educational association Folkuniversitetet, which focuses on language courses for adults and projects with an “international emphasis”, has seen a surge in the number of adults interested in learning Arabic, Sveriges Radio reports.

 

Anas Idlibi, who teaches Arabic at campuses in Kristianstad and Hässleholm, said that the number of Arabic classes has dramatically increased since he started teaching at the association.

5. Freedom House reduces Turkey’s status to ‘not free’ in annual report

U.S.-based non-governmental organization Freedom House has reduced Turkey’s status from “partly free” to “not free” in its latest annual report.

 

The “Freedom in the World” 2018 report, published on Jan. 16, ruled that Turkey’s “political rights rating” had declined from 4 to 5 and its “civil liberties rating” had declined from 5 to 6.

 

Specifically referring to the “deeply flawed” April 2017 referendum on shifting to an executive presidential system, the report also blasted the mass dismissals of state employees, “the mass replacement of elected mayors with government appointees, arbitrary prosecutions of rights activists and other perceived enemies of the state.”

6. Citadel Theatre rejects controversial professor’s Edmonton book event

A controversial Canadian professor’s plan to promote his latest book at the Citadel Theatre has been dashed after the theatre refused his request to rent the venue.  

Jordan Peterson, a University of Toronto psychology professor who is on an international book tour to promote 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, had already advertised on his website that the event would take place Feb. 11 in Zeidler Hall.

 

On Tuesday, Peterson tweeted to his nearly 300,000 followers that the Edmonton theatre cancelled his event without explanation.

 

(Anyone who did not see the half hour attack on Dr, Peterson on Channel4 yesterday may want to find the time to do so. It was an astonishing interview. Dr. Peterson showed exactly what maintaining perfect control in an unfair and even ludicrous hostile environment looks like.)

There is a lot of news today, Please see the Reader’s Links and more will be posted later as well. There was a huge explosion in London today but no injuries, so it was likely due to incompetence more than malice.

Thank you M, Xanthippa, EB, Wrath of Khan, Richard and SO MANY more.

Again dear readers (not to be confused with dear leader) please check the Reader’s Daily links post comment section. Its well worth the trip.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

24 Replies to “Freedom of speech diminishes in Canada, Turkey: Links 1, Jan. 17, 18”

  1. 1- Am I missing something here? There are communist groups everywhere. My son’s school has one but disallowed him to start a conservative club.

    • Gotta agree. Pyongyang Rose seems to be the preferred tutor for most of these whiny-a$$ed buncha squealing malcontents.

  2. 3- subordinating ethics for sales. These social media outfits have really gone bad and must be declared utilities. Too f-ing bad. If they’re not for freedom the party should be over. Write a friggin’ letter on paper if it means that much.

    • These social media outfits have really gone bad and must be declared utilities.

      Johnnyu, while I’m fairly sure that I grasp your meaning (and agree in scads of ways), your suggestion summons up the old adage of, “be very careful about what you wish for…”

      After all, what good can come from whichever government agencies being given the slightest increase in control over something (i.e., the Internet) that already is so influential as Social Media? Over and over again, allocating the status of a “utility”—see the AT&T breakup for interesting contrasts and comparisons—to whatever ostensible, existing monopoly there may be merely facilitates unprecedented new levels of intrusion or “revenue enhancement” (read: Taxes) to be further endured by the great unwashed.

      I freely admit that, too often, it is a fool’s errand to hope that consumers will constructively “vote with their wallets”. Far more disconcerting is how these same Social Media applications have so successfully (and shamelessly) coddled the partisan inclinations of their participants, regardless of how shabbily such corporate machines treat their all-too-vulnerable subscribers.

      Please rest assured that I share your personal alarm and deep concerns over the continually expanding, persuasive “powers” of these wannabe pseudo-messianic, and self-appointed (nouveau) “institutions”.

      All the same, opening whatever doors for government agencies to assume control over these (already too-powerful) entities seems to invite an even more discomfiting degree of sway that both these federal and corporate bodies have regularly abused well beyond even the most charitable precincts they might once have been entitled to occupy.

      In closing, please know how much I look forward to whatever (even the most contentious sort of rejoinder) reply you see fit to pen.

      All the very best,

      NorseRadish

      • I hear ya, Norse. Gov control may be no better. The fact they exist in an increasingly powerful, nefarious capacity probably won’t change. Maybe it is the “social” component of social media that has to wake up.

    • I’m back to snail-mail myself. Insisting on it for everything having to do with medical, legal, and banking transactions. Info’s already in a Cloud somewhere, but I try to limit exposure.

      My father taught me: Never sign anything!
      My mother taught me: Don’t talk to strangers on the phone! Get their full name and number, verify, then call them back.

      I can’t fathom people compromising themselves and their families online. It just doesn’t compute.

      • They grew up in a time when way too many people refused to see any danger or evil in any system. They are the useful idiots that drive all of us nuts.

        Use snailmail, don’t put anything on the net you don’t want your parents to see and try to avoid the obvious traps. Twitter and Facebook are cutting their own throats and teaching some of the useful idiots that a little paranoia is a good thing. A tour of duty in a modern war zone is good for teaching people that, and it tends to make them want to be armed.

  3. RE; #2 Cory Booker ran out on Newark NJ (he was Mayor) as an alleged ‘reform’ candidate as soon as he was dazzled by the leftist/liberal Hollywood crowd. Yes it is fair to say he did some good, cleaning up much corruption from previous administrations there were a few scandals not of his doing. But he did not stick aroound to finish the job, which dissappointed those who tirelessly campaigned for him.

  4. 6- Who cares. That London interview with that progressive woman had a reach of what? Millions? Whereupon she was determined to destroy and undress him as a bigot but failed spectacularly for all of the UK to see. Major backfire. He’s a hero in the making.

  5. 4- In my household all are required to learn the language of Flamenco. Love and struggle. Fine for the times. Arabic less so.

    • Johnnyu, while not “pure” Flamenco, this is (for me) a flame that burns in the heart of España.

        • For the love of all that is sacred, please use this version:

          Both the production values and song architecture are nowhere near as good. The original album recording is far tighter.

          PS: I saw McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra open for Jeff Beck (1975 “Blow by Blow” tour). The concert ended with a jam by Beck and McLaughlin.

          Also:

          • The performance in Friday Night in San Francisco is unparalleled and it has Paco de Lucia on it.

            Production values are nice but I can live without a rack of compressors if the actual performance is good.

  6. 3 – I think that the shadow banning in the US is much worse then the full banning for the tyrants. The Shadow Banning is being done on their own showing that they are wanna be dictators.

    Ben Shapiro REACTS To New Project Veritas Video EXPOSING Twitter Censoring Conservatives!!

  7. 3. Veritas – Twitter – Willing Accomplices

    Rewind: C-SPAN – February 15, 2006
    Operations of U.S. Internet Companies in China
    House Int’l Relations Subcommittees
    Right Column – People In This Video
    1. Chris Smith, 2. Tom Lantos, 4. Dana Rohrabacher & Hero Mr. Lee
    https://www.c-span.org/video/?191220-1/internet-china

    Congressman Tom Lantos (D) CA
    PJ Media – Published on July 30, 2006