Brave New World
I’m worried, very
worried. If Johnson gets his no-deal Brexit and the following
genereal election, look at the power he will have.
He can suspend
parliament, that we know. Look at the Investigatory Powers Act
(2017) which gives the governement power to evesdrop on any
indiividual’s conversation (just for national security of
course????). Then think of the Leveson report on Press
responsibility, with all major recommendations unimplemented. Ever
heard of Big Brother, Brave New World, but from the right rather
rthan the left?
If It’s Not
Reported It Didn’t Happen
When I was still at
school I was amazed to learn from a teacher that the only newspaper
recently admonished by the Press Council (I think that is what it was
then called, the Press regulatory body) was The Times, at the time
the supposed bastion of good journalism, for not reporting the
Sharpeville massacre in South Africa. Everybody knew about the
massacre except, presumably, those who relied only on The Times fot
their news (and TV was far from universal then). The Times was
reprimanded for not reporting what was obviously news whilst some
debs marriage or flower show was. Does anyone care to look for
coverage of the demonstrations against pro-rogation of Parliament in
such «responsible» newspapers as The Telegraph, The Express, etc?
Obviously, if it wasn’t reported it didn’t happen. And a free
press is essential to democracy? And a respnsible press…..? And a
toothless regulatory body? Ah well…...
