Arun Smith's Final Assignment: Free Speech is Liberating

Arun Smith has been at Carleton University for seven years. He says that it is because he has worked full time for the first 6 years to support his studies without taking loans. I'll take that claim at face value. I admire perseverance through difficulties.

Obviously, he is a dedicated student. However it appears as though he's gotten himself into a little bit of trouble with his tearing-down-the-wall stunt.

He doesn't appear bothered that the university might decide to punish him. He believes that it any punishment, "no matter how unjust," is worth standing up for his beliefs. I respect that. I just don't respect his beliefs. I also don't respect destruction of property, but as a Marxist, Arun probably doesn't believe in property.

Well, in the unlikely event that Arun finds himself expelled or has any other trouble gaining his human rights degree (could he really face year 8 if required?), I am making an offer to help him.

 

Since he's obviously desires a degree, I will offer him a degree from The Culdesac University.  All that he has to do is write one essay. I will publish it here, reserving the right to critique and respond.

 

The essay must be titled Free Speech is Liberating. It must cover the role that freedom of speech has played in liberating marginalized groups and people throughout history and explain why this tool of freedom is or is not still necessary today in the industrialized world where suffrage has been granted universally across the population.

 

If he receives a passing grade, he will be granted a certificate granting him all of the rights and responsibilities due to the holder of a degree in Political Freedom Study from The Culdesac University.

 

If Arun is not up to writing this essay, I will grant a Junior Associate Certificate in Political Shutzpa if he writes out the words Free Speech is Liberating 2000 times and hands it in. I think that work will probably have more content than any essay he wrote in his studies at Carleton.

 

 

Disclaimer: This is satire. I do not run a university or school of any kind. I have no qualifications as an examiner and no authority by the government of Ontario or Canada to grant a degree of education. Any endorsement granted by The Cul-De-Sac Hero will have no weight at any accredited institution in Canada or any other benefits.  But, I will make a neat looking, certificate that says that he has completed my course.

 

 

Not Too Busy for a Short(ish) Post

I haven't been posting lately, because I've been busy.  I work 5 days a week and it is now baseball season.  I think that coaching Little League is a lot more beneficial to the world than writing here.  So, it's taking up most of my time.

I'm done 1984.  I find that the Internet, is much like the telescreens in Orwell's novel.  The millions of postings by people like me are like flags to anyone who would be interested in finding out who is asking the kind of questions that they might not like.  I do not think it is too paranoid to think that governments are scanning the comments and cataloging the activities of individuals.  Partly, it should be their job to identify people who might be planning something harmful.  But, I'm sure that there are government strategists wondering how to deal with non-conforming opinion writers. 

In Canada we have hate-speach legislation.  I believe that it may be a crime, in the near future, to link to a website that contains what someone considers hate speach.  If that is so, I could post a link to OneSTDV or GLPiggy or even the NY Times where someone posts a hateful comment (I'm not sure if it happens more at OneSTDV or at the NYT) and end up contravening the law.  I don't think the lawmakers understand how the Internet works.  New York wants to ban anonymous blogging (GLP)

One more thing about the job of Winston, in 1984.  Does the Internet make his job (re-writing publications to suit The Party's motives) easier or obsolete?  Now, one person could simply re-write every article in real-time rather than having to re-print thousands of issues.  OR, would Winston just become a contract mercenary blog-poster?

I find the transient nature of Internet frustrating when I link to an article, but, then it disappears.  I have a friend who actually scrapbooks with newspaper clippings.  I've always wished I could track the shifitng of public (published) opinions, but, I'll never, ever have the time for that.  I feel like Winston when the Party announces that chocolate rations are being reduced to 20 grams per person from 30 one day and then congratulates Big Brother for raising the ration to 20 grams the next.  I've often noticed much smaller, more nuanced changes in wording and in the standard narrative from MSM that seem to erase the old narrative without so much as a peep from competing politicos or anyone.

Now, I'm reading Steven Pinker's latest book, "The Better Angels of Our Nature".  So far, it is going over much of the ideas covered in The Blank Slate, but, focusing on the violence of past cultures comparitive to ours.  I remember reading an account of an English explorer going to live with native Canadians.  Travelling to hunting grounds, they came across a group of Inuit men fishing.  All of the Inuit Men were killed.  I always think of civilization, in its ever expanding powers, as a great bringer of peace, despite all of its problems.

Other News:
Montreal Students demand free crappy government education rather than the good subsidized education they can now get.  If you really believe that arts education is worthwhile, you should pay for it.

It is still dangerous to climb the world's tallest mountain.