Brickbat: Radical Ideas

Credit: vgm8383 / photo on flickr

An anti-terrorism bill that is being considered by the British Parliament could give the government the power to order universities to ban "extremist" speakers. The bill would also require university staff to "challenge" extremist ideas, even non-violent ones, and to refer students they think could become terrorists to anti-radicalization programs.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

First of all, academia should voluntarily challenge all ideas. Secondly, it's a little difficult to challenge anything when you through banishment refuse to engage in the debate.

[Agammamon]

For those worried that a large influx of immigrants will destroy our nation's institutions, Britain is a prime learning example - its not *immigrants* that are destroying GB, its the widespread wealth that can support these leftist fuckers and their concern-trolling.

[Agammamon]

And FFS Windows! 3 days since I did a new install and I'm *still* having to spend time installing updates.

I can't seem to get the damn thing to just download and install them, it likes to restart and then just sit there until I log in again - upon which there are another hundred updates waiting.

[ColonelEngineer]

Translation: extremist means conservative, right wing, libertarian, capitalist, etc. Anything that isn't progressive. Because the left is objectively correct. All this talk about "politics" and "alternative thought" is just right wing static. It's a nuisance standing in the way of moving forward.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Why, it's almost as if they have a common purpose!

[wadair]

So, liberal democracy will not fall to outside forces, but to inside reactions to those outside threats.

[Rebel Scum]

"Extreme" is a relative term.

[Libertarian]

Not in the U.S. It's a word used by leftists to describe moderate conservatives.

[WTF]

As in that dangerous extremist, Mitt Romney.

[Somalian Road Corporation]

Yep. Milquetoast Mitt the Republican socialist, the real author of Obamacare, and the rest of the merry bunch supporting a massive welfare state get regularly called "the most extreme Republicans ever!"

Just redefine things so that anyone a hair to the left of Pol Pot is a "right-wing extremist" and roll with it.

[userve32]

Dude sounds like a very good idea to me man. Wow.

http://www.BestAnon.tk

[UnCivilServant]

Time for a reboot, AnonBot.

[Russell]

Why not cut to the chase and install a guillotine in front of the Oxford Union ?

[Agammamon]

Ultimately, the only thing that will stop the British from deploying the guillotine is that its *French*.

[UnCivilServant]

Naw, just call it a gibbet and have a rounded blade and all's well (except for the pain in the neck as that design didn't cut as well.)

[Rich]

If the offender was to be executed for stealing an animal, a cord was fastened to the pin and tied to either the stolen animal or one of the same species, which was then driven off, withdrawing the pin and allowing the blade to drop.

Nice touch.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Watch. Criticizing government will be considered 'extremist'. You just watch.

Isn't England the place was some woman on TV said something to a fat lady who turned in for a 'hate crime' or something?

This is what we call a 'Dark Age' and we're not too far behind.

[UnCivilServant]

[Pedant On]

Actually, the term 'Dark Age' refered to the paucity of historical documentation available for the time span. Information on the original Dark Age has since been filled in archeologically, and it has been renamed the 'Migration Era'. The new Dark Age we are entering is not because of the laws and people, but because no one will be able to read our digital media, so our records will dry up.

[/Pedant Off]

[Rufus J. Firefly]

{Monocle on}

Yes. Yes, indeed. This 'Lost knowledge' and general misunderstanding of history and overall insufferable adherence to poppycock asshattery as we see in this case. Dark Age.

{drops monocle clumsily}

[Scarecrow Repair]

[citation needed]

Unless that too has been lost.

[Monty Crisco]

Cut and paste, UnCivil, cut and paste, dude.

[nailzer]

Think Salem Witch Trials and you have the answer.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Rule by upper class twits.

[Charles Easterly]

"Rule by upper class twits."

I once saw a competition betwixt Upper Class Twits (I attempted to post a link to it but was unsuccessful).

[Notorious G.K.C.]

It was called World War I.

[Bean Counter]

Good one!

[Heroic Mulatto]

The bill would also require university staff to "challenge" extremist ideas, even non-violent ones

Oh? Does that include the BDS movement? Because boycotting academics from a certain country, regardless of their opinions of the foreign and domestic policies of said country, sounds like an extremely bigoted viewpoint toward a certain ethno-religious group to me.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Oh, HM, it's not bigotry to oppose the most imperialistic-ist country in the world. Israel causes all the wars in the world, you know.

/sarc

[Heroic Mulatto]

Even the Pig War?

That doesn't sound kosher to me.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

I thought you were referring to this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N.....olice_Riot

[Charles Easterly]

I'm learning a lot this morning. Boering this is not.

[Notorious G.K.C.]

Extremist views are differ significantly with mine, especially if the extremist is unfairly winning an argument with me.

/sarc

[Notorious G.K.C.]

are views that differ

[Rich]

There are some who would cal that an extremist typo.

[Rich]

The Home Office said most universities already had a clear understanding of their Prevent-related responsibilities, including the need to ensure and promote freedom of speech while having due regard for the welfare of students, staff and visitors.

Emphasis added. What could be clearer than *that*?

[UnCivilServant]

They're trying to make a whole weasel out of words.

[jdgalt]

I propose the Queen order Parliament to trashcan this bill and refer its authors to anti-nanny-statism programs instead!