Feeble Democratic Secularism | 274 comments (274 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

OTOH is it not legitimate to take an 'acted position' in order to provoke a discussion, or question an audience?

It's one thing to speak truth to power, and quite another to bully.

I distribute. You re-distribute. He gives your hard-earned money to lazy scroungers. -- JakeS

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Jan 5th, 2013 at 07:02:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Fool to Lear (none / 0)

I agree - but at what point does one become the other?

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sun Jan 6th, 2013 at 02:40:59 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Fool to Lear (none / 0)

I thought of the two of us I was the socially inept one...

I distribute. You re-distribute. He gives your hard-earned money to lazy scroungers. -- JakeS

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Jan 6th, 2013 at 02:50:59 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Fool to Lear (4.00 / 4)

You can't bully the powerful.

On the other hand, maybe you can. I am instantly reminded of Michael Moore's interview of Charlton Heston in Bowling for Columbine. Since my first viewing of that movie, it felt to me like harassment. Sort of like a happy-slappy video.

Then again, as Galbraith said,

In all life one should comfort the afflicted, but verily, also, one should afflict the comfortable, and especially when they are comfortably, contentedly, even happily wrong.

I distribute. You re-distribute. He gives your hard-earned money to lazy scroungers. -- JakeS

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Jan 6th, 2013 at 02:57:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Fool to Lear (none / 0)

Presumably a labour strike cannot therefore be seen as bullying?

My point is that there is no clear line between 'truth to power' and 'bullying' without understanding the audience that 'freedom of speech' addresses. I agree that in many, perhaps most, cases it is easy to see which is which (usually because the law is clear). But there are also cases in which the messaging can only be defined by the supposed intent.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sun Jan 6th, 2013 at 06:52:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Fool to Lear (none / 1)

My point is that there is no clear line between 'truth to power' and 'bullying' without understanding the audience that 'freedom of speech' addresses.

What? There's no clarity in who has power over whom in most situations?

I distribute. You re-distribute. He gives your hard-earned money to lazy scroungers. -- JakeS

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sun Jan 6th, 2013 at 03:25:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Feeble Democratic Secularism | 274 comments (274 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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