Sunday, February 17

Arab states plan TV crackdown

You already know what I am going to say, no? I am afraid this is fairly typical of these countries that they cannot see the truth or actually experience the intelligence of their citizens. Criticism and debate are good for the soul, they show the ways your country can be improved. But because most of the leaders are either autocrats or kings, their bases are very weak and rest more on religion and/or security pressure. Hence, press down on anything like debate and discussion.

Read this and weep. I quote:

In a collective effort to curb satellite channels such as al-Jazeera, Arab states have adopted a charter that authorises individual countries to penalise media organisations deemed to have offended political and religious leaders or to have damaged social harmony and national unity.

In recent years the explosion in the number of satellite channels - there are now about 500 on air, most of them privately owned - has meant that states have lost control over what their populations could see on their television screens.

Channels such as al-Jazeera, which has managed to upset most Arab governments at one point or another, have provided platforms for opposition groups and breached taboos by broadcasting stories about human rights violations and election fraud.

And see this

"The commitment to freedom of expression is a main cornerstone of Arab media activity, provided that the practice of this freedom should be informed by a sense of awareness and responsibility in order to protect the higher interests of Arab states and of the Arab nation," says the -document.

I was laughing and falling about. First about the fact that it was the Arab states talking about freedom of speech and secondly, they are actually dressing up the freedom of speech bit under the interests of "higher interests of Arab states and Arab Nations". Which means, the interests of the despots, autocrats and dictators. Esphoks. Disgusting. How hypocritical can you get?

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