Saturday 5 January 2013

Glenn Greenwald Is A Bit Naive, Isn't He?

Or...maybe that's just what he wants you to think:
Before getting to the merits of all this, I must say: I simply do not understand how someone who decides to become a journalist then devotes his energy to urging that the government be empowered to ban and criminalize certain ideas and imprison those who express them. Of all people who would want the state empowered to criminalize ideas, wouldn't you think people who enter journalism would be the last ones advocating that?
Well, no, Glenn, I wouldn't. And unlike Longrider, I'm not so sure you really get it, either...
How do people get so convinced of their own infallibility that they want to arrogate to themselves the power not merely to decree which views are wrong, but to use the force of the state to suppress those views and punish people for expressing them?
Gosh. It's a mystery, all right...

Maybe he just hasn't been at the 'Guardian' for very long?

3 comments:

Paul said...

For once I actually read a piece on CIF that you linked to.

I have to say that I fully agree with the author. Whilst I take a 'right wing' position on most things, whatever that means nowadays, I try to be open minded and honest. The very idea that the 'authorities' should have the right or ability to shut down dissenting opinions is absolute anathema to me; even when those opinions may advocate the 'global warming' idiocies.

Longrider, I think, has it right.

JuliaM said...

"The very idea that the 'authorities' should have the right or ability to shut down dissenting opinions is absolute anathema to me; even when those opinions may advocate the 'global warming' idiocies."

Oh, I totally agree that he's right - I just find that his naivety grates so, considering the circles he runs in.

The high falutin' idea that journalists should be above this is all very well, but has he never looked around at his fellow journalists lately?

Longrider said...

The high falutin' idea that journalists should be above this is all very well, but has he never looked around at his fellow journalists lately?

Seemingly, he just did.

"...there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance"

And all that jazz