Free speech and opinion- not tolerated today?

thefragile

That is being held accountable for something, just something he said 50 odd years ago.

Culturally times change, that doesn't negate accountability, but just in the case of homosexuality attitudes have changed very quickly.....

Cliff

He would not be accountable for anything at the time apart from reflecting the views of everybody else at the time.

That is why it is ridiculous to condemn him.

If you want to hold the country accountable then that's your prerogative and probably a better standpoint.

thefragile

You're arguing a bit of a straw man if we're totally honest. He took a bit of twitter ire...... nothing else.

He's a celebrity, twitter ire is part and parcel of being a celebrity, in much the same way as you essentially give up your right to privacy in public.

Trollslayer

I have to agree about the straw man Sim.

Cliff

I think if I was Tom Jones I would be mortified. But as you say he should expect it.
But lets drop Tom Jones - I take you disagree with the OP.

thefragile

If you mean do I think you should expect to be able to say anything without being accountable for it, no I don't.

If you me do I think that legally you should be allowed to say anything should you expect to be threatened legall? Only in extreme circumstances.

Cliff

Interesting read by an Academic on this subject, published today.

I rather like the quote from C.S Lewis...

‘Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies.’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3297734/Death-free-speech-Germaine-Greer-branded-transphobic-student-feminists-academic-attacks-self-righteous-zealots-censoring-history-literature-crushing-debate-universities.

fluxo

After all that fuss, the invitation remained open and she chose not to go anyway

Trollslayer

Hence the nickname "The Daily Maul".
Experts at winding people up and profiting from their righteous indignation.

Toko Black

Like under Christian moralistic busy bodies who have dominated the UK for centuries ?
Funny that the quote comes from a Christian apologist

To my mind, there are a few different drivers behind the current 'PC gone mad'/'Free speech on for the self righteous' cultural paradigm that seems to be playing out.

- We have moved on somewhat from a period of more Christian dominated morality into a more secular view point as our cultural morality and understanding of the world has evolved.
That has led to a position where those who were once dictating and setting the moral benchmarks for society are finding themselves marginalised and sometimes at odds with the new moral status quo.
Instead of forcing single mothers off to have their babies in secret and then putting adopted because of the social stigma ... like my biological mother was, times have changed.
It's no longer acceptable to enforce laws or rules upon others based on moral objections to peoples sexuality.
When you consider that approx. 40% of the population was born before the 1950's, it is not surprising that many people have had to adapt to considerable and rapid changes in social morality.

- As a society, there has been a shift towards attempting to be more tolerant, inclusive and have equal rights for everyone.
That has the consequence that those who once had the right to act prejudicially against another section of society have lost some of those rights as those sections of society gained the right to be free from prejudice.
Some over zealous and/or inept members of our society and officialdom have taken the concepts behind being politically correct and run with them so far they fell off the map.
The resultant silliness is then further blow out of proportion by invested groups/media with a bias towards more traditional values into scare mongering and propaganda.

- technology has been embraced by much of society, but the likes of Facebook, twitter and instant messaging services are embedded into youth culture to such an extent now that it is the norm for them.
Younger generations now have more of a social voice due to these technologies - leading to a change in the balance of power in the media and society. Points of view have become more egalitarian, leading to a broader spectrum of opinions that what was traditionally viewed as the public voice.
With pop stars and fashion icons packaging themselves as internet products who can disseminate their views quickly and easily to fans, the latest fashions in 'what to think' have an ever increasing influence on what those who are easily led parrot out on their own twitter.