The Govt already stops people speaking via the Prevent Program as part of its anti-terrorism strategy, it’s aim is to ‘counter terrorist ideology and challenging those who promote it’. This inevitably has been used to stop or deter Muslim speakers in some cases. Is the Govt going to fine itself for stopping these people from speaking at Universities, or is it simply the Govts way of determining which radicalism is okay in the name of ‘free speech’ and which isn’t? Is radical Christianity okay, but radical Islam not okay? Is the Govt going to insist, on penalty of a fine, that Holocaust denial is okay in the interests of ‘free speech’, but acceptable to deny ‘free speech’ to a speaker arguing the case for the Palestinian people on the grounds it may ‘radicalise’ people?
The Govt already stops people speaking via the Prevent Program as part of its anti-terrorism strategy, it’s aim is to ‘counter terrorist ideology and challenging those who promote it’. This inevitably has been used to stop or deter Muslim speakers in some cases. Is the Govt going to fine itself for stopping these people from speaking at Universities, or is it simply the Govts way of determining which radicalism is okay in the name of ‘free speech’ and which isn’t? Is radical Christianity okay, but radical Islam not okay? Is the Govt going to insist, on penalty of a fine, that Holocaust denial is okay in the interests of ‘free speech’, but acceptable to deny ‘free speech’ to a speaker arguing the case for the Palestinian people on the grounds it may ‘radicalise’ people?
I for one am looking forward to geography undergrads getting to listen equally to both the round and flat earth schools of thought.Universities and their students in widespread left of centre political outlook shocker.
Quick, act horrified and kick around a point scoring political football so that we can return to the nineties, er, no, er, eighties, er, no, er, seventies, er, no, sixties, er, no, ...... hang on, when was this golden age of university campus' and students not being generally skewed towards what would be considered left of centre?
(That's not to say that there aren't examples of stupidity or shouting down of views that have been incorrect/wrong, in my view. But if you think that there was a golden age where students wouldn't shout down people from certain parts of the political spectrum, you are uninformed. Some of the students doing the shouting down often go on to become relatively right wing politicians, so I wouldn't worry too much that it's heralding a queer, communist, godless revolution - unless you are swallowing the culture war koolaid)
Depends if you want young people to grow up respecting British culture, values and historical achievements or whether you want to create another Salman Abedi. Up to you which you want on your conscience.
seems that rather than tackling the issues around universities and students paying for but not getting /using proper lectures and accommodation Williamson thinks its the job of his department to protect the rights of Holocaust deniers to deny the Holocaust.......anyone any ideas as to what Govt disasters he is trying to deflect attention from or is he really launching a Tommy Robinson charter?
Which historical achievements? The use of concentration camps in South Africa? The partition of India? The Bengal famine? The Irish famine?
How about we just teach history, the good, the bad and the ugly? Or is that too ‘radical’ and possibly risking a Govt fine?
Yeah all those lefty types ruining universities.If, as reported on this thread, a university exists where there are no Conservative supporting students, no young Tories association and anyone who doesn't hold left wing views is purged from the campus, then yes, I've changed my mind and there is obviously cause for the government to step in.
Of course though, it could be a load of bollocks story where the reader is expected to believe that someone intelligent enough to study for a masters is dumb enough to believe that they go to a university with no conservatives.
Why is looking at some of the disgusting things the British Empire did disrespectful?Only seems to be about the bad and the ugly these days, no wonder things like this result. The reduction of colonialism to a cherry picked selection of dark events is no less radical or regressive in the education of youngsters than what a minority are spewing their bile against now, because they have the privilege to do so far beyond what they would be allowed to do in pretty much any other country.
When the system can't be trusted to provide a balanced and objective education then checks and balances need to be implemented. No different to people who complain about this but want tougher action on social media companies who don't clamp down on racism or trump.
Anyway, your first line was so disrespectfully disingenuous so I've done myself a disservice dignifying the rest.