Stan Beer
Thursday, 19 March 2009 20:07
Opinion and Analysis
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I don't know about you but I'm old enough to remember a time when
classic works of fiction such as D H Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover
were banned from publication. After the permissive era of the late
1960s and 1970s, I never thought I would see those days return. I was
wrong.
This is not China. This is not pre-cold-war
Soviet Union. This not North Korea or Myanmar. This is not Iran. This
is not even Malaysia or Indonesia.
This is Australia, a country that is sort of like a cross between
America and England, with better weather, nicer cities, an easier going
lifestyle, but the same time honoured, cherished values of democracy
and the freedom to pursue happiness.
All of sudden, however, it seems that we're living in a climate of fear
induced by the current Federal Government. As an Internet publisher and
a journalist of 25 years experience, I can state this as a fact.
A couple of hours ago, I was reading an
article by one of our very
finest contributors Adam Turner about the subject of Internet Filtering
and I realised that he had included a link to a site which has become
famous for leaking information - Wikileaks. That link has been removed,
There is no doubt that this site is controversial. That's one of the
things that makes it interesting and popular. In the spirit of true
journalism, it publishes without fear nor favour.
At this time, however, it has published some material that has made our current Government very angry, distressed and unhappy.
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