From: egnilges@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Edward G. Nilges)
Newsgroups: misc.legal,alt.censorship,misc.headlines
Subject: Sinead O'Connor's freedom of speech
Summary: The hell with King Billy and down with the Pope
Keywords: Those croppies who will not lie down
Date: 7 Oct 92 05:40:11 GMT
Organization: Princeton University
Originator: news@nimaster

As I get ready to leave Princeton and cease posting from this location,
I won't refrain from (1) saying hip hip hurrah for Sinead's performance
on Saturday Night Live, and (2) reflecting that the logic of the modal
net "libertarian" position on freedom of speech would PREVENT Sinead from
speaking.  For the "libertarian" systematically winds up with a strong
view of property rights (including rights acquired by force and fraud)
such that the "right" of freedom of speech disappears, to be replaced by
the PRIVILEGE, always exercised on what turns out to be some man's
property.

Net.libertarians, that is, feel themselves magnaminous when on the one
hand they extend the "right" of free speech to views they oppose, and on
the other maintain that, well, USENET is private property and you must
purchase public access.  This makes the "right" a privilege, which is
always under a form of veiled threat: take away Viktora's right to
assault black people, we'll  pull Doonesbury, your uucp feed, "and your
little dawg, too! (crazed laughter.)"

And, of course, Sinead made her protest on air time which most
libertarians will argue was (surprise) private property, to be disposed
of by NBC and not by Sinead.  This argument will ignore Ralph Nader's
argument that the airways were originally public property, for
libertarianism always winds up assenting to the claims of the Randian
superior man, which implicitly authorizes at least some forms of force
and fraud.  The libertarian must perforce support the claims of the
network execs to control what's said on Saturday Night Live, claims that
were asserted a long time ago and which directed SNL humor a long time
ago against foolish, weak, and powerless "marks" such as "the wild and
crazy guys", and away from powerful targets that would hit back.

Sinead went against this tradition.  Because of the infantile Baby
Boomer view that Freedom is nice and good and Power is evil and bad,
many idiots in my generational cohort will say, Sinead oppressed
Catholics by insulting Popey Jopey.  This neatly ignores the vast
disproportion between the power of the Vatican and the numerous
governments allied with the Vatican, and that of Sinead O'Connor.  I'm
sure the rock establishment would rather have her wasting her time in
"we are the world" concerts that have never made much of a difference to
the starving masses of the Third World, rather than doing what she did,
which was to speak out against a clerical establishment that, along with
the Brits and potato blight, is one of the awful disasters to befall Ireland.

I say, good for Sinead, and I quote Frank Harte, singing about the
Guildford Four, innocent men held in British jails for 15 years:


     I know a man and his brain's also ran
     His mind is befuddled by the love of a crown
     He's a drunken pub bore, he'll rant and he'll roar
     At those croppies who will not lie down.

          Those croppies who will not lie down
          When all's said and done, you know freedom is won
          By croppies who will not lie down

     Now on England's fair shore, there are people galore
     Who's greatest delight is Diana's new gown
     They accept Maggie's lash, they've minds filled with trash
     And curse croppies who will not lie down

          Those croppies who will not lie down
          When all's said and done you know freedom is won
          By croppies who will not lie down


     THE HELL WITH KING BILLY AND OUT WITH THE POPE.  GO SINEAD.
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