Why this Blog?

A place where I can lament the changing times; for eccentric comments on current affairs and for unfashionable views, expressed I hope, in cogent style; also occasional cris de coeur largely concerned, I regret to say, with myself.



Comments

I welcome your comments, so do please write. Please note however that all comments are moderated prior to publication. Whilst I fully appreciate that life can be frustrating, nevertheless, abuse, SMS language and illiteracy will not be tolerated!

Sunday 7 December 2008

And Still More on Free Speech

Following my recent posts about Belgian Defence Minister Pieter de Crem and the New York Barmaid, Nathalie, who was allegedly sacked as a result of her blogging about his presence in her bar, we have a new free speech problem.

This time it concerns Baltic State, Latvia.  Until recently, Latvia was a shining star of economic growth in the Baltic region.  Sadly she has been hit hard by the international economic crisis.

A university professor, a Mr Smirnov was "unwise enough" to offer his views to a newspaper as the BBC reports:

University lecturer Dmitrijs Smirnov told a newspaper the nation's currency, the lat, was heading for devaluation.
Mr Smirnov. Picture source, BBC

The result of this was that Mr Smirnov was seized by Latvia's security police - the Latvian equivalent I suppose of those who unconstitutionally raided Mr Damian Green's office at Westminster the other day - and locked up for two days.  "Charges" (for what exactly?) are still pending!

This is the moment for what the Americans call a "reality check."

Latvia is ostensibly a Western European state, espousing all those wonderful, liberal "democratic" values so prized by the windbags who occupy the European Parliament.  It is this state that has imprisoned an academic for expressing an opinion in a newspaper.

IS ANYONE AWAKE?

At this rate one might as well be living in China, Russia or even Mugabe's bordel of country.

Historians have claimed for years that the West is in terminal decline.  I had imagined that this observation might have been proven correct by the activities of the beards and towels brigade (in the service of Allah of course) but I am beginning to wonder if the decline is now coming from within.

Until the next time.

No comments: