I think there is a world of difference between a writer's festival disinviting Germaine Greer and Bob Carr, both somewhat eccentric but (for want of a better description) harmless professional thinkers willing to engage in genuine debate, and one disinviting a person who was crucial to the rise of the most blantantly authoritarian President we are ever likely to see, still supports him, and seeking to get back into political influence by preaching hyper-nationalism and shallow populism.
If you don't support people who would refuse to attend a writers festival if Bannon is there, you don't appreciate the danger and obnoxiousness of the guy. [Leigh Sales might be well served to read this article, for starters.] And that's pretty shameful and dumb, especially for journalists.
sorry Steve,
ReplyDeleteYou cannot invite someone and then disinvite them because some people do not like their ideas however detestable.
It appears some people do not understand what free speech means.
wow, I am actually applauding Homer for once
ReplyDeleteHomer: you obviously can.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's absolute BS to call it a free speech issue.
Private organisation probably thought it would sell tickets and attract publicity by inviting a right wing jerk into the lion's den.
Some speakers (and potential ticket buyers) who otherwise would have attended said "no, we're not going to be part of that game." Organisation changes its mind.
Bannon goes on making propaganda movies and appearing on things like Australia's public broadcaster, free speech intact.
Pretty simple.
Jason: just because Lefties can be silly drama queens about all sorts of ridiculous stuff (such as authorial "cultural appropriation") does not mean that every time they object to a festival platforming a seriously objectionable jerk they are wrong.
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