Free Speech warriors on the right miss an open goal “Whether or not you believe Gary Lineker should be sacked for apparently breaching BBC guidelines, the notion that he is a freedom fighter against a Far Right government is an absurd metro liberal fantasy",” tweeted Toby Young yesterday. I feel sad for Toby. Genuinely. This was a big moment for him, one in which he could have risen above partisan considerations and supported Lineker’s right to say what he said, demonstrating along the way how dedicated he is to the principle of free speech. Toby could have stated that he disagreed with every word Lineker had said but that he would defend his right to say it to the nth degree. This, after all, is what free speech is about, defending people’s right to say things, even when you disagree with them. It’s quite easy to defend people’s right to say things you completely agree with, it should go without saying.
The simplest explanation for this somewhat less than shocking about-face in attitudes to free speech, is that they're all hypocritical arseholes, lacking in principals without a shred of integrity between them.
Paul Embery who was on the same show as Toby Young has confirmed that he said Lineker should be allowed to say what he said, and he'd offer his Free Speech Union services if Lineker felt he was cancelled and requested his help. Some misreporting here?
The simplest explanation for this somewhat less than shocking about-face in attitudes to free speech, is that they're all hypocritical arseholes, lacking in principals without a shred of integrity between them.
Paul Embery who was on the same show as Toby Young has confirmed that he said Lineker should be allowed to say what he said, and he'd offer his Free Speech Union services if Lineker felt he was cancelled and requested his help. Some misreporting here?