Ah, the freedom of speech gambit
I like Rowan Atkinson’s letter to the Times in defence of Boris on the grounds of our freedom to make fun of religion. We need to be able to take the piss out of the mumbo jumbo people.
As a lifelong beneficiary of the freedom to make jokes about religion, I do think that Boris Johnson’s joke about wearers of the burka resembling letterboxes is a pretty good one.
"All jokes about religion cause offence, so it’s pointless apologising for them.
"You should really only apologise for a bad joke. On that basis, no apology is required
If it was a joke it was an old one and it wasn’t even funny FFS. If, as I suspect, it was a way of letting other idiots know that he thinks it’s ok to say this sort of thing then he succeeded.
It was mainly an effort to get everyone talking about Boris. It’s worked!
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Whilst I personally rail at Johnson for the deliberately manipulative nature of his column, Atkinson does have a point.
However it’s actually moot because Johnson should have burned LONG before this for much more serious misdemeanours, such as his disgusting behaviour over Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
That alone should have kept him from high office for good.
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Possibly the single worst example of Dog Whistle politics in the UK since Goldsmith’s campaign for Mayor of London. The next campaign will be filthy if BoJo is in charge. Expect no rule to be respected.
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I agree that he knows exactly what he was doing and no doubt the article has had the impact that he was looking for. However we have laws limiting freedom of speech and he has not strayed onto the wrong side of that line.
On the other hand, I do believe in the right to be offensive and say offensive things provided it doesn’t stray into incitement, racism, homophobia etc. This idea of ‘safe spaces’ in universities is utter bollocks and is the antithesis of what uni should be about. Boris should be free to be as offensive as he wants and the electorate will decide in due course if he was shrewd or otherwise.
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He possibly does i agree. But it doesn’t apply here as Johnson wasn’t making a joke about religion. He was comparing women who are likely victims of oppression to inanimate objects, ref letter boxes and armed robbers.
It’s unlikely he was even attempting to make a joke given the rest of the column subject matter…
Further, it’s an old and tired strategy to make an insulting statement and then have it passed off as a joke.
I totally agree he has every right to say it. As I have every right to call him out on it for the clear ulterior motives. Not that anyone will take any notice of me.
Johnson on the other hand is an elected official and famous person. He should know fucking better but we know he’s cares nought about anyone but himself.
Also just because we have the right to be rude and insulting doesn’t mean we have to be.
Trump made disgusting comments about a person with a disability. He didn’t suggest violence towards that person or other similar people. I doubt there are many people who found it acceptable.
Got to love what Sasha Baron Cohen did with that:
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We can call it a gambit if we want but I find it a pretty tough gambit to disagree with. I can see a case for suppressing free speech when it’s an incitement to worse behaviour, although I’d argue that doing so is still an evil (just the lesser of two evils). But Boris wasn’t guilty of incitement. So I think his views need to be exposed so they can be judged. For what it’s worth the letterbox bit was just a joke (bad or otherwise). The bank robber bit was worse, in my opinion. That associates burka wearers with people who mean us all harm.
VB
Very little offends me. I can be quite offensive. I am a working class nobody. My voice is one of many millions. Not the same voice, just one of many.
I can say offensive things and they have no effect apart from individuals who I offend (or who choose to be offended).
Bojo is an elected official with a voice many listen to. Because of the position he holds he has power. He has access to the many millions of which I am only one.
His comments and position have an affect. It’s categorically NOT OK for a politician to slight an ethnic group or belief system. How is this any different from Corbin and the supposed anti-semitism ?
The support for the former is disturbing compared to the outrage to the latter.
Johnson is playing the electorate. Pure and simple. He stands to gain from this notoriety in the form of support from ex-UKIP, BNP, EDL memberships or believers. There are plenty of them about.
Johnson is playing a long game. This is part of a plan. A testing of the water, if you like. In the current climate, if you stand out as a straight talker, no matter how many right thinking people you offend, and you will gain votes. Sound familiar ?
While it causes me to dry retch, I can see BJ in No.10. The political scene is truly fucked. It needs change. This could well be seen as a change for the better by some.
We. Are. All. Fucked.
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Halle fucking luyah!!!
This is what I’ve been saying albeit in brief.
I’m sitting on my arse typing on my phone so am keeping my posts short. It takes ages as I keep making stupid errors.
I disagree. This view is perfect for the Ukips and the EDLs. It is absolutely not ok for a senior elected politician.
I’m of the view that denigrating people on the basis of ethnicity, religious beliefs, socio-economic status, or any other personal trait is just wrong. Doing it for personal or political gain is unforgivable.
I’m expecting a race to the bottom in the next election, irrespective of who is leading the political parties. The press (Telegraph especially) has green-lighted this shit, including the Beeb which is a disgrace.
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Not even a belief system that, say, bans abortion, or destroys archaeological treasures because they’re idols, or burns heretics, or shoots girls in the head because they want to get an education, or won’t let women drive cars (fortunately enough public slighting has finally forced the main perpetrators to slacken off on that one) ?
And that is your right, under ‘the freedom of speech gambit’.
VB
Against oppressive regimes with fact and evidence ? Yes.
Personal attacks using comic book caricatures ? No.
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Was surprised to hear that his brother tried to be the Ukip leader.
This and then some.
Childish humour that’s not even funny or clever will not wash.
Again I’m surprised that this needs spelling out.