Obama, Hannan, And The Exclusion Of The Public From Politics

Man in a Shed posted this cartoon showing how the left 'frame' debate and links it to the methods of Labour over here. He is, of course, correct, but by looking more closely at the US experience, we can see where future bastardisation of idea exchange will occur.

Under Obama, a full scale war has begun to be waged on the only area where Conservatives and Christians are in the ascendancy. Talk radio.

So concerned is Obama about this, that he has appointed a 'Diversity Czar' to keep them in check. That or put them out of business altogether.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced a new "Chief Diversity Officer," communications attorney Mark Lloyd.

But Doctor of Jurisprudence Lloyd is far more than merely a communications attorney. He was at one time a Senior Fellow at the uber-liberal Center for American Progress (CAP), for whom he co-wrote a June 2007 report entitled "The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio."

Which rails against the fact that the American people overwhelmingly prefer to listen to conservative (and Christian) talk radio rather than the liberal alternative, and suggests ways the federal government can remedy this free-market created "problem."

•Restore local and national caps on the ownership of commercial radio stations.
•Ensure greater local accountability over radio licensing.
•Require commercial owners who fail to abide by enforceable public interest obligations to pay a fee to support public broadcasting.

These last two get perilously close to the use of "localism" to silence conservative (and Christian) radio stations, about which we have been warning for quite some time.

The 'fee' mentioned is designed to punish the popular right leaning organisations, by making them give their money to the unpopular left leaning ones. A redistribution of wealth from those who disagree with Obama's policies, to those who do.

The "Chief Diversity Officer" in question, Mark Lloyd, is calling for the gross operating budget for every private radio station each year to be the fee (tax) they pay for their broadcast license for the year, with the monies going to the always liberal public stations. With whom they then must compete for listeners.

Very Blair/Campbell. Very Labour. Obama has obviously done his homework.

So how does this translate to our side of the pond? Well, the nearest we had to a ranty talk radio DJ was Jon Gaunt, and the moment he put a foot out of line, he was sacked in what Henry Porter termed,

typical of New Labour's age of censoriousness and control

The MSM is mostly left-ready and with Labour's ace propagandist, Comrade Beeb, well and truly under the government's thumb, there isn't much left.

However, no matter where objection emanates, socialism requires it to be silenced. Not by way of debate, that would be too difficult, but by opprobrium and sanction, as can be observed in Labour's refusal to defeat the BNP with counterpoint, but instead to still their voice entirely. And if they can't tackle an entity so easily dismissable as the BNP, what chance more intellectual dissenters?

Like Dan Hannan, for example. Incensed by his NHS remarks, they had their first pop, but the Labour establishment is now trying to nail him on an innocuous Enoch Powell remark. His character itself must be attacked and destroyed, not the valid points that he raises.

So to see a glimpse of our future if Labour do manage to secure a fourth term, we have only to look back to November last year and Hazel Blears' comments on the blogosphere.

"But mostly, political blogs are written by people with disdain for the political system and politicians, who see their function as unearthing scandals, conspiracies and perceived hypocrisy.

Until political blogging 'adds value' to our political culture, by allowing new voices, ideas and legitimate protest and challenge, and until the mainstream media reports politics in a calmer, more responsible manner, it will continue to fuel a culture of cynicism and despair."

The ensuing Smeargate fiasco was all linked to this unease from the left at the success of right-leaning blogs.

Exactly as in the US with talk radio, there is no recognition that such despair and anger is caused precisely because of the abject nature of socialist policies. In a socialist's mind, their views are correct and none shall be allowed a differing opinion. Labour are right, everyone else is wrong and should be made to toe the line, or zip it.

It is a theme which underpins the left both in the US and in the UK. It is evident in every proscriptive law that is thrust upon us without the option of choice or exemption. It is a do-as-we-say mentality which is ugly and anti-democratic. At times, it becomes equally as hateful and vindictive as the views of those that the left despise.

Labour rely on brute force and ignorance to batter the public into submission, a lesson Obama has learned very well. It is a distasteful and ignorant way of running an administration and should be swept into the dustbin of history.

The problem is, as opposition parties shuffle ominously toward the same methodology, who do we trust to do so?