Call me anally retentive, but I’ve got a blockage when it comes to bloggers censoring comments for no reasonable motive. Top political insider bloggers like Iain Dale do it all the time, and of course it is completely characteristic of most narrow ideologues that they need to create an environment where there are only two ways of seeing the world; the right way, which is their own, and the wrong way, which is the vile Other.
While many political bloggers simply delete comments that frighten them or the horses, ConHome has developed an especially sneaky approach. So, when one of their pet commenters has posted a particularly obnoxious or vituperative comment they put up a notice in its place, stating that the comment has been deleted, thus giving the impression of an open transparent process.
But what a fraud! As anyone not 'in with the in-crowd' will find, an intelligent, well-argued and polite comment that seriously challenges the group-think will simply be deleted covertly, without anyone the wiser.
And so, sad to find that Richard Murphy at TaxResearch blog is no better than ConHome. Or can anyone please tell me where the comment below, which he deleted, breaches his comments policy?
"Richard Murphy wrote: “And there’s much to oppose. If he did it properly he could bring the government down, and that would be a good thing.”
Don’t be too sure of that. Once the LibDems signed in blood the pact with the Tories they are in the fight to the death.
Besides which, where’s the alternative, when Labour have proven to be bankrupt?"
Harmless enough, you'd think. Why expunge it?
Dear Anally Retentive,
ReplyDeleteThis is precisely the argument for having one's own blog - to relieve oneself with a good dump!
I know, it's just disappointing that so many people are so pathetically narrow-minded.
ReplyDeleteIt's also the same argument as with all these programmable digital media. The vested interests are happy knowing that most people will be able to retreat into their comforting little virtual worlds and thinkalike coteries, trying to ignore the conflicted and conflicting realities around us.
By allowing people to continue pretending that the difficult choices the human race has made for itself either do not exist, or can be solved in easy simple ways, the powers that be perpetuate themselves and their power over us.
Compost!
I have seen this for a couple of years now with Mr Murphy.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that he BELIEVES he is right! Against reasonable dialogue and observed facts.
This is the behaviour of arrogance and vanity when one has become famous. He is a victim really, creating other victims by obscuring the simple truth.
When he is about to die he will remember this and see the truth, too late to change anything.