A blogger in England has lost his job been suspended from his job with a cell phone company because of the content of his blog post on a Conservative Party website set up to discuss Tory issues. In his post, the Lefty Lexicon, Inigo Wilson undertook to define certain words and expression relating mostly to terrorism and Muslims, as left leaning liberals understand them, in his opinion. His dismissal suspension from the phone company came about mainly due to protests from Britain's Islamic community. I don't think he should lose his job with the company for what he wrote on a political blog. This is indeed a freedom of speech issue. His dismissal will only strengthen the notion that the liberals can't take criticism.
Some entries from Mr. Wilson's Lexicon:
Islamophobic - anyone who objects to having their transport blown up on the way to work.
Palestinians - archetypal "victims", no matter how many teenagers they murder in bars and fast-food outlets. Never responsible for anything they do - or done in their name - because of "root causes" or "legitimate grievances".
Al-Qa'ida - Muslim "militants" who for some reason continue to kill far more Muslims than people of any other faith.
Religion - Christianity: irrational, dangerous belief that material things may not be the principal motive behind human behaviour. Judaism: most Israelis are Jewish, so probably "intolerant". Islam: always needs to be "understood".
Hate-crime - same as "normal" crime as far as victims are concerned - but much more distressing for lefties.
Terrorist - no such thing. Only people suffering from "root causes" and "legitimate grievances".
In other news from Britain, the British Deputy Prime Minister has defined the Bush administration simply as "crap".
John Prescott has given vent to his private feelings about the Bush presidency, summing up George Bush's administration in a single word: crap.The Deputy Prime Minister's condemnation of President Bush and his approach to the Middle East could cause a diplomatic row but it will please Labour MPs who are furious about Tony Blair's backing of the United States over the bombing of Lebanon.
Harry Cohen, the MP whose constituency includes Walthamstow, scene of some of the police raids in the alleged "terror plot" investigation, said Mr Prescott had definitely used the word "crap" about the Bush administration.
"He was talking in the context of the 'road map' in the Middle East. He said he only gave support to the war on Iraq because they were promised the road map. But he said the Bush administration had been crap on that. We all laughed and he said to an official, 'Don't minute that'." Mr Cohen added: "We also had a laugh when he said old Bush is just a cowboy with his Stetson on. But then he said, 'I can hardly talk about that can I?'
Certainly this will not go over well at the US State Department or with the GOP. But diplomatic furore or not, many Labor MPs are siding with Prescott and against Blair. Also,
Labour agrees: Bush is crap : (some of the MPs' words here)
Actually the article points out that the cell phone company Orange is aware of free speech issues and has only suspended Inigo Wilson, while a 'full investigation' is undertaken into the matter. I, for one, doubt that he will lose his job over it. The suspension placates the members of the public so that their ire isn't directed at Orange, while pushing the issue of Wilson's employment with them into the background to be disposed off quietly later.
Posted by: Sujatha | August 18, 2006 at 07:34 AM