Kilroy Silk - What do you think?

[Ice Kay]

...

This isn't a free speech issue, it's about being qualified for the job in question. To present such a show, one needs to be able to present oneself as an impartial mediator.

I know, I already said that myself.

[revol68]

okay first of i believe totally in freedom of speech and Kilroy has a right to say whatever simplistic nonsense enters his head, however Kilroy does not have a divine right to remain in his post in the BBc or Express (tho the 3rd Reich Express will back him to the hilt), i have freedom of speech but i cant go on the BBC and say whatever i feel like. Therefore Kilroy trying to make this an issue of freedom of speech is ridiculous, especially since vaguely left commentators get dropped from papers for being "too" critical (like sugesting that US foreign policy aint based on a desire to make the world free) all the time.

Now as for the comments themselves they are retarded simplistic and racist (as much as he claims that they were aimed at regimes and Islamic fundamentalism it is obvious he was referring to the wider arab world otherwise why mention nonsense like how the "west" found and drilled the oil). Sadly however his views do reflect a growing view in Britain about Arabs or as pointed out muslims in general. This view is being pushed in the most obvious way and indeed the hypocrisy of it is that they do so under the mantle of progressive and liberal values, despite that the same papers and individuals criticising the arab world on woman's rights, gay rights and secularism did there best to stop the advancement of such rights in the UK.

Now i could go on and ask about these parties that happened after 9-11, infact the pictures of the palestian kids celebrating was old footage (google it if u dont believe me) and even if it was real so what, the palestianian people continue to be oppressed and killed by US made and supplied weaponary (M4's, Apaches, F-16's etc), there misplaced anger needs to be put in this context. Likewise what about all the idiots in the west out celebrating the 1st iraq war?? double standards are abound!

Also coming from Northern Ireland it is quite obvious that u cant have a war on terrorism (likewise with war on drug),terrorism comes from perceived injustices and believe me the US, Britain, France and the rest of the west are as guilty as any Arab regime. Likewise being Irish does not make me a bomber, wife beater, drunk, paedophile or charming. (tho i am two of those, i'll let u lot guess lol)

this has went on for ages and i cant be arsed but basically people need to read some f**kin history, look critically at their own "cultures" (since thats what seems to be fashionable way of understanding the modern world *cough* its bullsh*t *cough*) and basically remember that people are individuals.

Oh yeah and The War On Terror = T.W.A.T. and Bush is just a polite name for a ****!

no war but the class war!

[spikegifted]

Now i could go on and ask about these parties that happened after 9-11, infact the pictures of the palestian kids celebrating was old footage (google it if u dont believe me) and even if it was real so what, the palestianian people continue to be oppressed and killed by US made and supplied weaponary (M4's, Apaches, F-16's etc), there misplaced anger needs to be put in this context. Likewise what about all the idiots in the west out celebrating the 1st iraq war?? double standards are abound!

I’m not sure about misplaced anger... The fact that the US has been support and continues to support one of the most hated regimes in the Middle East (in terms of neighbors not liking it, not how the West thinks should be treated) is a major cause for friction between Arabs and the US. We’re talking about a country that has spent the past few decades isolating its neighbor - socially, economically and politically. We’re talking about a country that illegally occupies the territories of other countries for their own ‘security’. We’re talking about a country that allow its citizens to build settlements on land that does belong to the country. This is a country that when it comes to negotiation, treat these settled areas as its own sovereign territories. These policies have been and continue to have the support of the US administration. When you’ve gotten a country where unemployment in some areas reaches 75-80%, what do you thing people are going to do? There is no mechanism whereby the Palestinian can do anything to change their situation. Any person with any self-respect is going to stand up and fight for his/her corner. Don’t even believe for half a second that things are going to get better because they won’t. Don’t even suggest that they should get back to negotiation table because there’s nothing to negotiate. For the Palestinians, it’s a lose/lose situation. They either lose big or they lose even bigger. What kind of policy is that? And what kind of country will support policies like these in another country?

[Swafe]

whatever happened to freedom of speech

[fondie]

whatever happened to freedom of speech

no one stopped him saying it, a national newspaper printed the article, the BBC also has the freedom not to employ racists to present talk shows.

how do you invisage freedom of speech, everyone is allowed to say anything they like? but no one can hold what they have said against them?

[Swafe]

freedom of speech - he should be free to say what he wants, at no risk from losing his job, or getting into any debackle about it, its his opinion, let him say what he wants

sacking him for what he thinks is harsh, you should be able to think what you want, whether other ppl like it or not

[spikegifted]

whatever happened to freedom of speech

In a modern society, and I think we're living in one, the ideal of freedom of speech is constantly being attacked and eroded.

Owing to the insecurity of our elected officials, the incompetence of our civil servants and their mistrust of the general population, we, as a society, are enjoying less and less freedom. Often people are 'gagged' for the sake of 'national security' and/or 'being patriotic'. While there are often 'secrets' that will genuinely have 'national security' implication and people who are 'unpatriotic' and want to betray these secrets to the 'enemy', on the whole, people just want to know what's going and want to have the freedom to say what they know and think. However, we've been conditioned to think that if a piece of information is considered 'secret' it must be important (like the design of the 'computer' used during WWII to crack German Enigma code is still under lock and key...) and that people are biologically incapable of keeping secrets... The combination of the two results in laws like the Official Secrets Act.

Often times, these 'secrets' are completely out of date, inconsequential and even useless. Moreover, by removing the threat of 'whistle blowers', elected officials think they can get away with unpopular decisions and incompetent civil servants can hide their mistakes... So what are the 'secrecy laws' for? To protect us - the people who pay the taxes and elected the politicians or to protect them - the people who spend our money and ask for our votes?

[revol68]

freedom of speech - he should be free to say what he wants, at no risk from losing his job, or getting into any debackle about it, its his opinion, let him say what he wants

sacking him for what he thinks is harsh, you should be able to think what you want, whether other ppl like it or not

what a crock of bullrubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish, words have real impact especially when they are being aired by someone on television and in papers, the other point is that plenty of arabs and muslims pay the tv license and hence Kilroys wages and i dont think it is right that they should have to wake up to his racist simplistic bollox.

Another point is that Kilroy has a history of this he described the Irish as drunks, paedophile priests, wife beaters and bombers nd he is constantly scapegoating refugees and single mums. This is not an issue of freedom of speech (he isnt some rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish in a pub no one listens to) its about power and Kilroy was in a position of power from which he picks on the powerless.

U say u should be able to think what u want, fair enough but as soon as u open ur mouth those thoughts become public discussion and sorry they do have repurrcussions. eg if someone didnt believe in gravity and they told everone this.. they'd be laughed at and if they were a science teacher they would lose their job (u'd hope), now Kilroy has been asked to explain his guff and he is trying to squirm his way outta it.

When freedom of speech starts being used to justify the denial of freedoms to others it is time to start looking at the issue abit more critically.

[Frosty]

I personally feel the hounding of Kilroy is an over reaction,they persecute him because people want to be seen to be politically correct, because people want to be seen to be taking a stand against racism, well in this case theres no need for such a stand tbh he's an insignificant morning chat host, as for the bit about "insighting racial hatred".....a bit ridiculous... he was wrong for his swathing generalisation about Arabs....heck even the term Arab is a bit too broad when referring to middle eastern terrorists

He makes some valid point, and as others have mentioned he is wrong to make such generalisations, such huge lashings of generalistaions and sterotypes is one thing i detest but Kilroys is not the worst example ive seen, albeit he was ignorant on some aspects.As with most things i think it is ignorance/un-education is what leads to racism/hatred etc i noticed some 1 mentioning loads of Arabs cheering in the streets when summit bad happens in the west, thats because they are un-educated, they know no better...its always easier to hate summit you know nothing about than when you realise their just the same as you.

I suppose my post has more turned into a rant about terrorism and its basis...un-education... also the actions of the west havn't helped but fuel these fundamentalist ideas....no cancellation of third world debt means they'll never be able to start producing medicines/technological advancement (which Kilroy mentioned) because they don't have the cash...infact most of the America's Economy is based on third world debt and if it was stoped the world eceonmy would be in chaos also how are you supposed to stop hatred/terrosism when you go storming in with guns etc and hold ppl without trial in a judicial no-mans land (camp x-ray for example) *sigh* just not good

Well i dunno how i managed to blurt this out in a link related to Kilroy but hey....
There ya Go

[revol68]

i noticed some 1 mentioning loads of Arabs cheering in the streets when summit bad happens in the west, thats because they are un-educated, they know no better...its always easier to hate summit you know nothing about than when you realise their just the same as you.

because their uneducated??? or may be because the israeli army has just shoot up some palestinians with US supplied m4's and destroyed their homes with US supplied F-16's and apache helicopters.

anyways i think u put to much emphasis on education i mean for a start who is educating who and about what. as for they don't know any better well that is remarkably arrogant sounding, but then suppouse such is the white mans burden, we need to go educate the savages.

[revol68]

i despise liberals who always talk of education to fight racism, yes people need to overcome ignorance but they do it themselves not some guardian reader telling them to be nice to each other. U also overlook the fact that racisnm isn't just the prodct of ignorance but rather a product of actual power relations.

Liberals were whining about educating the racists back in 1930's germany instead of physically opposing fascism and look where that went.

[Bunjiweb]

Sorry to dredge up an ANCIENT thread, but did anyone see tonights program on Mr. Kilroy-Silk.

Whilst I think that he is a complete idiot in the way he goes about things, some of the things he says are absolutly true. Although his article on "Arabs" was a bit o-t-t, it is true that we are called Racist when we accuse "arabs" of crimes against hummanity, mass murder etc. But where are the people to defend us from the minority of Arabs that teach their entire familys that "The West" is wrong, wants to take over the world, and abolish their religion.

A bit Ironic, very contraversial, but makes some kind of odd sense...

Ben

p.s. dont flame me.

[cyzmyass]

I dont think hes a racist, its good to see a politician being honest, its ok to generalise about the americans it seems in this country but criticising the middle-east brands you a racist by the PC brigade.
Makes no sense at all.