Growing censorship and intolerance on the left (Updated)

Image: Wiki Fair use

The popular revolt against the corrupt Maduro regime led me to have an argument with some left-wing trade trade unionists on The Global Labour News & Information Facebook page over a couple of days. This site (formerly LabourStart) is one I have belonged to for quite some time, rarely commenting and simply sharing some of their excellent campaigns about trade union issues around the world.

Indeed LabourStart petitions and campaigns have been a feature of this blog since the beginning. Before I came on the Internet I sent out their stuff occasionally be e-mail in the unions I belonged to.  Sadly the intolerance of the left led not just to abuse and denunciation (and I gave as good as I got) I was banned from the page because some left-winger complained I was a right-wing idiot.

So much for free speech on Venezuela. The left are not interested in any other point of view nor will they accept opposition to their so-called anti-imperialism.

(UPDATE: My blocking has now been lifted. Thank you)

On the same day the following Daily Mail reported:

Suffolk Police woke humanist celebrant and former local journalist Margaret Nelson yesterday morning at her home in Suffolk to tell her some people had found recent posts offensive.

In a January 19 blog post rebutting a tweet she received - which read 'trans women ARE women fact' - Ms Nelson wrote that if a transgender person's body was dissected post-mortem, 'his or her sex would be obvious to a student or pathologist'.

She also recently tweeted 'Gender is BS. Pass it on' and called people who use terms like 'cis' [a prefix used as an antonym to 'trans'] or 'terf' [trans-exclusionary reactionary feminists] 'bloody annoying'.

There's been quite a backlash against their actions and the police have apologised saying they will review their procedures. But as Margaret herself puts it what on earth where the police thinking this was OK to do in the first place?

It is not illegal to hold the view that trans-men are not actually women nor should it ever be. However the trans-activists just want to shut women up who dare to differ. In fact they want to silence everyone. Sheer male aggression if you ask me....

The final straw that led me to raise this question was an article from the Daily Telegraph this morning:

A Liberal Democrat peer has claimed women cannot call themselves feminists unless they support gender neutral toilets.

Former minister Lynne Featherstone made the controversial claim as it emerged the party had recruited the transgender daughter of a convicted paedophile as a new diversity officer.

As previously noted on this blog, Aimee Challenor who used her father as an election agent and changed his name on her election material to hide his identity after he was arrested for raping and torturing a 10 year old girl in their shared home.

The Challenor family have also been active in creating a "Terf blocker" App for the Internet.

The Liberal Democrats should examine the reasons behind Challenors departure from the Greens.

With growing censorship in universities from student union activists who are afraid of their opinions being challenged through the mire of the "Identity Politics" brigade to the trade unions

free speech and open debate is being threatened. 

Free speech is central to democracy. Defend the right to disagree!