Posted on by bugsy122019

Disinfor. . . WHAT???

Yup–the “Disinformation Government Board,” is a new section of the Department of Homeland Security. After listening very carefully to the comments made by the Secretary of Homeland Security both in Congress and his later comments, it sounds more like Animal Farm than the First Amendment. Did you ever read the Constitution? The Amendments? We read both texts when I was in high school, college, and grad school. The First Amendment is quite short and if you haven’t ever read it, or if its been a while since you have, take a look.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peacefully to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

There’s been plenty of so-called “disinformation” over the years, both spoken and written, going back even before the Revolution and the Constitution, yet even then both speech and the press were protected. One of the first trials which became and integral part of US law involved John Peter Zenger, who was born in Germany in 1697. He and his family emigrated to New York in 1710 where he became an apprentice to William Bradford, the first printer in New York City. Eventually Zenger set up his own printing business on Smith Street in the City.

Page from the New York Weekly Journal, January 7, 1733

At that time, the new colonial Governor, William Cosby, was having an argument with the Council of the Colony over his salary. Cosby removed the current Chief Justice, Lewis Morris, and put in his own pick, James Delancy. That escalated the dispute, leading to a great deal of discussion in the press, particularly in Zenger’s New York Weekly Journal. Cosby condemned the newspaper for “divers, . . . false and seditious” comments, charged Zenger with libel, and put him in jail.

Illustration of Andrew Hamilton speaking at Zenger’s trial in the book Wall Street History (1883)

Andrew Hamilton of Philadelphia and William Smith, Sr., of New York, took Zenger’s case. At the end of the trial, the jury took just 10 minutes to return with a “not guilty” verdict. During Hamilton’s closing arguments he said that “a statement, even if defamatory, is not libel if it can be proven.” That remains judicial precedent to this day.

Personally I’m horrified at this new “Disinformation” board. With very few exceptions, Americans can say basically anything we want. The Framers made that part of their FIRST Amendment for a reason and we should be extremely concerned to that the Executive branch is setting up a Big Brother/Sister is watching group. While there has been a bit of walk-back of this, I’m not certain that I’m convinced.

Posted on by bugsy122019

Who was Eric Arthur Blain? Think 1984 (book? film?)

Never hear of him? How about George Orwell? Orwell was the nom de plume of Eric Arthur Blain, and Blain/Orwell wrote numerous works. He’s most remembered by Animal House and 1984.👀

Eric Arthur Blain, nom de plume of George Orwell

Born in India in June 1903 where his father was a member of the India Civil Service, he was brought up in the UK, attending St. Cyprian’s School from 1911 to 1916, and Eton College from 1917-1921. Rather than attend university, he became an officer in the Imperial Police (later known as the Indian Police Service), working in a number of posts in Burma. He resigned while on leave in England after a bout of Dengue Fever, and began his writing career. Orwell wrote a number of books, as well as essays, poetry, and worked as a journalist in both Britain and France. During the Spanish Civil War he served with the International Brigade, where he was badly wounded by a bullet in throat in May 1937. During World War II he wasn’t “fit for service” because of his medical issues, but worked for the BBC’s Eastern Service, broadcasting to India. It was after the war that Blain/Orwell wrote tow pf his most famous books–Animal Farm published in 1945 and 1984 published in 1949. He died in January 1950 from tuberculosis which he’d originally received in the hospital in Spain.

Ever read 1984? I read it in high school. Great book. Then we had to read it again in college. And it was an even better book then, because four years can make a big difference. We had much more general knowledge, and when we read carefully, we could look beyond the story plot. We had a better understanding of what Orwell’s dystopian novel was getting at–things like free expression and mass surveillance. 👀

Then can the movie, 1984–premiered in the UK in 1984. John Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanne Hamilton and Cyril Cusack starred in the film which received a BAFTA nomination. It followed the novel closely, leaving those of us who watched it thinking seriously about the ways that truth and free speech can be manipulated in a variety of ways.👀 I was teaching my then, and had a great group of grad students who stopped after class one day to discuss the movie, and the parallels between the film’s “Thought Police” 👀 and the “re-education camps” of Pol Pot and China’s Cultural Revolution.👀 It was an excellent discussion, and since then, I’ve often included either the book or movie 1984 in specific syllabi.

For the past five or so years, I’ve required either the movie or the book each year. Why? Because I‘ve been seeing a noticeable shift away from free speech. I’ve been hearing too many people, not only in seminars but even with people I’ve known for years, trying to shout people down.👀 In some areas, books have been banned from libraries.👀 Recently, the university where I earned my Ph.D. tried (but ultimately failed) to fire a professor simply because they didn’t like some of his comments and seminar questions. That’s sounding a lot like the Thought Police👀 from 1984, isn’t it?

Unless I’ve missed something, we still follow all of the Constitution, including the First Amendment that provides free speech for all, not just those who agree with us. Prior generations in my extended family came here to get away from surveillance,👀 intolerance,👀 and suppression.👀 What I heard from the time I was a child, and what I tried to teach my children, was that, “while I disagree with what you say, I will defend to the death your right to say it”—and some of them did just that! I would hope that more of us will remember how important truly free speech is. And if you need a refreshed, take a look at 1984–👀book or movie, it doesn’t matter which.