Freedom of Speech

Seems like there is some concern in the blogosphere today stemming from this TCS interview between a blogger and the Federal Election Committee Chairperson. There is still a lot of concern about how blogging will be affected by changes in Campaign Finance Laws, specifically political blogging. (For those people who plan to advocate certain candidates etc.)

There is considerable concern about new laws infringing on our first amendment rights. Dale Franks at QandO said:

Well, I hope you enjoyed freedom of speech. Because it's almost gone now.

Gone.

Well I disagree. And I am not afraid. The FEC thinks they can regulate the internet.

Well you know what, FUCK the FEC.

I'm not afraid of jail, and I'm not afraid of fines, because if I can't speak my mind then what is the difference between my life and jail, not a whole fucking lot.

I know the FEC is afraid, and the government is afraid and the journalists are afraid. And you know why they are afraid. Because finally there are people in the world who are willing to tell the truth, the whole truth and well, sometimes things that may or may not be true. There are millions of people spewing text every single day and they DON'T control them. They can't control me and they can't control you, and they are Terrified. Be it left wing or right wing, libertarian or Christian conservative the people finally and truly have a voice.

The little protective shell they have built around themselves with millions of dollars and corporate media protecting them from taking responsibility for their own actions is gone. It is slowly eroding as blogs remove the credibility of the lying politicians and the sold out media. By attempting to regulate internet speech now, (which I think is still pretty early in the game) they are acknowledging us as a threat to their power.

I know this all seems like a big conspiracy theory speech. Compared to how the governments of Iran and China have reacted to bloggers this is nothing, a little campaign finance reform. But the fact that they are thinking about it at all is in my humble opinion evidence of their fear, not the republicans fear, not the democrat's fear but the old rich white guy's fear, the fear of the millionaires who get richer every year while the rest of the country gets poorer. This is the stuff revolutions are made of and maybe I'm exaggerating, but maybe I'm not.

It is time to put aside the Democrats vs. Republicans mentality here in the blogosphere and recognize that for at least a while in the near future the real fight is going to be Bloggers vs. The Government. And if we spend our time bickering amongst ourselves about whose fault it is and how so and so said the Republicans are racist and So and So said Democrats are stupid then you know what, we're going to lose this fight. This is about protecting the rights of Americans to publish their thoughts on the internet be they pro, anti, or neutral on any candidate up for election. Maybe it is corny, but as bloggers United we Stand and Divided we will Fall.