The Student Room Group

Britain is becoming less liberal and moving closer to dictatorship

Liberalism is in rapid decline in the UK and most people are unfortunately too blind to see it.

Universities, which are meant to be bastions of free speech and liberalism are instead becoming "safe spaces", which is in fact a euphemism for silencing anyone who doesn't subscribe to the leftist agenda that pervades student unions now.

This article outlines how UK university student unions are essentially becoming dictatorships, oppressing the basic freedoms of their students:

http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/the-top-five-most-ridiculous-student-bans/

Oppression of free speech is being enforced by government too. You can now be arrested for making "offensive" remarks under wide-ranging hate speech laws. Classical liberalism - the only true form of liberalism - is now hated by the establishment of this country, who have spent the last few decades promoting and indoctrinating our children into a weird form of pseudo-liberalism in which only specified minority groups are allowed to seek further freedom, and only free speech that promotes this agenda is allowed. Anyone who speaks out against this agenda has their right to free speech taken away by the new generation of "liberals", who are not really liberals at all.

www.spiked-online.com/review_of_books/article/liberals-against-liberalism/

As we lose more and more of our rights, we move further towards authoritarianism and dictatorship. This may seem absurd but the move towards dictatorship is always a slow and gradual rather than an instant one. The Labour party, who have already introduced numerous "equality" acts and are self-proclaimed feminists, threaten to take us even further down this road when they almost certainly win the general election next year. Very worrying for this country and the freedom of all people in the UK, regardless of their race, gender, religion or sexuality.
(edited 9 years ago)

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Original post by #Ridwan
Liberalism is in rapid decline in the UK and most people are unfortunately too blind to see it.

Universities, which are meant to be bastions of free speech and liberalism are instead becoming "safe spaces", which is in fact a euphemism for silencing anyone who doesn't subscribe to the leftist agenda that pervades student unions now.

This article outlines how UK university student unions are essentially becoming dictatorships, oppressing the basic freedoms of their students:

http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/the-top-five-most-ridiculous-student-bans/


Hardly. The article gives only 5 very specific examples of how students have been ''oppressed'' in only 4 universities. The things it lists are very trivial. I'm not convinced that the right to wear a sombrero or the right to give people sexist greeting cards really sit under ''basic freedom''. I'm sure people will be able to cope.

Original post by #Ridwan
Oppression of free speech is being enforced by government too. You can now be arrested for making "offensive" remarks under wide-ranging hate speech laws. Give some examples. Classical liberalism - the only true form of liberalism - is now hated by the establishment of this country, who have spent the last few decades promoting and indoctrinating our children into a weird form of pseudo-liberalism in which only specified minority groups are allowed to seek further freedom, and only free speech that promotes this agenda is allowed. Provide evidence to back up all of those claims please. Anyone who speaks out against this agenda has their right to free speech taken away by the new generation of "liberals", who are not really liberals at all. Provide some examples of this. If ''the agenda'' is really out to get free thinkers such as yourself then how are you still here talking about this? Did they forget to arrest you? :s-smilie:

www.spiked-online.com/review_of_books/article/liberals-against-liberalism/


See the stuff in bold above.

Original post by #Ridwan
As we lose more and more of our rights, we move further towards authoritarianism and dictatorship. This may seem absurd but the move towards dictatorship is always a slow and gradual rather than an instant one. The Labour party, who have already introduced numerous "equality" acts and are self-proclaimed feminists, threaten to take us even further down this road when they almost certainly win the general election next year. Very worrying for this country and the freedom of all people in the UK, regardless of their race, gender, religion or sexuality.


I'm not too bothered about silly little rules here and there, provided that fundamental 'freedoms' are protected. The right to free speech is a big one. If you think that ''Britain is becoming less liberal and moving closer to dictatorship'' perhaps you should spend a couple of nights in, say, China? Take to the streets of Beijing and try to spread the same message that you're spreading here, then come back and tell me how that went.

Of course what we have is not perfect, but it is tremendously better than what others have. I can live with that.
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 2
We don't have freedom of speech in the UK.
Or anywhere else.
Everything is censored, this isn't a new thing.
Go back under your tin foiled hat.

"Dictatorship" what a load of bull****.

This is the kind of **** that means there's more guns than people in USA, please don't try to promote lowering the intelligence and political knowledge of British citizens down to that of the average American.
Original post by SHallowvale
Hardly. The article gives only 5 very specific examples of how students have been ''oppressed'' in only 4 universities. The things it lists are very trivial. I'm not convinced that the right to wear a sombrero or the right to give people sexist greeting cards really sit under ''basic freedom''. I'm sure people will be able to cope.



See the stuff in bold above.



I'm not too bothered about silly little rules here and there, provided that fundamental 'freedoms' are protected. The right to free speech is a big one. If you think that ''Britain is becoming less liberal and moving closer to dictatorship'' perhaps you should spend a couple of nights in, say, China? Take to the streets of Beijing and try to spread the same message that you're spreading here, then come back and tell me how that went.

Of course what we have is not perfect, but it is tremendously better than what others have. I can live with that.


This needs a +1 but I'm all out.
Reply 5
Dictatorship. Sure. Move along.
I definitely think we have a lot better of a deal today when compared to the 1960s, for example
we are becoming for economically free *but* the problem that still exists is that the middle class get a terrible deal with taxation
and of course, there are still stupid policies, like the drug war, the anti-sex laws, etc
Reply 7
Original post by zippity.doodah
I definitely think we have a lot better of a deal today when compared to the 1960s, for example
we are becoming for economically free *but* the problem that still exists is that the middle class get a terrible deal with taxation
and of course, there are still stupid policies, like the drug war, the anti-sex laws, etc


literally one of the few good things with regards to social politics nowadays.Besides,can't say it's silly since most people don't want them legalized-liberalism yo!We're free to decide to hate them.
Original post by P357
literally one of the few good things with regards to social politics nowadays.Besides,can't say it's silly since most people don't want them legalized-liberalism yo!We're free to decide to hate them.


how is the drug war a good thing? it's an expensive, dangerous mess
Reply 9
Original post by zippity.doodah
how is the drug war a good thing? it's an expensive, dangerous mess


keeping the stuff illegal is what I was getting at.
Original post by P357
keeping the stuff illegal is what I was getting at.


...you mean drugs? what other things are you talking about? what should still be illegal?
Reply 11
Original post by zippity.doodah
...you mean drugs? what other things are you talking about? what should still be illegal?


Do you want to rephrase that question in more specific terms?Is it asking asking whether I value freedom or some typical libertarian-type issue?
Reply 12
Original post by SHallowvale
Hardly. The article gives only 5 very specific examples of how students have been ''oppressed'' in only 4 universities. The things it lists are very trivial. I'm not convinced that the right to wear a sombrero or the right to give people sexist greeting cards really sit under ''basic freedom''. I'm sure people will be able to cope.

See the stuff in bold above.

I'm not too bothered about silly little rules here and there, provided that fundamental 'freedoms' are protected. The right to free speech is a big one. If you think that ''Britain is becoming less liberal and moving closer to dictatorship'' perhaps you should spend a couple of nights in, say, China? Take to the streets of Beijing and try to spread the same message that you're spreading here, then come back and tell me how that went.

Of course what we have is not perfect, but it is tremendously better than what others have. I can live with that.


You want evidence that people have been arrested under the hate speech legislation? How about you use Google?

Your entire argument consists of saying that things aren't that bad and that things are worse elsewhere. I'm sorry, that's not an argument. Whataboutery isn't valid. Of course things are worse elsewhere, that doesn't change the fact that we are becoming more authoritarian.
I think it's best if we just sweep this whole thread under the carpet.
Reply 14
Original post by Huskaris
Go back under your tin foiled hat.

"Dictatorship" what a load of bull****.

This is the kind of **** that means there's more guns than people in USA, please don't try to promote lowering the intelligence and political knowledge of British citizens down to that of the average American.


So you approve of people being arrested for asserting their right to freedom of speech? Additional authoritarianism is an attack on our freedom. That is a fact.
Original post by P357
Do you want to rephrase that question in more specific terms?Is it asking asking whether I value freedom or some typical libertarian-type issue?


what's the difference between freedom (liberty) and libertarianism? a liberal (classic) state would be typically libertarian, right?
Reply 16
Original post by SHallowvale
Hardly. The article gives only 5 very specific examples of how students have been ''oppressed'' in only 4 universities. The things it lists are very trivial. I'm not convinced that the right to wear a sombrero or the right to give people sexist greeting cards really sit under ''basic freedom''. I'm sure people will be able to cope.


The purpose of the article was to list the most ridiculous bans, not document all of them.

Here's a more sinister ban, banning an organisation because it has links to neo-cons:

http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/student-rights-and-the-intolerance-of-the-nus/15303#.U9KXU2PG-Do
The OP is right.

I support this motion all the way !!!

Death to creeping dictatorship, long live UK , long live Magna Carter !
Reply 18
Original post by Drewski
Dictatorship. Sure. Move along.


High standard of debate here.
Reply 19
Original post by zippity.doodah
what's the difference between freedom (liberty) and libertarianism? a liberal (classic) state would be typically libertarian, right?


I didn't think there was much of a difference between the two myself.My question was whether you take issue with my stance on drugs and prostitution because you may feel it threatens "freedom" (thereby the libertarian views you seem to hold).

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