Well done Weez. I’m glad you’re following this so closely.

My question is, how did we even get this far? This is an election losing issue but the government just marches on like lemmings on Xanax. How much bad press and criticism from the public is needed before an elected official and government act? There must be 90%+ against this move but the censorship circus rolls on regardless.

My question is, how did we even get this far?

That’s the $64,000 question, Terry. Everyone wants to know how we went from Labor’s pre-election promise for an OPTIONAL “clean feed” for homes with children to a mandatory censorship scheme for all users regardless of age. You’re also right that a vast majority of Australians oppose mandatory internet censorship. Your 90% guess is probably conservative. I’d bet on 98%… or more.

Until KRudd is forced to own the policy, it will continue to chuff along. However, the real trainwreck will occur if and when the policy is actually implemented. The technical limitations of filtering 7 or 8 million users will become apparent.

Mark Newton’s on the right track, though; the technical problems with censorship are far lower in his priorities than whether we should be implementing mandatory filtering at all.

Mark maintains:

* There’s no serious Internet content problem to solve;
* Even if there was, the public hasn’t demanded that the Government solve it;
* Even if they had, the Government’s censorship proposal can’t solve it;
* Even if it could, it’s too expensive;
* Even if it was affordable, it’ll be implemented incompetently by ham-fisted regulators;
* Even if it was implemented perfectly, the blacklist will leak; and
* There’s no possibility that the blacklist won’t leak.

I really do think that public sentiment has been driven so far against censorship in general that the remit of the Classification Board (along with ACMA) is now overdue for overhaul. Few have concerns with the CB actually classifying and rating content. The concerns begin when the CB is able to restrict content availability with the RC rating, bearing in mind that it is legal to buy and possess RC material in all states.

We’re all grown up now; if Australians ever needed a content nanny to keep us on the straight and narrow, that need is not only long gone but in the internet age, completely unenforceable. When government make unenforceable laws, they will be circumvented and a lack of respect for law engendered in the community.

When government make unenforceable laws, they will be circumvented and a lack of respect for law engendered in the community.

Cannabis laws?

Any attempt at legislating morality is in that league, Terry.

Mind you, if you enforce that morality with the barrel of a gun, keeping people as fearful as possible, you might get broad compliance… but who the hell wants to live in that kind of nightmare?

..but who the hell wants to live in that kind of nightmare?

Plenty of people as long as they can be part of the enforcers.
Some of us are prisoners and some of us are guards. Sadly enough, there’s never been a shortage of people prepared to do the dirty work.

Sad but true, Mel.