US democracy: most American universities discourage free speech

According to a new study carried out by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), most US universities establish rules that severely restrict free speech on the campus. Out of 427 schools surveyed in the report, one in six enforced "free speech zone" policies, which means that student protests and other "expressive activities" are restricted to small and isolated parts of the campus. "The US Supreme Court has called America's colleges and universities 'vital centers for the Nation's intellectual life.' However, the reality today is that many of these institutions severely restrict free speech and open debate. Speech codes - policies prohibiting speech that would, outside the bounds of campus, be protected by the First Amendment - have been repeatedly struck down by federal and state courts for decades," the executive summary of the report states. "Yet they persist, even in the very jurisdictions where they have been ruled unconstitutional." The report provides some examples of free speech zones. The University of Southern Mississippi, for example, requires students to hold their demonstrations in one designated place – the Speakers’ Corner – unless they register the demonstration at least one month ahead. Longwood University in Virginia limits speeches, demonstrations and distribution of literature to one place and requires the area to be reserved five days in advance. Another method employed by many colleges...

Read More........ → January 24, 2014

David Cameron's speech: 'appalling jokes' fail to rouse crowd

Political commentators unimpressed by PM's speech – but was it down to the conference hall? DAVID CAMERON'S speech failed to rouse the crowd at the Conservative Party conference today, with complaints of "appalling jokes" and an overwhelming focus on Ed Miliband. The Prime Minister's one liners included a joke about driving the two-millionth Mini off the production line ("I turned the wrong way but you'll be relieved that on this occasion I turned right not left"). He also made light of unflattering topless photographs of himself to mock Miliband's plans to freeze energy bills ("You keep your shirt on; I'll keep the lights on.") But the Tory leader drew few laughs. "The Cam jokes are beyond lame, even by the dismal standards of conference speeches," tweeted The Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland. "Conference speeches [are] often forgotten within a week. That one will be forgotten within the hour." In The Independent, John Rentoul bemoaned the "appalling jokes" and "clunky joins between prefabricated sections", but conceded that the speech "did the job, positioning the Conservatives as the party of the progressive centre". The Times columnist Gaby Hinsliff described the speech as "tired, subdued, under-rehearsed". She added: "It wasn't a speech so much as a long, furious, open letter to Ed Miliband. When the man worrying much of the hall is [Nigel] Farage." The word count reveals it all, said the BBC's Nick Robinson. Labour...

Read More........ → October 26, 2013

David Cameron sounds nice - until his eyes narrow and his cheeks go red

'Don't you dare lecture anyone on the NHS again,' he threatens Labour – before heaping praise on his team Column DAVID CAMERON started his 2013 party conference speech with the emphasis on hard work.  ANNALISA BARBIERI Indeed "hardworking people" was in the very first sentence. You could tell that the entire speech had been tweaked to be more inclusive of the ordinary person ("don't forget the man in the street Dave, they're angry and fed up") – as long as that person wasn't a skiver, stupid or a foreign prisoner, in which case he had plans for you. Cameron delivered the speech in front of a motif made from the Union Jack. Fitting, as his speech was deeply patriotic; he mentioned the word British or Britain nearly two dozen times. But if you shut your eyes you could imagine the whole first half of the address taking place in the headmaster's office. It was full of tale-telling. "Labour did this, Sir, Labour did that. Labour made the mess Sir, I was just helping to clear up Sir. I was just helping the boy up Sir, not kicking him to the floor." It was defensive, brittle and at times, petty. Cameron has quite a nice voice, I'll give him that. If you keep your eyes shut some more, you could imagine him voicing over an M&S ad. It's plummy and juicy. He always sounds like he's keeping some spittle in reserve, just in case. He sounds 'naice'. So it's hard to take him seriously, even once you've opened your eyes and...

Read More........ → October 16, 2013

Indian Express Editor Stuns PM Modi

At the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards held on 2nd of November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi honored 37 journalists across the country. The announcement of the PM giving away the awards this year did not please two journalists. Senior journalist from TOI Akshaya Mukul won the award for his non-fiction books ‘Gita Press and the making of Hindu India’. He said, “I cannot live with idea of Modi and me in the same frame.” to The Caravan. He was against the power of the government over Freedom of Speech. The second journalist to boycott the event was Anna MM Vetticad. She was awarded in the Commentary and Interpretative Writing category for her report on the stereotypical portrayal of women in TV and films. She has criticized Modi and his government over the times, hence, no surprise there. Apart from this, what caught the audience’s attention was Indian Express’ Editor Raj Kamal Jha’s speech. He, very conveniently said what is wrong in today’s journalism. He said that Ramnath Goenka once had ‘sacked’ a journalist  when he received appreciation from a Chief Minister. What he said next stunned the PM. He said, “Criticism from a government is a badge of honour”. An excerpt from his speech: “Thank you sir, for your speech. You made some wonderful points. I think the most important point was credibility. We cannot blame the government for that. That is our job, we need to look within and we will surely reflect...

Read More........ → November 07, 2016

John Kerry’s “soft power”

. The new US Secretary of State John Kerry has hinted that during Barack Obama’s second presidential term, the US’s foreign policy will change to the side of the so-called “soft power”.  Mr. Kerry said this during his speech in the Virginia University on February 20, which was his first public speech since he was appointed Secretary of State. In fact, only a few points in Mr. Kerry’s speech were directly linked with the US’s foreign policy. The speech was addressed, first of all, to representatives of the Republican Party in the Congress. In his speech, the new State Secretary made rather transparent hints that the main obstacle for success of US diplomacy is not China’s foreign policy or instability in the Middle East, but… the activities of the US Congress. Until the Congress manages to settle the country’s financial problems, the US’s prestige in the world will only decrease, Mr. Kerry believes. The State Secretary also believes that the “traditional” US practice of solving problems (or what is perceived as problems by US politicians) in various parts of the world with military force is practically always more expensive for the US than trying to solve these problems by diplomatic means. Thus, the US authorities should not be afraid of financing the country’s diplomatic institutions more generously – in any case, this would be cheaper than post factum attempts to correct mistakes of diplomacy by military means,...

Read More........ → February 25, 2013