Film about the erosion of civil liberties out this weekend

[BBKing]

Worth watching, if only because it deserves wider viewing. John Reid can lecture parliament and leak to tabloids to impose his ex-Stalinist authoritarian agenda, so the balance needs to be redressed.

http://rachelnorthlondon.blogspot.co...-reminder.html

[Mr Angry]

I would, but they've revoked my viewing privileges!

[BBKing]

Having gone to see it this afternoon, it's excellent - some of the police tactics around the Fairford and Brighton protesters shocked even me, and I'm fairly cynical. Excellent archive shots of Blair boasting about freedom of speech in Britain, intersposed with Walter Wolfgang getting manhandled out of the Labour Conference.

What's best though is that it isn't a polemical humourless left-wing piece or a clone of Michael Moore - it shows that the people opposing civil liberties violations are more-or-less you or me - ordinary Brits, with all the eccentricity and bloody-mindedness that goes with that, which is why we dislike humourless authoritarians of any colour - they're just not British.

Originally Posted by BBKing

Having gone to see it this afternoon, it's excellent - some of the police tactics around the Fairford and Brighton protesters shocked even me, and I'm fairly cynical. Excellent archive shots of Blair boasting about freedom of speech in Britain, intersposed with Walter Wolfgang getting manhandled out of the Labour Conference.

What's best though is that it isn't a polemical humourless left-wing piece or a clone of Michael Moore - it shows that the people opposing civil liberties violations are more-or-less you or me - ordinary Brits, with all the eccentricity and bloody-mindedness that goes with that, which is why we dislike humourless authoritarians of any colour - they're just not British.

But you are more prone to such liberal films are you not? I think its unfair to make a comment about free speech and Walter Wolfgang since he went to cause a protest inside a convention for members of the labour party. Its slightly different and not a fair comment at all.

My main problem is how 'liberal' has been hijacked to mean things it didnt mean not so long ago. You used to be able to support Israels existence, support intervention in places were governments are killing their own people, and believe in fair debate. Somewhere along the line people like Repect and others have hijacked the term

[Tezcatlipoca]

Just had a look to see if it's on here -

No screenings at the Vue or CineWorld (as expected really...they need all their screens filled up with dross like Pirates 3), but it is on at the Picture House


[Which, quite handily, also has an on-licence covering the screens as well as the bar...]

[jkat]

there was a programme on bbc3 the other night i think it was called "bust my ass". it featured walter wolfgang along with other victims of our rights being eroded. all walter said was "nonsense!" and was charged. another guy was charged for calling a police horse "gay" and so on. for example to get round walters charge they hired some guys to sing "nonsense" at a speech jack straw was making and they got away with it. i hope its on again this week or maybe its on catch up.

[BBKing]

Matt - it's on at the Arts Picture House in Cambridge, I think.
Listings here: http://www.noliberties.com/cinema.htm

since he went to cause a protest inside a convention for members of the labour party. Its slightly different and not a fair comment at all.

Your memory is letting you down, Damien. He went to his party's conference (he'd been a member for decades) and let forth an impromptu expostulation that summed up what he (and many others) thought of a speech by Jack Straw. That's not remotely a terrorist act, yet he was ejected and detained under Section 44 powers, and a guy who asked the stewards to leave him alone was likewise ejected and smacked in the head in the course of ejection.

If you can't see why it's a problem that powers brought in to deal with terrorism are misused to stifle free speech, I really do wonder at you. It's not like there's a shortage of evidence these days.

As for 'liberals', the film features Boris Johnson, who last time I looked was a Tory. It's not a party political issue. RESPECT (at least the SWP side) dislike liberals intensely, by the way. If anyone's hijacked the word it's the US right.

As for 'liberals', the film features Boris Johnson, who last time I looked was a Tory. It's not a party political issue. RESPECT (at least the SWP side) dislike liberals intensely, by the way. If anyone's hijacked the word it's the US right.

Yeah, The comment wasnt addressed at the film that much

[BBKing]

Another example - the film goes into Guantanamo and the rendition affair, including a lot of clips of Jack Straw being evasive. Here's another liberal getting worked up

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1787

Stuart Wheeler, Eton-educated millionaire Conservative donor, writing in the Daily Heil, and *he's* attacking Bush over rendition? It's not just liberals, is it?

In early 2001, it was reported that I was giving £5million to the Conservative party. Although I still give money to the party, in the last year I have donated considerably more to organisations concerned with campaigning against torture – including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty and The Medical Foundation For The Care Of Victims Of Torture.

[Tezcatlipoca]

Originally Posted by BBKing

Matt - it's on at the Arts Picture House in Cambridge, I think.
Listings here: http://www.noliberties.com/cinema.htm

Yep, cheers

(as here )




Will hopefully see this soon, before they take it off for something else.