Well, only from the hard Left bed wetters, who are gasping for breath because people other than them might be able to say what they want to say.

Not necessarily so, according to John Roskam, who believes that, if politicians around the world have their way, it won’t be the owner of the company deciding what can be said on the platform but "state social media censors" whose European examples are already warning Musk that he must comply with the EU’s regulations against “hate speech” and “misinformation”. And Musk himself agrees that he will have to stay within the law (read oppressive free speech gagging in the EU, at least).

Roksam suggests that it is one thing for owners to silence users - Donald Trump for instance - but it would be a blow to democracy if allowing certain things to be said could run foul of actual "criminal sanction".

Even what used to be the party of free speech, the Australian Liberal Party, is threatening, if reelected, to "combat harmful disinformation and misinformation online”. What is 'harmful' or 'misinformation' will be decided by them! While only 28% of Australians (most of whom seem to work in the media) and less than 9% of people worldwide actually use Twitter, it is everything 'online' that the political class wants to control. An "all-purpose, universal equivalent to section 18C to censor speech about almost anything controversial".

Roskam thinks that the lack of publicity during the election circus is due to the probability that Labor supports it and would go even further. What the Liberals want is just something that Labor tried to pull in the Gillard years that was scrapped after an outcry from the public - and the Coalition, at the time! Now, it wants the same thing.

Thanks ttbn for raising this topic. I liked the way that Musk talked about Twitter as the Town Square. Kudos.

When does free speech become hate speak, to what degree should the rights of the bigoted hater be protected. Should bigots be afforded rights at all. The hard rights, folk hero and pin up boy, Donald Trump, used social media to promote hateful lies, that fact is not in dispute. We know from past experience where the application of unfettered propaganda through the controlled media can lead. Never before in history has the media been available to such an extent as it is now to deliver communications to the masses. How can society ensure that ability to deliver is not being abused by those like Trump who see it as tool to promote themselves and their agenda. Some form of control is necessary, but how best to implement that control is debatable, voluntarily through the media organisation itself, or failing that through governmental controls, both have their pitfalls.

"When does free speech become hate speak"

When someone says something the left doesn't like.

When someone says something the left doesn't like.
maze,
You're of course totally & utterly spot-on !

Some form of control is necessary, but how best to implement that control
Paul1405,
National Service effectively guides the mindset thus negating much 'control'. A NS instills a sense of responsibility that could never be achieved by willy nilly 'freedom' without discipline !
The whole show is about mentality ! A mentality that accepts responsibility instead of rejecting it, a mentality that fosters instinct of harmony & general togetherness, a mentality that rejects that insane sense of 'competition' for achieving above average & above need !
You appear to be one who would benefit greatly from being less selfish & turn your divisive mentality into a co-operative one ! Just imagine if you could rid yourself of your racist jealousies & turn all that effort towards harmony ?

Here's a funny thing about the loony Left. The ABC's Leigh Sales, in a recent article, revealed that Leftist thugs are the main abusers of herself and the likes of Stan Grant. These two, far enough to the left for most of us, were actually accused by these lunatics of being 'bigoted' towards the Coalition! We see only the tip of hard Left extremism; it is much worse and crazier than we think it is.

Remember, "Sticks & stones may break your bones, but names will never hurt me". It was the chant we used at school if someone was calling us names.

Perhaps we were tougher than the petals of the lefty today.

Dear mhaze,

You posed the question: “When does free speech become hate speak".

When any criticism of Gladys Lui's connections to the Chinese Communist Party are deemed to be racist.

It was the same line Abbott rolled out when blocking criticism of the Australia/China free trade deal which was so obviously detrimental to Australian workers.

Dear Hasbeen,

What on earth are you talking about?

When there were calls for Bettina Ardnt to have her Order of Australia revoked you said:

"Surely this is an example of hate speech by the back door. No matter which door it uses, the perpetrates should be prosecuted."

So you couldn't even stomach that yet you are calling others petals?

Enough.

Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter should not come as
a surprise. He's a man who's been hugely successful
and he probably noticed that Twitter is a largely
influential product but a lacklustre business
which he can turn around. He was probably looking for
another hard problem to tackle.

Finger-pointing at who's more biased - the "Left" or
the "Right" gets tiresome. Both sides have their own biases.
It should not be a competition. I think most reasonable
people know all about free speech versus hate speech and
they can work out the difference between the two for themselves.

Every bird has two wings. The left and the right.
It can't fly with just one wing. It needs the two.
So too a society needs two political wings so it
can reach greater heights.

HITLER YOUTH effectively guides the mindset thus negating much 'control'. A HITLER YOUTH instills (sic) a sense of responsibility that could never be achieved by willy nilly 'freedom' without discipline !
The whole show is about mentality ! A mentality that accepts responsibility instead of rejecting it, a mentality that fosters instinct of harmony & general togetherness, a mentality that rejects that insane sense of 'competition' for achieving above average & above need !

"if you (paul1405) could rid yourself of your racist jealousies" This from the same bloke who on discovering I had Aboriginal heritage (from my own admission) then would refer to me as "THE CONCRETE JUNGLE BUNNY"

Good one Indy, but another bloke beat you to it, about 60 years ago in Germany.

Hassy,

"Perhaps we were tougher than the petals" Bash a few wogs and poofters in ya day did you Hassy? How's that atomic annihilation of Pakistan as you proposed on the Forum going? It would take a real tough guy like you to drop an atomic bomb on millions of innocent unarmed men, women and children. In your militarist days did you do anything like that, flying around in your Sopwith Camel. You are steadfastly quite when ever I mention the "atomic bomb" nonsense of yours, not tough, but too gutless to repeat it, or defend it!

ttbn,

"revealed that Leftist thugs are the main abusers of herself (Leigh Sales) and the likes of Stan Grant." WHAT! did they leave a calling card. The fact is there is only moderates and extremists, no left and right, blame the French for that. Some extremists hate other extremists, they are competing for the, same minds and hearts, the same territory, that"s the real difference

It is not just a left vs right thing. Homosexuals, gender-benders, climate crooks, the racially obsessed, multicuturalists, big immigration lovers, China apologists, alternative energy shysters - add your own - are all against freedom of speech.

Most Australians will be voting for an Australia
that recognizes the privilege of sharing our
vast continent with the oldest continuous culture
on earth. They will be voting for a country that
celebrates our success as a multicultural nation.

Because most Australians believe that the doors of
opportunity should be open to every Australian, no matter
where they live, who they pray to, or who they love.

And they do know all about free speech versus hate
speech. They've worked it all out - that's why they will
vote accordingly for a country they can be proud of.

ttbn, you forgot to mention a whole swag of your pet hates;

left handed people, right handed people, no handed people, those living in Tasmania, those not living in Tasmania, Ice cream lovers, ice cream haters, people who wont eat broccoli, people who do eat broccoli, all broccoli lovers and haters. AND anyone EXCEPT YOU who falls into any group not aforementioned.

I believe there might be a chap living in Northern Siberia, 1,000 miles from nowhere, who doesn't fit any of the aforementioned groups, you might approve. How about buying a one way ticket to his local', and spending the winter getting to know him and his herd of reindeer, I'm sure you two will hit it off like a pair of cocks in a sock.

Foxy,

This is about freedom of speech, not what people will be voting for; but your wishlist/fairy tale on how you would like people to think is interesting and part of your desire for people to be nice and have nice thoughts, no matter how unrealistic. I don't believe many Australians will have your list at the front of their minds as they head for the polls. Certainly the people asking for/buying their votes are not campaigning on such things.

SR wrote of me: "You posed the question: “When does free speech become hate speak"."

Actually it was Paul who raised the question. I'm merely gave the definitive answer.

Calling something 'hate speech' is merely a backdoor way of suppressing unwanted speech.

mhaze,

In your opinion is there no such thing as "hate speech" that should be suppressed, in fact any attempt to silence such speakers is just an attempt (by the left) to suppress free speech, is that correct?

Are the following acceptable examples of "free speech" and not "hate speech" and should the speaker of such not have their spoken word suppressed in the public domain?

"Jews are parasites on the people."
"Jews spread typhus in the community."
"Jews are lice; they cause typhus."
"Jews are of a low cultural level, and are unclean."
"Jews need to be isolated from the rest of the population"

Paul wrote: "In your opinion is there no such thing as "hate speech" that should be suppressed, in fact any attempt to silence such speakers is just an attempt (by the left) to suppress free speech, is that correct?"

Correct. Not just the left, but primarily the left. Unwanted speech is relabelled hate speech and then suppressed.

This type of speech, including the examples you gave, should not be suppressed in the public domain. If they are suppressed, they don't disappear. They simply migrate to the private domain. In public, they can be (should be) opposed, exposed and defeated. In private they can (and do) metastasize, expand, drag in the vulnerable, all below the radar.

Earlier you wrote "We know from past experience where the application of unfettered propaganda through the controlled media can lead."

Yet here you are calling for MORE controlled media. Yes, yes, I know. You think this time it'll be different. But it won't. It never is.

Earlier you wrote "Donald Trump, used social media to promote hateful lies, that fact is not in dispute"

That's just rubbish. Trump didn't promote hateful lies and your claim is in dispute.

ttbn,

This is very much about who and what people will be voting
for.
Many Australians can see that Australian politics
is broken. There are so many issues involved.
The current government has had more than a decade to
act on the enormous threat of climate change and to
create an economy that can benefit from that transition.
But politicians don't seem to answer to us; they won't
even implement basic measures to clean up corruption and
the chronic mistreatment of the elderly.

So it is time for us as voters to stand up. To speak out
with our votes as to what we'll no longer accept.

Foxy,

Whatever. I accept that you will go on and on, and there is no point in arguing with you. I will wait until election night to see how people actually voted, not how I think they will vote now. Remember the last election. You, and many other people - including "experts" and the media - were sure that there would be a change of government. It was about climate change and such imaginings, then it wasn't

ttbn,

I did not think that Shorten would win the election
despite what the polls indicated. However I was hoping
that the Coalition would lose. This time - it will again
be close. And I have said many times that predicting
anything in politics is risky at the best of times.

As for my "going on and on." You seem to have a problem
when people respond to your views. That is something
you need to get over. We are all entitled to our opinions
and if you don't like someone going "on and on" don't
read it. But you obviously feel strong enough to lodge
your usual negative comments.

Enough!

Here is a brownie point for the PM that popped up this morning:

" ....Morrison knocked on the head any Coalition commitment on the constitutional recognition of Aborigines and an Indigenous voice to Parliament. The federal Constitution is colour blind and must remain so if we, as a nation, truly believe in equality for all."

Foxy,

"Enough!" Yes Ma'am. I have certainly had enough of you and your arrogant, sanctimonious preaching, based entirely unworldliness and petulant spoilt girl syndrome.

ttbn,

Now you're talking!

Love it!

Half indigenous CLP Senate candidate, Jacinta Price, does not agree with extra rights based on race either. Australian citizens should ALL be treated equally. She points out that 3 other women with indigenous connections are also standing for the Senate. She doesn't know how many 'voices' the race obsessives want in parliament. People with any aboriginal roots make up 3% or less of the population.

One left wing character has opined that Musk's takeover of Twitter will make the world a "much worse place". What? 9% of the world's population that actually bothers with Twitter has that much pull?

Unhinged lefties have been threatening to leave Twitter. What a shame that the idea of free speech so upsets the poor dears. Particularly as they are always yapping about diversity - then along comes a South African/American educated in Canada, and all bets are off. But, commentator, Joel Agius, reckons they won't be able to do it; that their threats are on a par with those of all the bedwetters in America who were going to leave for Canada if Donald Trump was elected. He was, and they didn't.

Agius believes the Left will not leave because "they cannot resist expressing their outrage." They are addicted to outrage. They won’t stop making "rage-filled false declarations of an exodus." One big time nutter of US fame closed his account raving about white supremacy; but was back again 24 hours later, still raving. There are plenty more where he comes from.

Americans are in a class by themselves - that's
for sure. Yet who do we rely on in times of strife?