European Union To Ban Free Speech
THE European Union has banned free speech. That’s the implication of this little nugget of news:
BRUSSELS—The European Commission is leaning toward proposing a ban on the issuing of sovereign credit ratings for countries in bailout talks, a top official said on Thursday.
“I think it’s legitimate to have a special treatment when a country is in negotiation or is covered by an international solidarity program with the IMF or a European solidarity” program, said Michel Barnier, European internal market commissioner.
Should the commission, the executive arm of the European Union, come to view these sovereign ratings are inappropriate, “we could ban it or suspend the rating for the necessary time frame,” he said. “I am studying this matter very seriously.”
The thing is, you see, a credit rating is only Fitch (or S&P, or Moody’s, or any of the other 40 odd more minor ones) saying “You know, we think these peeps might find it difficult to pay back their debts“.
So what we have here is a Commissioner of the EU stating that such people should not be allowed to speak their minds: yes, this is the banning of free speech.
It’s not all that much of a surprise of course, for it’s a typical response from within the Brussels Bubble. If people can’t see and state how clearly wonderful we are we should stop them from saying anything that points to how less than clearly wonderful we are.
The problem is that once you start banning speech you don’t like, where does it all stop?
First they came for the bond ratings agencies but I was not a bond ratings agency…..
How long before we’re not allowed to say that they’re all a bunch of thieving bastards (my default reaction to any politician)? And will we have to whisper it only gently that perhaps the EU itself isn’t all that great an idea?
Posted: 21st, October 2011 | In: Money Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
