Free Speech

This is an extraodinary piece of television, at least by Canadian standards. In the present free speech climate of Canada, which is to say the march to its destruction, it is worth reflecting on it. It is an editorial from a jounalist on MSNBC, Keith Olbermann. He flays alive President George Bush for comments he made in a recent interview on another televised forum.

Never mind whether you think Olbermann is right or wrong. What is important is that he that he was able to go on for about 12 minutes in this fashion without the studio being invaded by some police agency and the network going off air temporarily. What is important is that he probably went home without the necessity of a police escort.

Now, no doubt the network and Olbermann received their share of hate e-mail and telephone calls, but that also is an exercise in a right of free expression.

There is a basic respect in the United States for the right of free speech which means that people like Olbermann see nothing inappropriate in describing their national leader and the commander-in-chief of their military forces in the harshest terms, on national television.

Are you paying attention, Avi Lewis?