Trouble in Thailand -- and Elsewhere
Censorship is on the rise, and that's not good news for anybody who wants to make a buck (or just make some noise) with pen or keyboard. Take the case of Harry Nicolaides. He's an Australian novelist who was tossed in jail in Thailand under an antiquated lese-majeste law. His particular crime? One of his books contained a single paragraph describing the sexual heavy-handedness of a fictional Thai prince. That's right -- fictional prince.
Then there's the decision by Yale University Press to back out of a commitment to publish a book containing the Danish Muhammad Cartoons. The cartoons, originally published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, depicted the prophet Muhammad in ways that brought sharp criticism from Muslim organizations. Riots followed; embassies were stormed. Yale said it nixed the book deal due to fear of violence. That's a reasonable-sounding explanation, but what about academic freedom? What about showing a little backbone?
China is the Big Daddy of censorship, with government agencies controlling all forms of media in the country. There's a constant cat-and-mouse game between anonymous bloggers, netizens, and censors. But this isn't like Tom and Jerry squabbling of a chunk of cheese. Getting caught in China with illegal material, especially material critical of the government, is a serious crime.
So what's going on here? Some have argued that it's all about economics. There's certainly something to that in the case of Yale. Being offensive to Muslims could hurt the bottom line, as in reduced endowment contributions. But there's a bigger issue than money. It's culture under attack. Thailand, China, the worldwide Muslim community -- they all feel threatened. Western movies, music, books, and web sites are undermining traditional balances. Once those balances are gone, then what? As Louis XV supposedly said, "After me, the flood." Holding the line on tradition means keeping out the barbarians, and their ideas. Thus, censorship.
The end game seems inevitable. Barriers will come down; the barbarians will get in. Still, the current situation is intriguing. Consider a novel about a hapless world traveler who is blogging about his adventures. Unwittingly, he posts something terribly offensive to the locals. Government agents stir into action. If the country is France, and the offense is to criticize an award-winning Sauvignon Blanc, then the story is farce. If the country is Burma or Cuba or Venezuela, then some real thrills could be in store.
And what about the United States? Could any of this happen here? The First Amendment pretty well guarantees that the government won't engage in censorship. But what about an angry mob, and a little recreational book burning? It could happen. In recent months there has been a lot of seething going on in America. It all circles back to the same thing: somebody's fear that their culture is under attack.
Then there's the decision by Yale University Press to back out of a commitment to publish a book containing the Danish Muhammad Cartoons. The cartoons, originally published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, depicted the prophet Muhammad in ways that brought sharp criticism from Muslim organizations. Riots followed; embassies were stormed. Yale said it nixed the book deal due to fear of violence. That's a reasonable-sounding explanation, but what about academic freedom? What about showing a little backbone?
China is the Big Daddy of censorship, with government agencies controlling all forms of media in the country. There's a constant cat-and-mouse game between anonymous bloggers, netizens, and censors. But this isn't like Tom and Jerry squabbling of a chunk of cheese. Getting caught in China with illegal material, especially material critical of the government, is a serious crime.
So what's going on here? Some have argued that it's all about economics. There's certainly something to that in the case of Yale. Being offensive to Muslims could hurt the bottom line, as in reduced endowment contributions. But there's a bigger issue than money. It's culture under attack. Thailand, China, the worldwide Muslim community -- they all feel threatened. Western movies, music, books, and web sites are undermining traditional balances. Once those balances are gone, then what? As Louis XV supposedly said, "After me, the flood." Holding the line on tradition means keeping out the barbarians, and their ideas. Thus, censorship.
The end game seems inevitable. Barriers will come down; the barbarians will get in. Still, the current situation is intriguing. Consider a novel about a hapless world traveler who is blogging about his adventures. Unwittingly, he posts something terribly offensive to the locals. Government agents stir into action. If the country is France, and the offense is to criticize an award-winning Sauvignon Blanc, then the story is farce. If the country is Burma or Cuba or Venezuela, then some real thrills could be in store.
And what about the United States? Could any of this happen here? The First Amendment pretty well guarantees that the government won't engage in censorship. But what about an angry mob, and a little recreational book burning? It could happen. In recent months there has been a lot of seething going on in America. It all circles back to the same thing: somebody's fear that their culture is under attack.
posted by Rob at 1:37 PM
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