I decided today to move my current account away from Mastercard in protest at its decision to stop dealing with Wikileaks. Reportedly, Mastercard was pressured by the US Administration, as was Amazon and others to cut ties with Wikileaks, despite no evidence it had broken any law in any jurisdiction.
I think it is outrageous that administrators of a constitution that guarantees freedom of speech, one that has been so loudly celebrating Nobel Laureate Liu Xianbin’s ‘leaking’ of Chinese ‘secrets’, should abandon its principles as soon as its own secrets begin to be revealed. Voltaire said it all and we cease to protect those principles of free speech at our peril.As we are so often urged to, but rarely do, I am thinking globally and acting locally.
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Happy Christmas Stafford (whose conscience never sleeps). Hope you have a good day and week. Steve
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Stafford. Recently, I watched a documentary made by John Pilger 'The War You Don't See'. It was compelling. Julian Assange was a contributor. Some of the revelations made me weep, literally. I always knew the world was a crazy place, but...
ReplyDeleteHa.
ReplyDeleteMe thinks you don't DO Christmas.
Would that be right?
I do it for the pressies.
And the food.
And the drinking.
Oh yeah ... and for the company.
Every bit the opportunist.
Damn - I got my first ever Mastercard this year.
Must I get rid of it now?
i remember when i got my first credit card and my dad's advice to me was, "get the scissors and cut it up". he's pretty much still strictly cash based, and not paying interest to spend his own money. damn he's smart.
ReplyDeletemerry christmas.
it is a good thing to do though my self I didn't bather. if i would abandon every company that do things against my concious i would not be able to enter any store.
ReplyDeleteon the other hand - maybe i should do that.
any way,
i came in to wish a happy holy days
and a merry new year.
Bravo!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your warm weather. And I'm so glad to see on your profile that you like Bach! I hope the New Year brings you many good things.
ReplyDeleteAlthough my sympathies are firmly with Assange I feel that it's a great pity, Stafford, to surrender your MasterCard. Everytime you conduct a transaction there's an associated frisson, a surge of consequence.
ReplyDelete"Yes, retail minion, behold and quake! I am your Master!"
Smart responsible man you are! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeletegood luck on your new efforts.
ReplyDeleteI have only two words for you, Stafford. You Rule. A man after my own heart. Actually, that was about ten words but my brain is addled from too much Christmas ham (organic and free range, of course.) And you still rule!!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you expect, Stafford, of an administration that still permits the State Murder of it's own citizens?
ReplyDeleteHi Stafford, and a Very Happy New Year. Thanks for your recent comments on my . . .er . . . er . . . what's the word for it . . . ah, yes POETRY!
ReplyDeleteYou said you were thinking about a blogpost on capital punishment. I made an ironic comment on State Murder in a Poetry Bus response a little while ago, which you can find HERE.
All good wishes.
FTSE
Hear Hear!
ReplyDelete