ALEX: Censor this blog post

Obviously the Australian government has decided that the internet is NSFW. The communications minister, Stephen Conroy, has campaigned for a compulsory filter over all Australian internet, claiming it will benefit the general populace by blocking out child pornography and other such things that are bad for us. What I really want to know though, is why the government has declined to publish the list of sites they intend to block.

"Experts" have claimed that this is a bad idea because the strain of the filter will slow internet speeds. I say that this is a bad idea because it limits freedoms. Now you're probably thinking, "What kind of crazy person is he to want people to be able to see child pornography and other illegal activity over the internet?" but you would be wrong. Rather than a step in the right direction, this is like putting a barbed wire fence around the continent to stop sharks getting in. Frankly, it's stupid, and there is no better word for it.

First we will have an internet filter. We will then gradually lose the right to publish free information. Slowly, personal freedoms will become a thing of the past, and our country will decline into a dystopic totalitarian state reminiscent of Soviet Russia in the previous century. We will get our new cars after those in power get them. We will not be allowed to do certain actions because those in power do not approve of them, even though these people happily live in freedom in their mansions, while we line up to buy a loaf of bread and a single egg, and spend our 25 cent a week wage, getting by with the minimal of necessities, while those above us live a life of indulgent luxury. As it was in the Soviet era, this system will inevitably be bypassed by those with the means; crime will be abundant, figures in crime will have great power, corruption will reign and our slice of the world pie will fall into chaos.

This is not so much an act on child pornography as it is an act on principle. Information, no matter what its content, should not be withheld from the public blindly. This leads to the increased belief that Australia is becoming a nanny state. And I agree with those that say this.

There needs to be a level of trust in the community for the community to function well. And that trust is breaking down, increasingly so because of irrelevant laws like this. Internet filters can easily be bypassed, no matter what sort of filter you try to use. It's the "Net principle" (pardon the pun): It is easier to cut open and eliminate the net, than to patch up crack after crack to keep it in good condition. Think about this, and it explains why there is no such thing as a crime-free society. Because it is easier to evade authority to enforce it completely. Although I will say, in no way do I endorse crime. I respect authority.

Which brings me to my second topic, related to the first; the film "Kick Ass". It has sparked controversy with certain aspects of the film, the film itself described as "an explicitly violent school holiday film starring an 11-year-old girl who shoots people in the face and uses obscene language, experts say."(SMH 28 March 2010 [smh.com.au]). What gets me here, is that the so-called "experts" say the film is not suitable for young children, although some people mistake it to be, and it should be given an R(18+) instead of an MA(15+) rating. Apparently, parents could mistake it to be a children's movie by aspects in the film trailer, and take their young kids to go see it. Except for one little flaw. The classification system. MA 15+ requires the viewer of the film to be 15 years or older. ID has to be shown when going to the cinema or buying the film. What kind of parents take any sort of young children who aren't able to handle this sort of movie to a film rated really not suitable for children. This is political correctness gone wrong, and I have so much rage it can't be expressed through computer. Conclusion; jail the parents who complain the film isn't suitable when they take their young kids to go see it. END.

Anyway, merry easter. I'll blog again soon, and yes, this one has been a while in the making.

~Alex