Category Archives: censorship

Why does the United Kingdom need a written constitution?

Posted on May 14, 2015 by lawrence serewicz

Why does the United Kingdom need a written constitution?[1] The United Kingdom needs to have a written constitution even though it may never develop one. There are three challenges that need to be overcome before it can be written let … Continue reading →

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#Milifandom or how the press found out if a 17 year old scares easily

Posted on May 9, 2015 by lawrence serewicz

In the UK General Election campaign of 2015, a 17 year old learned about the UK media’s unpleasant behavior as guardian of the public domain. The 17 year old helped to start the Twitter trend called #Milifandom, to counter the … Continue reading →

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Persecution and the Art of Writing the return to an ancient problem

Posted on April 24, 2015 by lawrence serewicz

The story of the Bangladeshi writers who were hacked to death has not drawn as much attention as the Charlie Hebdo attack even though they share some similarities. The Bangladeshi writers wanted to write about atheism and to question the … Continue reading →

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Understanding Rupert Murdoch and the establishment

Posted on February 16, 2015 by lawrence serewicz

What is lost in the furore around Rupert Murdoch is that he is not part of the British Establishment.[1] Despite the fact that he is an elite, he is not part of the establishment. His news organisation has a large … Continue reading →

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Bill Cosby and the cult of celebrity

Posted on November 22, 2014 by lawrence serewicz

The news about Bill Cosby is sad. It follows a familiar pattern. A star is accused of something, in this case drugging women and sexually assaulting them, and the press and public go into overdrive to condemn them. Although the … Continue reading →

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Should we follow Aaron Swartz’s example on civil obedience to the laws?

Posted on November 8, 2014 by lawrence serewicz

In his Guerrilla Open Access Manifesto, Aaron Swartz writes “There is no justice in following unjust laws.” In the context he argues that there has been a private theft of public culture. In effect, copyright enriches the few at the … Continue reading →

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Beyond Contempt: Does Money Buy Justice?

Posted on August 21, 2014 by lawrence serewicz

Peter Jukes has written an important book. The book is important because of what it reveals about UK politics, media, and justice. The case connects these areas. Too often people hear “important book” and immediately think that it is boring. … Continue reading →

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Privacy and the political good.

Posted on July 7, 2014 by lawrence serewicz

What is missing from the debate on privacy, in general, and the debate over state surveillance, in particular, is the question of the political good either defended or promoted by constraining surveillance and protecting privacy. What is the political good … Continue reading →

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Is the web now a scout and spy for the passions?

Posted on June 1, 2014 by lawrence serewicz

We often see the web as a place where people can share information and learn. In many ways, the web provides information in ways that break down traditional hierarchies as it allows information to be linked horizontally while traditional approaches … Continue reading →

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If the NSA suppresses political dissent, why are they so bad at it?

Posted on May 31, 2014 by lawrence serewicz

I came across Barry Eisler’s post Motive, Means, and Opportunity: Why NSA Secrecy Should Worry Us All and I thought he would explain why secrecy was bad for a liberal democracy. Although he never discussed this issue, he did make … Continue reading →

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