Sixteen people banned from entering the UK were “named and shamed” by the Home Office today.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she decided to make public the names of 16 people banned since October so others could better understand what sort of behaviour Britain was not prepared to tolerate. The list includes hate preachers, anti-gay protesters and a far- right US talk show host. “I think it’s important that people understand the sorts of values and sorts of standards that we have here, the fact that it’s a privilege to come and the sort of things that mean you won’t be welcome in this country,” Ms Smith told GMTV.
“We are publishing the names of 16 of those that we have excluded since October. We are telling people who they are and why it is we don’t want them in this country.” She said the number of people excluded from Britain had risen from an average of two a month to five a month since October. The list of the 16 “least wanted” includes radio talk show host Michael Savage, real name Michael Weiner.
“This is someone who has fallen into the category of fomenting hatred, of such extreme views and expressing them in such a way that it is actually likely to cause inter-community tension or even violence if that person were allowed into the country,” Ms Smith told BBC Breakfast.
“If people have so clearly overstepped the mark in terms of the way not just that they are talking but the sort of attitudes that they are expressing to the extent that we think that this is likely to cause or have the potential to cause violence or inter-community tension in this country, then actually I think the right thing is not to let them into the country in the first place. Not to open the stable door then try to close it later,” Ms Smith said.
Disturbing trend or great idea? Is free speech for everyone or just those you agree with? What about the radical clerics already in the UK, will they be deported?
Liberals plan to do that here as well, with the Fairness Doctrine, or oversight boards.
I don’t have a problem with Britain banning people from their country they dislike.
>I’m gonna check him out…I doubt what you said about his beliefs is accurate.
Actually, Alfred, this is about right. Michael Savage is a liberal playing a conservative, and he goes way beyond Steven Colbert.
I’ve heard his show on XM a few times, nothing remarkable when I was listening…just the same old BS wingnut talk.
Listened to Rush for a while today, who went on for 20 minutes about why he likes Palin. Also saw a clip of Hannity on wonkette…that man needs some meds asap. He’s lost his grip on reality.
When you look at the list I wonder if they didn’t put his name on to make it look like they were balancing things and not profiling.
@Olo Baggins of Bywater
Yep, they are definitely dosing the water cooler at Fox News. Glen Beck should stop over hydrating.
MikeN is listening to the liberals in his head again. Always going on and on about the fairness doctrine. Good thing there are so very few people who support the fairness doctrine outside of his head, because that would be outrageous.
“fuck you i wont do what ya tell me
fuck you i wont do what ya tell me
fuck you i wont do what ya tell me
fuck you i wont do what ya tell me
fuck you i wont do what ya tell me
fuck you i wont do what ya tell me
fuck you i wont do what ya tell me
fuck you i wont do what ya tell me
motherfuker!!!”
“this is for the people of the sun!”
Been said by many above but… I can’t stand the man but I will defend his right to spew his rants. Seems like our old friends the Brits are on a very slippery slop if not already off the edge.
@#39 Li
I find the idea of the Fairness Doctrine insulting.
The idiot talking heads on the left and right actually think their mindless reading of talking points represents the only 2 possible points of view on an issue or that what these bullet point readers are doing even qualifies as an opinion and a thorough discussion.
That’s what I find insulting.
Any of you lot ever leave your own neighborhood other than going to the bowling alley?
Most nations do this – including the GOUSA. I can’t decide if you’re ignorant, naive or too busy Twittering to notice the real world.
I think GreenDay said it well.
“Don’t want to be an American idiot
One nation controlled by the media
Information age of hysteria
It’s going out to idiot America”
The fact that we let Weiner on the air makes me proud to be a US Citizen, but face it he is a national embarrassment. Loud overweight ugly American Idiot. The rest of the world sees him or someone just like him when they think of a stereotypical American.
The fact that any Americans would listen to him makes me sad.
Voted most likely to be convicted of Inciting a Riot by his Queens College classmates.
Now lets get busy we’ve got Gays, Arabs, Catholics, and Autistic Kids to hate and we are all way behind on our racism lessons, you know that will hurt our grades in Bigotry 101
A new and novel idea:
Instead of letting a faceless, non-elected bureaucrat who can’t be fired determine what everyone should or shouldn’t listen to, how about letting lots and lots of people support or reject a speaker by supporting or rejecting the business that airs his views and the commercials that are played.
Works, unless there is a government mandate requiring that everyone has to have ‘equal time’….defeating the $$ voice of the people.
Is there anything about a country that is capable of doing something like this, that we would want to emulate? NO – Lets break away from England and form our own country, where we will have freedom of speech!
You stupid and brainwashed Americans, that are outraged at the UK doing this, should really pay more attention about cleaning up your own back yard first…
http://tinyurl.com/ce5mpy
U.S. diverts Air France plane: Passenger was a journalist critical of U.S. Foreign Policy
Air France Flight 438, from Paris, was to land at Mexico City at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 18. Five hours before landing, the captain’s voice announced that U.S. authorities had prohibited the plane from flying over U.S. territory. The explanation: among the passengers aboard was a person who was not welcome in the United States for reasons of national security.
Free speech.. such a wonderful thing.
Specially when it is based on hate, bigotry, racism, and worse of all, militant nationalism.
Mussolini was great at it.
Hitler was great at it.
Mao did a great job.
Pol Pot riled up the masses.
Defend free speech as much as you want, but at least analyze and think about what the individual is saying before you start supporting any particular speaker and his ‘freedom to speak’. You might want to start saying yourself “This guy needs to be shut-up”
Don’t be an Alfred1, a moron that jumps in to support a speaker when he has never even heard of the individual in question.
The saddest statement of all? Michael Savage gets huge ratings… it says so much about America itself.
Having heard (while channel surfing) Savage on the radio for many years now, I can think of nobody more contrary to what America is all about than that individual. Pure hate and bigotry packaged as entertainment, hypocrisy disguised as nationalism, grandiose words coming from a talking toilet. You can tell a lot by the advertisers on his show… one rip-off artist after another, one con-man after another, one get-rich scheme after another. The sewer of the radio… and many Americans just gulp it down. Few believe it, but you should be afraid, very afraid of those who actually do believe in the dreck that “Dr Savage” spouts… dangerous mentally unstable people.
The irony that this “Doctor” sells (via his website) self designed miracle potions to all that ails you should say a lot about his character… the old style medicine man, selling poisons and passing them as cures.
Can it happen here?
Three words: No Fly List.
There’s a million and a half names on the durned thing. I doubt they’re all plotting to throw bombs.
Free speech or not, Savage is a vile and sick individual that constantly engages in hate speech. The fact that he is the 3rd highest rated talk radio personality in the country, speaks volumes as to how far the US has degenerated into some sort of collective mental sickness.
Here’s a nice bit of hypocrisy coming from Mr. Savage, regarding the freedom of the press in the US…
Savage on Media Matters: “They have no place in America”
http://tinyurl.com/c2r6s4
On the July 21 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Michael Savage repeatedly attacked Media Matters for America, calling the group a “Stalinist,” “anti-family,” “illegitimate, dangerous fascist group,” and asserted that Media Matters “has no place in America.” His comments came after Media Matters documented, with transcript and audio, his July 16 remarks describing autism as “[a] fraud, a racket.” Those comments have sparked protests and generated widespread media attention.
I don’t agree with Savage being banned.
However, Savage is no friend of free speech. Despite Savage painting himself as a champion of free speech, he is anything but. He took the organisation CAIR to court to prevent them from using snippets of his show on their website. Had Savage prevailed, free speech would have lessened for us all. See:
http://tinyurl.com/27ladx
.
The list includes Americans Michael Weiner, Fred Phelps and daughter, Erich Gliebe neo-Nazi and a former KKK grand wizard / current National Alliance.
Also a Palestinian extremist, a Jewish extremist, two Russian extremists and lots of Muslims.
Gerry Adams (IRA / Sinn Féin) and David Irving were banned from Australia due to not being of good character (by an Attorney General who had refugee children locked up in concentration camps in the +40˚C desert while also being a member of Amnesty International). Subsequently “Australia’s Federal Court on September 16 unanimously overturned an earlier decision by immigration authorities to reject the visa application of David Irving”.
Anyone with a criminal record is banned from America (even if the “crime” was against Saddam). Also anyone with HIV.
People can access the dangerous thoughts on the internet so banning the thinker seems stupid (which is why they will ban the thoughts on the internet soon).
I can’t see why anyone would single out someone as insignificant a Savage. But as this blog points out constantly this Jacqui Smith lady is neo-Gestapo and much more of a threat (to British people) than an idiot talk show host because she has legal power.
More hypocrisy from Savage…
Michael Savage, enemy of free speech
By Tony Kondaks
December 10, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/27ladx
Absolutely, states should ban people who are a problem or sow discord.
The decision is made by the representatives of the people….if the people vote in another government those decisions will change.
What was done to the French journalist is in the same league and both that action and that of the British pretty much mean they are made out of the same cloth as Savage and his ilk. Absolutely intolerant of anybody and anything that doesn’t agree with them; isn’t politically correct as they define it.
The real difference between Savage and the government hacks is the government hacks have the power to enforce their views on the public and that makes them a lot more dangerous.
There is no such thing as hate speech. Only speech.
#45 rick
“how about letting lots and lots of people support or reject a speaker by supporting or rejecting the business that airs his views and the commercials that are played”
Not so fast their big fell’a
Under unbridled capitalism your idea could end up giving voice only to the rich companies and lobbies.
In many areas you can only receive Rush on the way right and Weiner on the way way right then that guy who ruined Art Bells show. Maybe that’s one of the reasons the middle of the country turns so red. You can spin that dial all day but you won’t find Pacifica, air America, BBC even milk toast NPR they are not on the 50,000-Watt AM stations. If the rich want to control the message out there they can money talks and can keep power.
lately the internet has been an equalizer but for how long? and lots of folks are not online.
If I believed in hell and the devil and stuff, I’d be sure Weiner was going to burn. Oh well lucky him no hell. We will just have to wait and hope for his big mouth to get him into so much trouble that he winds up in jail or broke from lawsuits and canceled. Then he can spew from a podcast to feed his hate minions he and made.
How many of Weiner’s defenders were upset when Yusef Islam had his plane diverted to a small Maine airport so he could be removed from the country. You might know him better as Cat Stevens who has worked for peace since he retired from music.
Another case is the US denying entry of Tariq Ramadan to a Professorship at Notre Dame University. A noted peace activist, he is a citizen of Switzerland after fleeing persecution in Egypt. It seems only the US thought this guy had terrorist connections.
And as already pointed out, how many Americans are on the “No Fly List”?
Yes, freedom of speech is sacred. Only by calling for the overthrow of a legally elected government and violence against minorities Weiner has passed that line.
I still fondly remember M. Savage excitedly talking about how the US Air Force was bombing their way to Baghdad. It was an all-out effort with no building, bridge or roadway left intact. And he had exclusive info on this because nobody else was talking about it anywhere in media. He may have even started doing play-by-play of the bombing runs. He was so very excited because he was scooping EVERYBODY with his report.
Only problem was, this was 6 months to a year before Bush Jr. ordered the invasion of Iraq. There was, to the best of my knowledge, absolutely no massive bombing campaign. There was not even so much as a single sortie.
But I never heard M. Savage ever admit that this massive bombing campaign never took place, that he may have gotten it wrong.
I think the Brits just screwed up their explanation of why they denied him entry. If they had just said he was denied entry because of his mental state, nobody would have questioned the action.
Yet more liberal insanity…
He’s also top on list of “Conservatives Most Likely to have a Gay Sex Scandal.”
There is no way that he CAN’T be one of those self-loathing closeted gay conservatives.
This is good because:
1. I will never go to England.
2. More people will now be interested in hearing Michael Savage on radio.
3. He is available on the Internet. DUH.
4. Michael is loving the attention.
He started locally in SF, and much to every other talk jock’s surprise, is a national personality. Especially miffed is Bernie Ward, the pervert ex priest who used to be on the station in the same building as him. Now Bernie’s in Federal Prison, and Michael is banned in the UK because he is TOO INFLUENTIAL!
Don’t conservatives believe it is a country’s sovereign right to ban foreign undesirables?
The country let itself get over-run with Muslims, so what do they do? Ban Savage. As Archie Bunker said, England is a fag country.
#56. I for one agree that the treatment of Yusef Islam aka. Cat Stevens., was an injustice. The man should be regarded as a great musician, songwriter and a national treasure. A memory of mine, growing up in a Catholic HS, the nuns and priests loved that man’s music. It was even played in church at mass.
But tell me, Where do the Children Play?
Good stuff.