'Not An Attack On Free Speech'

"If you look back at the people who created the internet, they talked very deliberately about creating a space that governments couldn't reach. I think we are having to revisit that stuff seriously now."

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham. The man's intense Stalinism is only mitigated by the fact he's a fuckwit:

Other safeguards mooted by Burnham include compelling websites such as YouTube and Facebook to remove offensive material within a specified time after they have been alerted to it, and changing Britain's libel laws to make it cheaper for people to sue publishers if they have been defamed online. Internet providers will be urged to adopt the proposals in the new year, but if that failed to work, Burnham said the proposals might have to be enshrined in law.

Burnham, a father of three, insisted his proposals were not intended as an attack on freedom of speech

And when I throw a large rock at Andy Burnham's smug face it isn't intended to inflict physical injury it will simply happen to be the inevitable effect. If you still haven't been convinced of his sheer fucking stupidity:

He plans to approach US president-elect Barack Obama's incoming administration with proposals for tight international rules on English language websites

The cretin hasn't heard of the 1st amendment.


Update: It is worth bearing in mind that this plan is not only crazed and authoritarian it is also completely unworkable. Andy Burnham really is the stupidest cabinet minister in recent memory, he is like the secret lovechild of John Prescott and Harriet Harman who's been dropped on his head a few too many times.