May 3 was World Press Fredom Day, the government waited an extra day before publishing a ban on a list of people for thoughtcrimes.   Index on Censorship has some highlights of the list, many of those banned are unsavoury and undesirable.  Guido’s test is simple – do they advocate violence?  If not, then just because you disagree with them is no reason to ban them.

Jacqui Smith employs doublethink to say

The government supports freedom of expression, but believes it needs to be exercised responsibly. We will continue to oppose extremism in all its forms.

There is nothing wrong with extremism per se; “extremism in defence of liberty is no vice, moderation in pursuit of justice no virtue”. One woman’s extremist is another man’s progressive radical.  By all means keep out known advocates of violence, this measure however is not the thin edge of the wedge, it is the thick end of a jackboot.  The American conservative, radio shock-jock*  Michael Savage is not going to kill anyone, nor as far as Guido is aware has Savage ever advocated terrorism.  If merely loudmouthed shock-jocks can be banned, who will be next?

Martin Bright recently commented that it was “surreal” to see Guido supporting Index on Censorship, the liberal leaning, free speech pressure group.  Not sure why he said that, in Guido’s lifetime freedom of speech has been much more cherished on the right than the left.  Anyway, self-preservation is always a personal priority…

*Iain Dale is a conservative, radio shock-jock nowadays.

American actor Clarke Peters (Mandela, The Wire) was on Adam Boulton’s Sky show this morning.  He cracked a joke that would have had Sunny Hundal putting Guido up on a thought-crime charge if it was first cracked here on the blog:

“People used to say ‘pigs would fly’ if we had a black president. Well 100 days into Obama’s presidency, swine flu.”

On a sadder note, Jack Kemp has died after battling cancer.   Guido wonders how different the world might have been if  the former NFL quarterback had been the vice-presidential running mate of Bush senior instead of Dan Quayle.  If  the libertarian-conservative Kemp had then succeeded the original President Bush, we might never have had Presidents Clinton or Dubya.  Instead after nine terms as a Congressman for Western New York, from 1971 to 1989, he served as Housing Secretary in the George H. W. Bush administration.

Kemp an advocate of low tax, supply-side policies was until recently still active in the Washington think tank world.  He was conservative on abortion and libertarian on immigration,  with Chicago school economic ideals.  His crucial contribution to the Reagan agenda was as architect of the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, possibly the greatest tax reduction in American history since the Boston Tea party. The world sorely needs more Jack Kemps.

Rush Limbaugh says, “Hear, hear. Hear, hear. Republicans in Washington could take a lesson from the bravery of this man.”

Guido spoke to Dan earlier today, he seemed bemused at the colossal impact of his speech. Guido tried to explain to him he was about to go inter-continental. “I have to deal with a lot of constituent’s letters today”, “Dan, Drudge has just front paged you”, “Yes, it is strange, I have said the same thing before.”

Cometh the hour, cometh the man – we are all ditto-heads now; Rushies and the Co-Conspirators.   British politicians are mesmerised by Obama, without noticing that two months into his presidency Obama’s ratings are lower than Dubya’s were at the same time.  Dan, we know you won’t back down, stick to your guns…

Fox : Danny Tells Cavuto - “I Wanted Ron Paul, But I Backed Obama”

UPDATE : Hannan’s reply to Gordon Brown is already at 1/3rd of million views on YouTube and on course to be the most viewed political speech in the fastest time in internet history. It is the speech that many Republicans wish  they had someone to deliver to Obama.

You know sending an intern out to Blockbuster to buy 25 DVDs for Gordon’s gift and choosing “Psycho” and “Citizen Kane” might just be a dig at the Prime Mentalist. C’mon, Psycho?

Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane was based on the life of William Randolph Hearst. According to reviewers

You see Guido’s point?