I think it's too easy to politicize(1) censorship. The various political meme groups will jump on any bandwagon to propogate their particular brand of power hunger...

I view censorship as a simple young against old battle. The people responsible for censorship, the older generations, were brought up in a completely different age to us. They find concepts abhorrent that we wouldn't think twice about; pornography, difficult issues etc. etc. Likewise, later generations will consider us stuffy and conservative. (Isn't that a sobering thought? :-)

It amazes me that so many people consider themselves the last, best hope against the civilisation destroying evil of an uncut film or seeing an erect penis. What exactly qualifies you to decide what society, in all it's myriad forms, can and can't watch/read/hear? I think a rule should apply to people who seek power over others (either through censorship or political power): If you're seeking power, you should be denied it.

Watching Porn in the UK gives a little insight into the way things are censored here in Britain. We're subject to a lot of censorship; A Clockwork Orange and The Exorcist have only recently been released or rereleased uncut. Whether our society has been "eroded" or "cheapened" due to these films? I think not.

This is, of course, one side of the argument. There's evidence that watching porn at an early age can be harmful, There were stories of teenagers establishing their own Fight Club's after watching the film.

Who's responsible for censorship? Mostly people who should never be allowed that privilige.


(1) is politicize a word?