The Reflex to Regulate

That’s how they get you. It’s only a small change. It’s only temporary.

Yeah right.

Writing in today’s AFR, former ACCC Chief Commissar Rod Sims wrote about the demise of the government’s mis- and dis- information laws. He wrote in defence and support of these laws.

Before reading on, just remember that the idea for these laws came from the ACCC led by Sims.

So please allow me to address Sims’ opening and closing paragraphs.

Opening para:

The government’s Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill, it seems, will now not be passed by the parliament. The Coalition feels the bill is going too far, the Greens believe that it does not go far enough. This suggests that the bill might have got it about right.

Let’s get this right. According to Sims, the position between Liberty (the position seemingly and begrudgingly taken by the Coalition) and Totalitarianism (the position usually taken by the Greens) is the “right” one.

In a free nation, for as long as Australia remains a free nation, the optimal position between liberty and totalitarianism is not the mid point. It is liberty.

Closing para:

The platforms’ profits depend on engagement which is increased by users’ sense of outrage. It seems we will continue with the situation where all decisions on what we see are left to the platforms without appropriate systems and processes in place or for any transparency. The better option would have been to pass the bill and judge later whether it has gone too far or not far enough. We needed at least to make a start.

So Sims reckons that the right course is to pass garbage legislation to see how it goes. To make a start. Yeah. No.

Never ever ever forget the words of Ronald Reagan from his 1964 A Time For Choosing Speech:

If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to. This is the last stand on earth.

On the continuum from the passage of these laws, towards the destination desired by the Greens, will Australians will be like, North Koreans are, and Australians under Covid, will be trapped. There will be no place to escape to.

People like Sims should not be listened to. They should instead have rotten fruit and eggs thrown at them.

Pass garbage legislation to give it a try. We’ve seen that one before.