Quote of the day

[mirrorshard]

The simple fact is that any system of ideas that decides you have to ringfence it, that you cannot discuss it in fundamental terms, that you can't say that this bit of it is junk, or that bit is oppressive ... we are supposed to respect that?

- Salman Rushdie, at the Edinburgh international television festival, debating with George Galloway

http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,6109,1558489,00.html?gusrc=rss

Comments

[tiquetoque.livejournal.com]

Heh, with a tiny bit of shimmying, that statement of his could apply equally well to any free-speech impinging legislation.

So it's not cool to talk about revolution, upturning the capitalist infidel system, returning the world to a lawful God-fearing state where the book of law holds true?

Blair's latest anti-terror bill, anyone?

[mirrorshard.livejournal.com]

That's the good thing about it. It's generalizable.

[malvino.livejournal.com]

He's still a whore though :)

[mirrorshard.livejournal.com]

I can't help but adore anyone who can write like that - and at least he isn't a cheap whore :)

[malvino.livejournal.com]

The Satanic verses was pretty cheap, and not a very good read, he sold out himself and deliberately angered a massive number of people just to attract attention, it was the worst form of publicity stunt.

Still, Karma and all that, he was already becoming known and can write fantasically when he wants to, he probably would have had a much better life and would have been much more highly regarded in the long term if he hadn't done it.