 Bertrand Russell Quotes 366 |
What is new in our time is the increased power of the authorities to enforce their prejudices.
Source: Quoted on Who Said That? BBC TV, Aug. 8, 1958
* a brief comment
Dictatorships were able to impose the will of the dictator on the people in the past as well. What differentiates today's powerful political regimes from the dictatorships of the past is that they not only force the will of the powerful on the people, but can also ‘convince’ the people of their own bias through clever publicity and influence over the media.
Of course, the pressure on broadcasters and others is not as blatant as it used to be. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has the power to licence the airwaves, so it is possible to force broadcasters that are not in the government's interests to self-regulate by issuing them with an order to stop broadcasting in breach of the Broadcasting Act.
In fact, in the past, a statement of protest was issued by the Japan Bar Association.
:* Rference:‘Chairman's Statement protesting against Minister Sanae Takaichi's “statement endorsing the order to suspend the airwaves in violation of the Broadcasting Act” and calling for its withdrawal and for the government not to interfere or intervene in the freedom of the press and expression (16 February 2016)’.