12min
In his book How to Be Right James Edward O’Brien shows us some techniques that he uses to help people understand they are victims of a society that anaesthetises their minds with slogans and messages of hate under the guise of reporting news. Racism, misogyny, homosexuality and Brexit are some of the topics that inspired the author and that have come up during his telephone interviews with the listeners of his radio show.
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Analysis and key concepts
01.
“Freedom of speech and of thought” and “politically correct”: how the meaning of these expressions has changed over the last few years
02.
How the media manipulate collective thought and instil fear
03.
Slogans are the best way to force the public not to think whilst convincing them that they are in fact thinking for themselves
04.
The cause of public anger can be changed and redirected by the media
05.
“Incels”, how groups of straight white men think that they are the victims of discrimination over the last century
06.
The selfish ideology transmitted through the derogatory use of expressions such as “nanny state”
07.
How to help people to begin to think again
08.
Quotes
09.
Take-home message
Over the last few years the expression “freedom of speech” has taken on a whole new dimension, with emphasis on the right to voice one’s opinion without having to justify the reasons behind it. In this new society in which we live, people feel empowered to give voice to the most appalling opinions such as racism, misogyny, homophobia and so on. These dreadful views are often backed up by slogans that incite discord spread by the media, without any longer being challenged to explain the reason for their position.
Radio, television and newspapers spread the extreme opinions of institutional figureheads without ever challenging them or explaining the reasons behind them, and in doing so they give license to the rest of the population to do the same. Nowadays, when someone demands that the right to free speech be respected while they openly present their most controversial views, what they are really asking for is the freedom to speak without having to analyse or explain their position. The struggle against the promoters of political correctness, considered to be the oppressors of free speech, carried out in the name of freedom and intolerance, seeks to repress any opinions that make one uncomfortable, thus hindering any social development capable of challenging the status quo which favours straight, white men.
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The author
Edition
Publishing house:
WH Allen
Year:
2019
Pages:
240
ISBN:
978-0753553121