In Germany the bill to establish internet filtering against child pornography has started a big dispute between politicians and several organisations and a huge part of internet users.
As could be expected an emotional highly charded issue like child pornography was the right vehicle to suppress an unemotional democratic discussion about internet filtering when drawn into the same context. As a result the media is full of demagogic statements from involved politicians which act already with one eye onto the upcoming elections in september this year as can be read on netzpolitik.org.
As demagogy has a long history in Germany I wanted to add two quotes from one of the internationally most recognized experts in this domain:
“It is the absolute right of the State to supervise the formation of public opinion.”
Dr. Joseph Göbbels, Minister of propaganda for the German Third Reich
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.
The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political,
economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”Dr. Joseph Göbbels, Minister of propaganda for the German Third Reich
