Intolerance, racism, bigotry and censorship.

This is not strictly a topic relating solely to our industry but rather to the country we live in which is greatly changed from the country I grew up in. It relates to a thread about Sedition and the Arts which was around a while ago.

I note that we are being asked to discuss whether or not Vistors to our fair country should be required to sign an undertaking that they will embrace our culture. Our culture which includes freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Neither of which we would have of course if we became a Muslim nation under modern Sharia law.

And there lies the great paradox of democracy and all it's attended freedoms. We must guarantee freedom of speech and the opportunity to be elected to people who would remove our freedom of speech and seriously damage our free election system if elected.

It happened in Italy in the 1920's and in Germany in the 1930's.

I will defend the right of free speech, on stage, on TV, in newspapers in magazines and etc. Free speech which in many ways has already been curtailed with the application of political correctness. I happen to find racism abhorrent in all it's forms but can we afford to muzzle anyone. If we can argue to muzzle National Front today we can almost certainly find arguements to muzzle the Catholic Right tomorrow the Muslim church the day after and so on.

We are daily moving towards muzzling "radical" Muslim clerics. Who decides they are radical and who is pure enough to cast the first stone.

Modern conservatism with Mr Howard as Prime Minister and the very Catholic Mr Abbott as Minister of Health is making a great many medical treatments the religious right doesn't like more and more hard to get evry day. Our employment rights are being eroded and we are being returned to a state of lassaiz faire economics that existed in the 19th Century.

And what are we doing in the world of performing arts. Where are the protest plays, where are the true social satires? Where are today's Shaw, Barrie, Pinero? Where is the street theatre?

Rent shows promise. But otherwise? The Boy From Oz?

Give me a break.