Cú Chulainn

Everybody must listen to this. Although @BBCHARDtalk's Stephen Sackur is boring to death repeating in his questions the standard western talking points against #Iran, @s_m_marandi gives him a good run for his money. Worth your 23 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FEihoE_058&feature=youtu.be …

The more modern day communications offer everyone a voice on public matters, thereby enlarging the discussion in a democratic society about a particular issue, the more professional communicators and govts advocate & enact censorship rules & laws.

In his theory on Discourse Ethics, Habermas advocates achieving consensus in a pluralistic society by promoting rational discussion, made possible by language, and extending it to everyone who follows the rational rules for discussion in what Habermas calls 'universal respect'.

What we are seeing today: powerful and new forms of censorship by the mainstream media and the govts, automatic blocking lists/algorithms on social media & directories containing hundreds of names denouncing those who adopt opposing views.

All this point to a trend that is eating at the heart of western democracies: the rapid decline of pluralism and the abandonment of language and rationality.