DISSENT CRUSHED

As everyone who regularly visits Antony Loewenstein's blog will be well aware, he's writing a book for Melbourne University Publishing. Back in August 2005, Federal Labor MP Michael Danby, aware of Loewenstein's anti-Israel bias, made his thoughts known in a letter to the Australian Jewish News:

MUP should drop this whole disgusting project. If they proceed, I urge the Australian Jewish community, and particularly the Australian Jewish News, to treat it with dignified silence. That is our best response. If, God forbid, it is published, don't give them a dollar. Don't buy the book.

Angry Ant, predictably, sought to draw attention to himself and his book by having a big cry:

Why is a member of parliament trying to stop the publication of my book? What is he afraid of? History doesn't look kindly on such attitudes. And we all know what other historical individuals favoured this behaviour.

There was also boo-hoo-hooing about Danby's delayed response to a Loewenstein email:

...what, exactly, has taken him so long to respond?

Loewenstein later tried to milk this "controversy" for all it was worth, claiming bullying and censorship.

As a self-proclaimed free-speech advocate – the title of the first Loewenstein link above is, "Free Speech" – it then seems odd that Loewenstein has banned me from commenting at his blog and refuses to even answer my emails. What is he afraid of?

(Note: I have lodged three rather bland comments, none of which has made it past moderation.)