Information Research Weblog

There's a great discussion going on at C|Net about whether or not local municipalities should be offering "free" wi-fi coverage. If you want to understand the loony, neo-con, extremist rightwingers, take a look. In particular, one 'GraysonBuzz' is so far to the right that he makes George Bush look like a liberal.

Curious how in the USA, 'liberal' has become a term of abuse: just look at some of the OED meanings of the word:

• Free in bestowing; bountiful, generous, open-hearted
• Free from restraint; free in speech or action.
• Free from narrow prejudice; open-minded, candid.
• Free from bigotry or unreasonable prejudice in favour of traditional opinions or established institutions; open to the reception of new ideas or proposals of reform.
• Favourable to constitutional changes and legal or administrative reforms tending in the direction of freedom or democracy.

Apparently, these are now qualities that threaten "the American way of life" — well, they'd certainly threaten the neo-fascist state that Georgie would like to have!