A discredited man deflecting attention by calling for state control of the press

 Paul Dacre is the editor of the Daily Mail. He is a labour stooge which is strange considering that Mail is a seen as pro-Tory. The fact that he was slavishly pro-labour may not have anything to do with his farcical desire to become a labour appointed peer. 

Anyway the Mail is in trouble with the more than three hundred cases of using dubious means to secure a story. As part of this scandal Dacre was called to appear in front of the Leveson Inquiry into the press. 

It seems in a blatant attempt to divert attention from his paper's own actions and the illegality and lies for which he bears responsibility Dacre told the inquiry that there should be no such thing as a free press or freedom of expression. He wants only those compliant people who do what their betters tell them and not make waves to be allowed to be journalists. He was a farcical situation whereby state approved reporters can practice with their Kite Mark of acceptance and anyone else being banned.  

This is a politician's dream. It would give them the control they've always sought. No more corruption scandals coming out. It gives them the power to keep the public in blissful ignorance. 

It's a scary prospect. 

For a man such as Dacre who has made millions out of freedom of expression just shows how scared he is of facing justice. Much better to sacrifice our freedoms to avoid jail. 

Utterly pathetic. 

A free and open press, regardless of the illegality and failures it exhibits, is vital to a free and open society. The actions of some of the press are illegal under current law. We don't need press regulation or waffle about ethics to stop it. We simply need the guilty to be punished under the current law for any laws they break. 

We don't need kite marks. 

Worse than that though is the simple facts the kite mark schemes won't work anyway. For a man like Dacre with the most popular media Internet site in the world not to understand this is ridiculous. 

I am not a journalist. 

Most bloggers aren't and don't claim to be. 

Until recently bloggers could not join journalist unions which would give them legal protection and pass. When the unions found out how much power some bloggers wield the rules are supposed to have changed, but it's hard and very expensive to join. 

Most bloggers don't want to join anyway. 

We are the unregulated, and uncontrollable mob no state can ban or control. We act beyond their jurisdictions and behind nick names. No kite mark can stop us. 

Make no mistake most blogs, like most newspaper stories, films, music, etc., are crap. However the good ones can change the world and bring down the corrupt and destroy media empires. 

That is why the political and media fear bloggers. 

We are also blameless for the crimes and abuses we are seeing being laid bare in the Inquiry. We do not hack, steal, bully, or drive people to their deaths. 

The press do. 

This ridiculous kite mark wheeze is simply a diversion thrown up be a discredited and frightened man. 

We need to treat it, and him, with the contempt both deserve.