Australian freedom of speech; “There will be no dissent under a government I lead”

Those of us who support unbridled freedom of speech were outraged at the media inquiries that were initially designed to take a slap at Rupert Murdoch. Then the scope changed to the point where blogs were brought into it, which raised the disturbing specter of popular sites such as The Bolt Blog being emasculated.

Now it is apparent that even minnows such as this site are being targeted. RWL usually averages more than a hundred readers per day and will be hit by regulators as the inquiry considered anyone capable of attracting more than forty-three visitors per day is a threat to the state, our system of government, democratic principles, and could possibly destroy our whole way of life as we know it.

The Finkelstein Inquiry recommended among other things, that the government install a new statutory super-regulator that would cover radio, television, newspapers and the web, including blogs receiving 43 hits a day or more. It is unknown why the minimum figure of 43 was chosen, rather than 47, 62, 96, or even 29, but perhaps it was thought that people might think of these as random numbers he pulled out of his hat or some part of his anatomy, or might just look silly.

Researchers here at Real World Libertarian have discovered that 43 is significant in that it represents Douglas Adams answer to the 'Great Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything' (42), plus one. 42 might be considered “Mostly Harmless” but more than that could cause problems in the political space/time continuum. This research has yet to be published in a scientific journal and peer reviewed but we thought we would let you see it first.

They’re gonna regulate me (apologies to John Lennon)

Sitting up late on my laptop
So I post something for you to see
How the governing class
Is a pain in the arse
But my hit rate is plus forty-three

Lord you know it aint easy
You know how hard it can be
They point to a growing
Need to regulate me

Couldn’t they make it a thousand?
Cause that number would sure exclude me
But they claim that they know
That the figures all show
I’m a danger at just forty-three

Lord you know it aint easy
You know how hard it can be
But research is showing
A need to regulate me

Windsor is firmly determined
That all Aussie speech should be free
With a bit of control
So we say what we're told
Like the Canberra Press Gallery

Lord you know it aint easy
You know how hard it can be
He's pompous and glowing
At thoughts to regulate me

Gillard and Oakeshott and Conroy
Swan, Milne and Willkie agree
I could bring down the state
If I get a hit rate
That is over the great forty-three

Lord you know it aint easy
You know how hard it can be
They claim to be knowing
They need to regulate me …

Just in case you all think this is made up, The Australian reports:

The government is grappling with the changing media landscape and the two reviews it has commissioned -- the independent inquiry into the media led by former federal court judge Ray Finkelstein and the Convergence Review.

Cabinet is considering the recommendation of the Convergence Review for a public interest test for media proprietors and the call from Justice Finkelstein for a new statutory super-regulator that would cover radio, television, newspapers and the web, including blogs receiving as few as 43 hits a day.

It has long been recognized that this government is an incompetent, inept, unscrupulous, deceitful, unprincipled, pack of fascists, unmitigated bastards and paranoid control freaks. We have learned to get used to that and draw comfort from the fact the next election is drawing closer; but to find out that they feel threatened by some guy with the ability to get read by 43 or more people a day means that they are also rather pathetic and panic stricken.

Update: An acquaintance pondering the importance of the number, 43 has come up with the old ad for Nescafe coffee, which featured the 43 beans in every cup theme. While it is possible that Mr Finkelstein liked the coffee and couldn’t get the jingle out of his head, we consider it unlikely that this influenced his decision.