So Much for the Town Square Test…
It’s not as if the Sharansky test really evidences much in the way of a deep understanding of democracy; it reminds me a lot of Prussia under Frederick II (believe what you will, but obey), but I suppose we couldn’t expect anything much more complicated to appeal to George W. Bush:
If a person cannot walk into the middle of the town square and express his or her views without fear of arrest, imprisonment, or physical harm, then that person is living in a fear society, not a free society.
Nevertheless, I don’t think that a new media law under debate in Afghanistan qualifies:
Control of content will be guided through clauses which include prohibitions that prevent publicity of any other religion than Islam, prohibit the media from producing any content that is unislamic or jeopardises the stability of the nation or any false information which might disrupt public opinion…
Via Brian Ulrich.