"Free Speech" week at Berkeley

[Rion]

Milo Yiannopoulos

Letters to the University
Berkeley Patriot

Basically the claim is the University pretended to be hosting a free speech week, but did everything that they could to make sure it never happened. Milo and company kept complying, however, and Berkeley then put pressure on the group hosting the event to withdraw support or face trouble and /or expulsion. Milo is still going to speak, but now he won't have the police for protection.

 

[Targaryen]

Ummm...yeah. How "liberal". And facebook is such a totally valid news source these days

Try the real story why it fell apart:

How Milo Yiannopoulos's Berkeley 'Free Speech Week' Fell Apart

 

[Rion]

Ummm...yeah. How "liberal". And facebook is such a totally valid news source these days

Try the real story why it fell apart:

How Milo Yiannopoulos's Berkeley 'Free Speech Week' Fell Apart

It is Milo's official post on the situation. He also put out an official video statement, but it is longer than 30 secs and a lot of people here get triggered by anything that long. The second link is a scanned letter by the group who pulled out. The Atlantic is repeating the story that was put out by Mercury News.

And yes, believing in the freedom of speech, even if you don't agree with that person, IS liberal. Trying to silence those who you disagree with isn't.

 

[Targaryen]

Milo is usually all for freedom of speech when he can spout his nonsense, I agree. Doesn't mean everything or anything that comes from his mouth is the real situation. It's far more liberal to present a fuller picture then just someone's complaining the event fell through.

 

[Rion]

Milo is usually all for freedom of speech when he can spout his nonsense, I agree. Doesn't mean everything or anything that comes from his mouth is the real situation. It's far more liberal to present a fuller picture then just someone's complaining the event fell through.

You honestly believe that he spent 100,000 dollars to mess with the university?

 

[essentialsaltes]

It is Milo's official post on the situation.

So what. He's an official troll.

The organizers didn't contact many of the alleged guests. They didn't book the alleged rooms.

 

[super animator]

You honestly believe that he spent 100,000 dollars to mess with the university?

Milo is a professional troll.

 

[HannahT]

Milo is usually all for freedom of speech when he can spout his nonsense, I agree. Doesn't mean everything or anything that comes from his mouth is the real situation. It's far more liberal to present a fuller picture then just someone's complaining the event fell through.

Liberal doesn't mean liberal anymore. Liberals would allow the event to go on. True liberals that is. lol and it wouldn't cost the university anymore than it normally does!

Its the anarchists that won't allow things to be said - nonsense or otherwise. Only their hateful nonsense is allowed. If you don't agree? We will beat you up, and set fires. Liberals wouldn't do that. They respect free speech whereas the popular anarchists don't.

I think this is much bigger. Do we as a country - any side of politics - allow/enable anarchists to run the show? True liberals and everyone else if they grew a brain would say no.

 

[Non sequitur]

Ummm...yeah. How "liberal". And facebook is such a totally valid news source these days

Try the real story why it fell apart:

How Milo Yiannopoulos's Berkeley 'Free Speech Week' Fell Apart

The Facebook you are referencing is both directly from Milo and the group who was organizing it. Kinda hard to not call those not valid sources.

The "real story" you posted about why it fell apart is full of rumors and guessing ("Some critics have suspected...").

From what I could find, the reason it fell apart was because:
- The University would not add a force majeure clause (nor respond to their requests in any timely manner; up to 3 weeks), which would cover the costs of cancellation.
- The University, on September 13th after 5pm, sent an email requesting an action informing the organizers of a September 15th 5pm deadline. Still no clause added.
- The University's insurance informed the organizers that they would not cover students at the event... one day before the deadline.
- The University said, in an email, they were 1) not able to add the clause requested and 2) informed them that they needed to obtain substantially equivalent insurance... 90 minutes before the deadline (as they are on the East Coast and not the West Coast).

Lack of communication and untimely responses (even in person) appears to be the biggest issue in the argument for "not filing paperwork".

 

[ThatRobGuy]

There's some deceptive play coming from both parties with regards to this story...

While it is true that Berkeley is known for using the "moving the goalposts" strategy in terms of their compliance rulings with respect to conservative speakers (making it cost prohibitive, intentionally making the rules as difficult as possible in hopes that the conservative speakers back out, etc...), it appears that Milo partially was counting on that to happen in efforts to prove his narrative, that narrative being "liberals claim to be the side of free thought and expression, yet shut down people who don't agree with them".

The fact that many of the conservative speakers he had listed on the run sheet said they never intended on showing up is quite telling. He was counting on them shutting him down.

As far as the "he wouldn't waste $100,000 on this just to prove a point would he???"... he absolutely would. His brand generates revenue and he has a net worth of nearly $5 million. Or perhaps he used some of the money from the advance he was given for his book deal that ended up falling through...


Either way though, like I said, both parties are being a tad disingenuous here... Berkeley does try to make things difficult for conservatives speakers...and for Milo's bit... going to Berkeley to prove that "liberals don't actually like free speech" would be like a liberal speaker going to Klan country in South Carolina to prove that "conservatives don't like minorities".

 

[variant]

And yes, believing in the freedom of speech, even if you don't agree with that person, IS liberal. Trying to silence those who you disagree with isn't.

I'm all for letting him speak.

It would be nice if Milo focused on having an actual message when he speaks rather than just trying to engineer situations to make people he doesn't like look bad.

Then, when he wished to complain about how he wasn't allowed to speak it wouldn't seem so hollow.

 

[Non sequitur]

I think there is going to be a law suit, against the school.

Hopefully that will force facts and evidence to come to light and the information spread about, from several sources, fully and properly assessed.

 

[durangodawood]

...both parties are being a tad disingenuous here... Berkeley does try to make things difficult for conservatives speakers...a...

I'd call the above disingenuous except you probably dont know better.

Its black bloc / antifa types who are making these engagements difficult. The university (taxpayers) is left with the extraordinary security costs.

Basically the university has been chosen as a symbolic battleground between modern "conservatives" with their button pushing check cashing so called "thinkers", and far left anarchist violent types.

 

[variant]

I'd call the above disingenuous except you probably dont know better.

Its black bloc / antifa types who are making these engagements difficult. The university (taxpayers) is left with the extraordinary security costs.

Basically the university has been chosen as a symbolic battleground between modern "conservatives" with their button pushing check cashing so called "thinkers", and far left anarchist violent types.

And why should we be irritated with Berkley for not wanting to stay that venue?

Maybe their job is to be a university instead of a venue for political mud fight.

 

[Targaryen]

Milo speaking would be an issue for me if he wasn't a known troll and looks to create every situation like this into a way to say free speech is not being practiced. That's why I don't exactly trust him one bit, and why I went with a fuller picture.

And why should we be irritated with Berkley for not wanting to stay that venue?

Maybe their job is to be a university instead of a venue for political mud fight.

Cause apparently these days if a university does one thing but not another, it's not fair.

 

[Non sequitur]

Milo speaking would be an issue for me if he wasn't a known troll and looks to create every situation like this into a way to say free speech is not being practiced. That's why I don't exactly trust him one bit, and why I went with a fuller picture.

Cause apparently these days if a university does one thing but not another, it's not fair.

An "issue", in what sense?

 

[Targaryen]

Sorry was trying to say would NOT be an issue. Heck of a time for a typo

 

[Non sequitur]

Sorry was trying to say would NOT be an issue. Heck of a time for a typo

So, him being a troll makes it an issue?

 

[Targaryen]

So, him being a troll makes it an issue?

Well, i'd say that about someone on the left if they acted like Yiannopoulos too so its not a matter of me not liking him, it's more about track record and his is far from spotless.

 

[Non sequitur]

Well, i'd say that about someone on the left if they acted like Yiannopoulos too so its not a matter of me not liking him, it's more about track record and his is far from spotless.

Gotcha.

Does "an issue" equate to actions taken of just your personal feelings?