Thomas ErskineThomas Erskine, (1750-1823) Lord Chancellor of England

Thomas Erskine Quote

“The liberty of the press would be an empty sound, and no man would venture to write on any subject, however, pure his purpose, without an attorney at one elbow and a counsel at the other. From minds thus subdued by the fear of punishment, there could issue no works of genius to expand the empire of human reason.”

Thomas ErskineThomas Erskine
~ Thomas Erskine

Trial of John Stockdale, 9 December 1789

Ratings and Comments


L. Hanson, Edmonton, Canada

YES...the conservative controlled press in Canada is a prime example. Do not give up or allow the right wing to take over this arena. The rights (wrongs) must always be questioned.

Just as we needed the separation of church and state to gain our freedom we now need to remove the corporations from our governments to maintain our freedom.

jim k, Austin, Tx

Hanson, don't worry your little liberal mind, the Socialist media in the U.S. is in firm control. I wasn't aware that Canada had a right wing press but thanks for making my day with that information. However, you may consider anything one degree right of Karl Marx to be right wing.

J Carlton, Calgary

I would not agree that the press in Canada is "conservative controlled" but I would say that it is not nearly as "left" as it is in the US. As a social and fiscal conservative I consider the Stephen Harper (Canada's PM) administration to be a mixed bag of nuts. He has done some very sensible things while quietly going along with a Globalist / UN agenda which in the States would be seen as a left wing policy. He wants to be seen as a main stream conservative while he sells Canada's sovereignty down the toilet...just like Obama.
In any event the Canadian press generally displays no more ethical value than it's American neighbors when you look beyond the platitudes. The truth still isn't being told in a 'truthful" manner. And I agree with Hanson in that Corporations and Government need to be separated...it's the only way to end Elitist corruption.

E Archer, NYC

Describes the media in the US and Canada perfectly. Once we realize that the globalist counterfeiters that load up the 'civilized' world with perpetual debt in fact own the mainstream media and the politicians from both sides of the aisle, we see that all 'news' is aimed at protecting their monopoly. Liberal politicians will enact liberal legislation only if it serves the oligarchy; conservative politicians will enact conservative legislation only if it serves the oligarchy. No one that exposes the oligarchy will remain in office or in media very long. It is not a liberal vs. conservative issue, it is STATISM vs the common man.

Mike, Norwalk

Accurate enough, as long as the diatribe is within the occupying statist theocracy's acceptable dogma, anything can be publicized.

Patrick Henry, Red Hill

Precisely that order from which our Noblemen of Nature Founders sought to deliver us, and that order which the oxymoronically designated "progressives" are endeavoring to reestablish in the midst of their morbidly pursuing the reconstitution of the tyrannical ancien regime.

Mike, Norwalk

Currently, the press is reduced to an empty sound bite with distant hazed recollections of a liberty in a land far, far aware in a time long distant. By extremely terse example; government license(s), make most facets of the press illegal. Only by government license can “the Press” operate under the government purchased privilege of not being prosecuted for performing such illegalities. Secondly, the MSM is incorporated into propagating narrow dogmas and canons of the occupying statist theocracy infesting this land’s carnal gods (socialist, liberal, progressive, etc.).

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