Ryan Bridge: The limits to freedom of expression

It's just amazing the shear breadth and diversity of things we get outraged by on any given week. 

Whether its Brian Tamaki, who after literally decades taking to the streets and stirring the pot, nobody should be outraged by.

Or whether it's a bunch of chicks in bikinis rolling around in cow's milk trying to make a buck on OnlyFans.

The Police were called. 

Yes, I kid you not. Couple of lasses, bikini clad, making some wholesome down-on-the-farm country-style content. And SAFE gets involved. 

Then MPI contacts the Police. 

What on earth are the police going to do with two girls, one cow? Who on earth would they arrest? Some might say the cow was lucky to be milked.

Besides, what's more indecent? Girls in bikinis or the naked cow? 

The answer of course is rather simple. Police will do nothing. MPI will do nothing. Because there's actually nothing to do anything about. 

Same goes for Brian and his gang of thugs. To be fair to him and them, I didn't pay any attention to their protest at the weekend, I was too busy enjoying my long weekend. 

But from what I've read, a few flags were burnt and signs waved about. People are calling for hate speech laws and restrictions on speech and all sorts of things. 

Guess what? That also won't happen. And nor should it. 

The bar for criminal charges is rightly high. People must be free to air their views - no matter how distasteful or wrong. 

Boils must be lanced, so long as they're lanced peacefully. 

Besides, you don't have to look too far into the world section of your newspaper this morning for a glimpse at why we should value freedom of expression. Russia. Iran, anybody?

As for the udder story, so long as the cow's aren't being mis-teated, I'm heifer it!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's just amazing the sheer breadth and diversity of things
that people get outraged by in a given week in
New Zealand. Brian Tammocky at the weekend, who after literally
decades taking to the streets and stirring the pot nobody
should be outraged by. But here we are. Yesterday it
was a bunch of chicks in bikinis rolling around in

(00:20):
cow's milk, trying to make a buck on OnlyFans. Did
you see this story? The police were called. Somebody called
the police. Yes, I kid you not. Couple of lasses
bikini clad making some wholesome down on the farm country
style content and safe gets involved. There's your first problem.

(00:40):
Then MPI gets involved and MPI contacts police. What on
earth are the police going to do with two girls
one cow? Who on earth would they arrest anyway? Some
might say the cow was lucky to be milked. Besides,
what is more indecent, girls in bikinis or the naked
how The answer, of course is rather simple. Police will

(01:04):
do nothing. MPI will do nothing because there's actually nothing
to do anything about. Same goes for Brian and his
gang of thugs to be fear to him and to them.
I didn't pay much attention and Frere didn't pay any
attention to them at the weekend because I was enjoying
my long weekend, too busy, having a good time. But
from what I've read, we had some flags burnt, we

(01:25):
had signs waved about. People are calling for hate speech,
laws and restrictions on speech, all sorts of stuff. Guess
what That also won't happen, and nor should it. The
bar for criminal charges is rightly high in a situation
like this. People must be free to air the aviews,
no matter how distasteful or wrong they might be. Boils

(01:46):
must be lanced, so long as they lanced peacefully. Besides,
you don't have to look far into the World section
of your newspaper this morning for a glimpse at why
we should value freedom of expression. Russia ran anybody. As
for the other story, as long as as the cows
not being misteated, I'm here for it. For more from

(02:10):
early edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live to News Talks
it be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.