Sunday, 21 December 2014

Sony's backdown sets a worrying precedent.

You couldn't make it up. A satirical movie about a plot to assassinate the Leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un, leads to a cyber attack on Sony Pictures and generates a wider debate on freedom of speech.

What started off as a bit of a joke story has now become serious with America vowing to hit back at North Korea who are believed to be behind the cyber attack.

I agree with President Obama when he said Sony had made a mistake by cancelling the release of The Interview. He said:

"We can't have a society in which some dictator some place can start imposing censorship here in the United States." Exactly! Thank you!


If Sony are prepared to back down over threats about the film being shown where could this lead us?

Film makers could potentially avoid making films on sensitive and controversial subjects in case political leaders in other countries take offence.

We'd be allowing all sorts of weak states around the world to dictate to free and democratic countries what can and cannot be discussed in public. This is wrong!

North Korea really is a ridiculous country. We have state that can spend time, money and resources to cyber hack a major media company - yet at the same time allows millions of its own citizens to live in poverty and die from starvation every year.

Sony should do the right thing and allow the release of the film immediately.

North Korea is like the annoying little kid you remember from school that would irritate and annoy the big boys. I'm not suggesting that international relations is similar to school but North Korea needs to be put in its place.

However, I write this fully aware like a lot of commmentators that it's difficult to agree or know what should be done to North Korea that hasn't already been done!

If you have any ideas please let us know.