The heading refers, of course, to that one of the three wise monkeys who sits with his hands over his mouth.
In political jargon, useful idiot is a pejorative term used to describe people perceived as propagandists for a cause whose goals they do not understand, who are used cynically by the leaders of the cause.
The term was originally used to describe Soviet sympathizers in Western countries. The implication was that although the people in question naïvely thought of themselves as an ally of the Soviet Union, they were actually held in contempt and were being cynically used. Wikipedia.
The useful idiots in the current Green/Labor assault on freedom of speech are all too often journalists. Perhaps dumb monkeys would be more apt.
Tim Blair brings us Voltaire’s Limit …
Fairfax journalist Matt Neal, March 2012:
Free speech can not die … Akermanis doesn’t deserve applause for his comments, nor do I agree with him, but perhaps it boils down to an ideal attributed to Voltaire: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Fairfax journalist Matt Neal, July 2012:
As someone working in the media, I would love to see my fellow journalists and reporters put a ban on covering the views of climate change deniers … freedom of speech should only cover the truth.
bobmcgee 