American radio host Michael Savage, who has been banned from entering Britain by former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, has now written to the Prime Minister asking for the decision to be overturned.
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Sunday, June 14, 2009
Dr. Michael Savage: Prometheus in England by Ellis Washington
Prometheus caused blind hopes to live in the hearts of men.
~ Aeschylus' "Prometheus" (fifth century B.C.)
The ancient Greek myth of Prometheus is the tragic and enduring narrative of a heroic figure who many publicly despised but secretly venerated, because he did feats of strength that others had neither the vision, intellect nor the heart to achieve.
Prometheus, renown for his clever intelligence, became a champion of humanity when he stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals. For this crime Prometheus was bound to a rock by Zeus while a giant eagle ate his liver every day only to have it grow back to be eaten again the next day for eternity.
In the earliest treatment of Prometheus found in the epic poet Hesiod's "Theogony" (700 B.C.), Prometheus is introduced as a lowly challenger to Zeus' omniscience and omnipotence. Likewise, 15 years ago Michael Savage began his unheralded radio career bound with the self-appointed mandate to return America, a once great republic, to her founding principles bequeathed to us by the Constitution's framers – Borders, Language and Culture.
Prometheus challenged the awesome authority of Zeus by stealing fire from heaven, which gave warmth to the earth thus saving all humanity. Likewise, Savage has put his reputation on the line daily for 15 years as a Ph.D. trained scientist, autodidactic philosopher and historian, zealously defending America's national heritage and waging battle in the arena of ideas against the Zeuses of our time – like Jacqui Smith, the recently deposed home secretary of England who on May 5 libelously and slanderously placed Savage on a blacklist of 16 people banned from England, a list of infamy that included Muslim terrorists, homosexual hate-mongers, neo-Nazis and Russian mobsters.
Zeus meted out unjust and sadistic punishment to Prometheus by chaining him to a rock and commanding an eagle to eat his liver every day, only to have the liver grow back anew each day. Likewise, a similar Sisyphus-like torture was heaped upon Savage by Great Britain whose unprovoked defamation of his name and reputation has daily caused Savage's life and the physical security of his entire family to be brought into mortal danger. When Savage pleaded with the Obama administration and sent a personal letter to the president and his secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, to intervene on his behalf as an American citizen, all he received in return was the tormenting cacophony of crickets ringing in his ears.
Another famous treatment of the heroism of Prometheus was Percy Shelley's "Prometheus Unbound" (1820). Shelley reworks the lost play of Aeschylus so that Prometheus refuses to bow to Zeus (Jupiter), but instead defeats him in a victory of the human heart and intellect over oppressive religion. Likewise, Savage's iconoclastic, defiant nature would never allow him to compromise his moral principles by kowtowing to Zeus (e.g., Obama, England, the GOP, socialism, censorship) even as his fellow conservatives (Rush, Hannity, O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Mark Levin, Joe Scarborough, Fox News, New York Post, Wall Street Journal, American Enterprise Institute, National Review), as well as the government-controlled media, all stand in silent acquiescence as the eagle (the literal symbol of the U.S. government) daily seeks to devour Savage's singular voice.
Lord Byron's poem "Prometheus" characterizes the Titan as rebellious. For the Romantics, Prometheus was an irresistible paradigm of The Man, alone in the arena who refuses to be corrupted by any form of institutional tyranny as personified by Zeus – church, monarch and patriarch. Romantics like Shelley, Byron and others compared Prometheus with the spirit of the French Revolution, Christ, Milton's Satan and the creative inspiration of poets and artists.
Likewise, Savage is indeed a Titan, a man's man who due to his fiery nature at times hurls ad hominem attacks at his conservative colleagues and enemies of Veritas (truth) and liberty. However, I do not begrudge him. For why is it acceptable for progressives, liberals and Democrats to relentlessly attack conservatives and conservative ideas, yet Rush, Hannity, O'Reilly, Scarborough and the other conservative oligarchs don't seem too offended by these insults?
On the contrary, these conservative commissars constantly mention liberals by name, promote their books and even frequently invite them on their programs while concurrently ignoring Dr. Savage. I consider that rank hypocrisy! If they have an argument against Savage, then have the courage to appear on his show to debate him man to man in the arena of ideas.
In a BBC Radio interview Savage had with host Victoria Derbyshire the day before his false accuser, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, was fired by Prime Minister Gordon Brown in part because the defamation against Savage backfired, Savage was asked if he would ever consider coming back to visit England. Savage said as soon as the socialist Labour Party is swept out of power, he would accept an invitation to return to England to tell his side of the story before the British Parliament.
Prometheus, brother of Atlas, risked all to steal fire from heaven to heat the earth and save humanity. Likewise, with superlative credentials, including a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, transcendent ideas codified in over 25 books, five of them New York Times best-sellers, for over 30 years Dr. Michael Savage risked all to speak truth to power, to relentlessly attack the hydra tentacles of the government-controlled media complex.
His reward? Little men are content only to gawk at our modern-day Prometheus as he wages battle in the crucible of the gladiatorial arena … alone.
I end this intimate tribute of my friend and intellectual mentor the same why I began, with the enduring words of that magnificent Greek tragedian, Aeschylus, who in his "Prometheus" said: Prometheus caused blind hopes to live in the hearts of men. Consequently, who can argue with any level of credibility against Dr. Michael Savage's "blind hopes" in valiantly defending freedom of speech and freedom of expression for all mankind? Surely, in England and in America this man should be memorialized as our modern-day Prometheus.
Thank you, Prometheus. … Thank you, Dr. Michael Savage.
Take me off the blacklist, shock jock tells Brown By Jerome Taylor
When Jacqui Smith stepped down as Home Secretary last week she may have expected that the most toxic job in the Cabinet was behind her. But one man has not forgotten her.
Yesterday, the controversial American talkshow host Michael Savage announced he was continuing his personal £100,000 libel case against the former Home Secretary after she placed him on a list of people banned from entering Britain and condemned him on television.
In a letter addressed to Gordon Brown and passed to The Independent, Savage says he is "likely to recover a very substantial award in damages" and demands that the Government "remove forthwith my name from the excluded list of individuals". He has instructed the City law firm Olswang and has urged his eight million listeners to boycott British goods.
For Savage, beloved by American right-wingers for his politically charged rants which have included describing a child with autism as "a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out", this latest salvo against his persona non grata status is part of a media blitz to clear his name in Britain, a place that had barely heard of him until he was unceremoniously banned from entering it. He has hired the former News of the World editor Phil Hall, who specialises in "reputation management" for celebrities.
The spat between Savage and Ms Smith began in May when the Home Office "named and shamed" 16 people who had been banned from entering Britain in the previous six months. Savage, who had not even applied to come to Britain, was placed alongside a string of Islamist preachers, white supremacists, a convicted Arab terrorist and two anti-gay evangelicals.
Speaking on morning television, Ms Smith described Savage as "someone who has fallen into the category of fomenting hatred, of such extreme views and expressing them in such a way that it is actually likely to cause inter-community tension or even violence if that person were allowed into the country."
The San Francisco radio host believes those words were defamatory. He told The Independent: "I have to get my name cleared. She's made me into some sort of enemy of the state, for God's sake. On the same list I was on were a convicted terrorist and two Russian skinhead murderers.
"There is a big difference between acts of violence and words and I have never prompted anyone to commit any sort of act of violence. I would not have been able to continue my career as a radio host if I had."
For the Government, Savage's determination to pursue a libel claim against Ms Smith is a source of embarrassment which could derail the whole point of having a list of banned individuals. It is meant to keep hate preachers out of Britain but libertarians say it is a form of pre-emptive thought policing.
Yesterday, the controversial American talkshow host Michael Savage announced he was continuing his personal £100,000 libel case against the former Home Secretary after she placed him on a list of people banned from entering Britain and condemned him on television.
In a letter addressed to Gordon Brown and passed to The Independent, Savage says he is "likely to recover a very substantial award in damages" and demands that the Government "remove forthwith my name from the excluded list of individuals". He has instructed the City law firm Olswang and has urged his eight million listeners to boycott British goods.
For Savage, beloved by American right-wingers for his politically charged rants which have included describing a child with autism as "a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out", this latest salvo against his persona non grata status is part of a media blitz to clear his name in Britain, a place that had barely heard of him until he was unceremoniously banned from entering it. He has hired the former News of the World editor Phil Hall, who specialises in "reputation management" for celebrities.
The spat between Savage and Ms Smith began in May when the Home Office "named and shamed" 16 people who had been banned from entering Britain in the previous six months. Savage, who had not even applied to come to Britain, was placed alongside a string of Islamist preachers, white supremacists, a convicted Arab terrorist and two anti-gay evangelicals.
Speaking on morning television, Ms Smith described Savage as "someone who has fallen into the category of fomenting hatred, of such extreme views and expressing them in such a way that it is actually likely to cause inter-community tension or even violence if that person were allowed into the country."
The San Francisco radio host believes those words were defamatory. He told The Independent: "I have to get my name cleared. She's made me into some sort of enemy of the state, for God's sake. On the same list I was on were a convicted terrorist and two Russian skinhead murderers.
"There is a big difference between acts of violence and words and I have never prompted anyone to commit any sort of act of violence. I would not have been able to continue my career as a radio host if I had."
For the Government, Savage's determination to pursue a libel claim against Ms Smith is a source of embarrassment which could derail the whole point of having a list of banned individuals. It is meant to keep hate preachers out of Britain but libertarians say it is a form of pre-emptive thought policing.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Radio host Savage sues over British ban By Jennifer Harper
It's the clash of the titans, pitting talk-radio god against fierce national gatekeeper.
Michael Savage made good on his threat to sue British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith for libel, with the official notification letter arriving at her office Monday.
Mr. Savage, heard by 10 million listeners a week, wants an apology, a retraction and cash from Ms. Smith - director of Britain's lead government agency controlling immigration, passports, counterterrorism and police.
Her response Monday: Bring it on. She declared herself ready for a fight to defend her official "unacceptable behaviour policy" that can bar any foreigners from Britain should they foment terrorism, hatred or criminal activity in written, broadcast or online forms, or through public speaking.
On May 5, Ms. Smith placed Mr. Savage on a list of 16 undesirables "banned from the UK for stirring-up hatred and promoting their extreme views," according to the office. The list included Islamic terrorists, neo-Nazis and Russian gang members.
In a description published at its Web site, the agency cited the radio host using both his real and on-air names, saying he was "considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred, which might lead to inter-community violence."
"Did I actually say this in England? No, my show is not broadcast over there. It's Jacqui Smith who's actually provoking hatred and inter-community violence by taking out-of-context statements and broadcasting them fresh, as if I intended to say it over and over again in England," Mr. Savage told The Washington Times.
"This is an orchestrated campaign by this socialist, fascist government of hers, trying to turn me into something I am not," he added. "I spent my entire life building my reputation, and I will not have this government drag my name through the mud. I want my name cleared."
The letter - sent on Mr. Savage's behalf by the London-based business law firm Olswang LLP - countered that the Home Office's descriptions of the radio host are "false and defamatory." The letter demanded a retraction, a personal apology from Ms. Smith and a written guarantee that she will not repeat the accusations.
Mr. Savage also wants 100,000 British pounds - about $162,000 - in damages, and the cost of his legal fees reimbursed.
"The Web site says that I 'have' provoked violence. It's an absolute lie. My words have never provoked violence. I don't suggest violence, and I never have. The libel lawsuit is going ahead," Mr. Savage said, noting that he had not even planned to visit Britain and now had to employ security guards to protect himself.
The Home Office is not backing down from an already aggressive stance. Since 2005, it has already excluded more than 100 "individuals," among them "animal rights extremists, right-to-life extremists, homophobe extremists, far-right extremists, as well as advocates of hatred and violence in support of their religious beliefs," according to the office's records.
"Any legal proceedings would be robustly defended; we stand by our decision to exclude this individual. Coming to the UK is a privilege that we refuse to extend to those who abuse our standards and values to undermine our way of life," the office said.
The events have made great theater in the British news media, prompting potshots at the U.S. and talk that Britain was becoming a "nanny state" in reader messages to the Daily Mail and the British Broadcasting Corp., among other news organizations.
Some say that a great deal could be at stake.
"Michael Savage's situation has to do with free speech in the Western world, in the entire free world. We live in a global marketplace now, and when our greatest ally - Britain - looks to somehow silence an American radio personality, intentionally or otherwise, it could have tremendous impact," said Michael Harrison, founder and editor of Talkers Magazine, which tracks the U.S. talk-radio industry.
"The British call Michael Savage a 'shock jock.' Now the Home Office accuses and condemns him of hate mongering. The First Amendment is not always tidy. It can be messy, even. When they equate a provocative political commentator with murderers and criminals - well, this is a dangerous mistake," Mr. Harrison said.
"The alliances between our countries are built, in part, on the First Amendment. This may prove a very slippery slope we're on," he added.
Mr. Savage's show is produced and distributed by Talk Radio Network, which recently announced a deal to produce and distribute a new radio show by The Washington Times.
Michael Savage made good on his threat to sue British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith for libel, with the official notification letter arriving at her office Monday.
Mr. Savage, heard by 10 million listeners a week, wants an apology, a retraction and cash from Ms. Smith - director of Britain's lead government agency controlling immigration, passports, counterterrorism and police.
Her response Monday: Bring it on. She declared herself ready for a fight to defend her official "unacceptable behaviour policy" that can bar any foreigners from Britain should they foment terrorism, hatred or criminal activity in written, broadcast or online forms, or through public speaking.
On May 5, Ms. Smith placed Mr. Savage on a list of 16 undesirables "banned from the UK for stirring-up hatred and promoting their extreme views," according to the office. The list included Islamic terrorists, neo-Nazis and Russian gang members.
In a description published at its Web site, the agency cited the radio host using both his real and on-air names, saying he was "considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred, which might lead to inter-community violence."
"Did I actually say this in England? No, my show is not broadcast over there. It's Jacqui Smith who's actually provoking hatred and inter-community violence by taking out-of-context statements and broadcasting them fresh, as if I intended to say it over and over again in England," Mr. Savage told The Washington Times.
"This is an orchestrated campaign by this socialist, fascist government of hers, trying to turn me into something I am not," he added. "I spent my entire life building my reputation, and I will not have this government drag my name through the mud. I want my name cleared."
The letter - sent on Mr. Savage's behalf by the London-based business law firm Olswang LLP - countered that the Home Office's descriptions of the radio host are "false and defamatory." The letter demanded a retraction, a personal apology from Ms. Smith and a written guarantee that she will not repeat the accusations.
Mr. Savage also wants 100,000 British pounds - about $162,000 - in damages, and the cost of his legal fees reimbursed.
"The Web site says that I 'have' provoked violence. It's an absolute lie. My words have never provoked violence. I don't suggest violence, and I never have. The libel lawsuit is going ahead," Mr. Savage said, noting that he had not even planned to visit Britain and now had to employ security guards to protect himself.
The Home Office is not backing down from an already aggressive stance. Since 2005, it has already excluded more than 100 "individuals," among them "animal rights extremists, right-to-life extremists, homophobe extremists, far-right extremists, as well as advocates of hatred and violence in support of their religious beliefs," according to the office's records.
"Any legal proceedings would be robustly defended; we stand by our decision to exclude this individual. Coming to the UK is a privilege that we refuse to extend to those who abuse our standards and values to undermine our way of life," the office said.
The events have made great theater in the British news media, prompting potshots at the U.S. and talk that Britain was becoming a "nanny state" in reader messages to the Daily Mail and the British Broadcasting Corp., among other news organizations.
Some say that a great deal could be at stake.
"Michael Savage's situation has to do with free speech in the Western world, in the entire free world. We live in a global marketplace now, and when our greatest ally - Britain - looks to somehow silence an American radio personality, intentionally or otherwise, it could have tremendous impact," said Michael Harrison, founder and editor of Talkers Magazine, which tracks the U.S. talk-radio industry.
"The British call Michael Savage a 'shock jock.' Now the Home Office accuses and condemns him of hate mongering. The First Amendment is not always tidy. It can be messy, even. When they equate a provocative political commentator with murderers and criminals - well, this is a dangerous mistake," Mr. Harrison said.
"The alliances between our countries are built, in part, on the First Amendment. This may prove a very slippery slope we're on," he added.
Mr. Savage's show is produced and distributed by Talk Radio Network, which recently announced a deal to produce and distribute a new radio show by The Washington Times.
Don't mess with Savage! from World Net Daily
In the wake of scandal over personal use of taxpayer funds and her controversial ban of talk-radio host Michael Savage, British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith will resign, according to the London Telegraph.
Smith has indicated she will step down when Prime Minister Gordon Brown reshuffles his Cabinet after this week's local and European elections, the British paper said today.
The Telegraph noted Smith faced humiliation over her husband's submission of a receipt to the House of Commons for watching adult films. She also claimed her family home as a second home under the Parliament members' allowances plan while staying with her sister in London. In addition, she allegedly charged a number of personal items as office expenses.
But on a BBC radio program today featuring Savage, a barrage of callers reflected public anger over Smith's surprising decision last month to ban the popular American talk host from entry into the United Kingdom along with murderers and terrorists.
Savage said the morning show had planned to take callers for only five minutes, but the segment went on for 30 minutes as phone lines lit up. Callers included a Muslim who said he was opposed to Smith's ban of Savage.
As WND reported, the talk host hired lawyers in London last month to issue a defamation complaint against Smith.
The official complaint arrived at the home secretary's office yesterday.
A spokesman said Smith would not back down.
"As the home secretary has already said, [Savage] was excluded for engaging in unacceptable behaviour by making comments that might provoke others to serious criminal acts and foster hatred that might lead to inter-community violence," he said.
Any legal proceedings "would be robustly defended," the spokesman asserted.
"We stand by our decision to exclude this individual," he said. "Coming to the U.K. is a privilege that we refuse to extend to those who abuse our standards and values to undermine our way of life."
Smith is one of numerous Parliament members embroiled in the expense scandal. Three other MPs in her Labour Party also announced today they will resign at the next election.
Smith contended upon announcing the ban of Savage May 5 that the talk host was "someone who has fallen into the category of fomenting hatred, of such extreme views and expressing them in such a way that it is actually likely to cause inter-community tension or even violence if that person were allowed into the country."
Savage also has sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, asking that she call on the British government to withdraw the ban.
The complaint against Smith notes the home secretary's office said in a press release that the "controversial daily radio host" is "considered to be engaging in unacceptable behavior by seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence."
The allegations are "entirely false," the complaint asserts.
"At no time has our client provoked or sought to provoke others to commit crimes or serious criminal acts."
Savage hosts the nation's third most popular radio talk show in the U.S., with an estimated 8 million listeners a week on about 400 stations, according to his syndicator, the Talk Radio Network.
Savage told WND after the ban was announced last month that his message for Smith and the people of the U.K. was, "Shame on you. Shame that you've fallen to such a low level."
"It's interesting to me that here I am a talk show host, who does not advocate violence, who advocates patriotic traditional values – borders, language, culture – who is now on a list banned in England," Savage said. "What does that say about the government of England? It says more about them than it says about me."
The U.K. list also includes Hamas leader Yunis Al-Astal, former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard Stephen Donald Black, neo-Nazi Erich Gliebe and radical American pastor Fred Phelps, known for his virulent anti-gay protests at funerals. Phelps' daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper also is on the list.
On his website, Savage is appealing to his listeners to contribute his legal fund, which he has used for various efforts, including a lawsuit last year against the Council on American-Islamic Relations for waging a boycott using excerpts of his copyrighted remarks. In the case of Savage's U.K. ban, however, CAIR has sided with Savage, arguing "freedom of speech is a two-way street."
Smith has indicated she will step down when Prime Minister Gordon Brown reshuffles his Cabinet after this week's local and European elections, the British paper said today.
The Telegraph noted Smith faced humiliation over her husband's submission of a receipt to the House of Commons for watching adult films. She also claimed her family home as a second home under the Parliament members' allowances plan while staying with her sister in London. In addition, she allegedly charged a number of personal items as office expenses.
But on a BBC radio program today featuring Savage, a barrage of callers reflected public anger over Smith's surprising decision last month to ban the popular American talk host from entry into the United Kingdom along with murderers and terrorists.
Savage said the morning show had planned to take callers for only five minutes, but the segment went on for 30 minutes as phone lines lit up. Callers included a Muslim who said he was opposed to Smith's ban of Savage.
As WND reported, the talk host hired lawyers in London last month to issue a defamation complaint against Smith.
The official complaint arrived at the home secretary's office yesterday.
A spokesman said Smith would not back down.
"As the home secretary has already said, [Savage] was excluded for engaging in unacceptable behaviour by making comments that might provoke others to serious criminal acts and foster hatred that might lead to inter-community violence," he said.
Any legal proceedings "would be robustly defended," the spokesman asserted.
"We stand by our decision to exclude this individual," he said. "Coming to the U.K. is a privilege that we refuse to extend to those who abuse our standards and values to undermine our way of life."
Smith is one of numerous Parliament members embroiled in the expense scandal. Three other MPs in her Labour Party also announced today they will resign at the next election.
Smith contended upon announcing the ban of Savage May 5 that the talk host was "someone who has fallen into the category of fomenting hatred, of such extreme views and expressing them in such a way that it is actually likely to cause inter-community tension or even violence if that person were allowed into the country."
Savage also has sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, asking that she call on the British government to withdraw the ban.
The complaint against Smith notes the home secretary's office said in a press release that the "controversial daily radio host" is "considered to be engaging in unacceptable behavior by seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence."
The allegations are "entirely false," the complaint asserts.
"At no time has our client provoked or sought to provoke others to commit crimes or serious criminal acts."
Savage hosts the nation's third most popular radio talk show in the U.S., with an estimated 8 million listeners a week on about 400 stations, according to his syndicator, the Talk Radio Network.
Savage told WND after the ban was announced last month that his message for Smith and the people of the U.K. was, "Shame on you. Shame that you've fallen to such a low level."
"It's interesting to me that here I am a talk show host, who does not advocate violence, who advocates patriotic traditional values – borders, language, culture – who is now on a list banned in England," Savage said. "What does that say about the government of England? It says more about them than it says about me."
The U.K. list also includes Hamas leader Yunis Al-Astal, former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard Stephen Donald Black, neo-Nazi Erich Gliebe and radical American pastor Fred Phelps, known for his virulent anti-gay protests at funerals. Phelps' daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper also is on the list.
On his website, Savage is appealing to his listeners to contribute his legal fund, which he has used for various efforts, including a lawsuit last year against the Council on American-Islamic Relations for waging a boycott using excerpts of his copyrighted remarks. In the case of Savage's U.K. ban, however, CAIR has sided with Savage, arguing "freedom of speech is a two-way street."
Hear Savage on BBC Radio
Michael Savage gave a live interview this morning to Victoria Derbyshire of Britain's BBC Radio 5 Live channel about his ban from the U.K. by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith shortly before word came of Smith's resignation.
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