In Defense of Anonymity

We are told the problem with the internet is 'trolls' ie anyone saying anything outside the 'mainstream' and these people should have to put their names to what they write. Er,why? The right to be anonymous is surely an essential aspect of liberalism by which I mean classical liberalism.

In an age of intolerance where people can actually get arrested for saying the 'wrong' thing -and indeed are, that inalienable right in my opinion is more than ever one that should be supported championed and defended.

Why do they want internet posters to put their name to what they write? So they can pay them a visit and intimidate them into silence,threaten them with prosecution for the Orwellian crime of hate speech, violent speech and close down what is left of  free inquiry and expression -the very lynchpin of liberty.

Journalists in traditional media have some protection but this would leave the ordinary blogger or contributor with no such guards and users of  social media would effectively have a Damocles sword hanging  over them every time they sit down at their computers. The cold and chilling hand of censorship and indeed of self censorship would strangle whatever is left of the free exchange of ideas. People have gone to their deaths by the million to defend that right to think speak and write their minds and the thought that this  could be wiped out by some tin pot politically correct fascist from a government department should give any sane person pause.

How this would make us any different from China or Pakistan where indeed bloggers have been murdered for expressing atheist sentiments I fail to see.

The next tie you hear some statist arguing for naming of names in the market place of ideas remember the Soviet Union where people went underground, Samizdat to speak and write their words of freedom -and don't believe it couldn't happen here because in a sense that is what the internet is and the State will have your name before you can express your opinion or whatever informed or uninformed view you wish to express,  if you let it.It is the equivalent of th Stassi demanding you show your identity papers. Vat is your name? Don't tell them  Pike!