Banned in Britain

A radio shock-jock finds himself on the outs with the British Empire:

San Francisco-based conservative talk show host Michael Savage -- whose sharp-tongued right-wing commentary has earned him headlines across the U.S. -- is making news again: He's been banned in Britain.

Savage told The Chronicle in an exclusive interview this morning that he was shocked to learn the news that he was included in the British government's first-ever list of nearly two dozen people from across the globe who are banned from entering the nation for allegedly fostering extremism or hatred.

"When I woke up and saw this this morning ... my first thought was, damn, there goes the summer trip where I planned to have my dental work done," the "Savage Nation" host joked. "My second thought was, darn ... there goes my visit to the restaurants of England for their great cuisine."

But, he added, the issue is no laughing matter -- and represents a serious threat to free speech.

"Today it's me. Tomorrow it's someone else," he said. "My first reaction is, this can't be happening ... that the land of the Magna Carta has now become the land of the mini-Carta."

The list of high-profile banned visitors was released by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, who published 16 of the 22 names of people banned from the country since October. They include Muslim extremists, jailed Russian gang members and an Israeli settler.

Smith cited "public interest" reasons for not disclosing the other six names, but said that the country wanted to establish what kind of standards it would set in allowing in foreign visitors.

"I think it's important that people understand the sorts of values and sorts of standards that we have here, the fact that it's a privilege to come and the sort of things that mean you won't be welcome in this country," Smith told Britain's GMTV.

So, while Britain is banning a guy who talks for a living the country is crawling with people who would end the British way of life in an instant if given the opportunity. Radical Islam is on a dramatic and destructive rise in Britain, but instead of playing as tough with them as they are with Savage, they continue to do everything they can to avoid insulting or inconveniencing the radicals.

Personally, I find Savage unlistenable. I've never understand how he gets an audience. I've heard his show a couple of times but turned it off within minutes. His style just doesn't appeal to me.

However, his only crime is free speech. To my knowledge he hasn't actually committed any acts that would otherwise make him a threat to Merry Ole England or the British nanny who banned him. If the Brits are going to ban people who treat the British poorly, they better not let Obama come back. He snubbed their prime minister.