Censorship can never be justified. Do you agree?

I agree to a large extent. Censorship has several effects on the community which may not be positive. Censorship in the dictionary is defined as the act of repressing ideas, impulses, and feelings, and prevents them from entering consciousness in their original, undisguised forms. Government often uses censorship to remove or withhold any information that discredits them from the public. Censorship is closely related to the concepts of freedom of speech and freedom of expression. When overused, it is often associated with human rights abuse, dictatorship, and repression.

Censorship will create social barrier among countries especially when the countries has different ideology. Differences in ideologies/religions/races maybe emphasized in the different countries if the government influences the public with ideas that the country is superior as compared to other countries. This will cause the people to have biased views in global issues since they are being “brainwash” since young. Such situation may arise from censorship of educational resources which aims to remove critical or comment. Information on military atrocities in history in the textbooks is extremely controversial, as in the case of the Nanking Massacre and the Holocaust. The representation of every society's flaws is typically downplayed in favor of a more nationalist, favorable or patriotic view.

In countries with more extreme measures, public may have limited knowledge in global issues. An example would be North Korea. For decades North Korea has been one of the world's most secretive societies. It is one of the few countries still under communist rule. It is a totalitarian state whereby the power of the ruler is absolute. The leader, Kim Jong-il, has absolute control over the people, controlling their minds by manipulating the media and education system. Students in North Korea are taught about his great works, speeches and to pledge loyalty to the country. This causes the people of North Korea to be oblivious to what’s happening in the world. The cultural and political ideas that the people have are different from people in the outside world. The North Koreans may not keep up with current global issues.

I believe that the public should have their own freedom to choose what they want to read or hear news that they want to hear. It should not be controlled by the government with intentions to “maintain stability” within the country. Singapore is ranked poorly in terms of media’s freedom to operate. In April 2005, Reporters Without Borders (Paris-based international media watchdog) ranked Singapore 147th out of the 167 countries on the issue of press freedom. Though Singaporeans do not face any riots or protests from activists, it is unfortunate that government press officers assiduously shepherd domestic news through the local news channels, effectively shaping what is reported. What mindset will the young grow up having if they read newspapers that come under the umbrella of Singapore Press Holdings which is under the control of the government?

Small dose of censorship may be necessary to ensure national security, however, extreme cases may bring about undesirable consequences.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reporters_without_borders
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1131421.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship#Censorship_of_educational_sources