2003-03-14 - 2:19 p.m.

More great news from the land of the "free" (see how I subversively employ punctuation to imply irony):

"THE backlash against prominent stars opposing any attack on Iraq has impacted on this year�s Oscars, with organisers drawing up a blacklist of people who will not be allowed a platform to air anti-war views.

Meryl Streep, Sean Penn, Vanessa Redgrave, George Clooney, Dustin Hoffman and Spike Lee are among those who will not be speaking, amid fears they could turn the ceremony into an anti-war rally."

I wish I lived in a country that valued free speech and democracy so much. And just when you think the US can't get any more like Iraq...

YOU ARE FREE! TO DO AS WE TELL YOU!