I note your comments about flaming & given mine was moderated I also acknowledge HC's expectations. Don't mistake me for belonging to an extreme end of the political spectrum though - I may wear glasses but they don't blink!
IMO the robust exchange of reasoned opinion with at least some factual basis is one of the cornerstones of living in a 'modern democracy'. However, IMO self-regulation can lead to excesses - such as that Andrew Bolt is being held to account for even in our soft courts & as with the now admitted phone hacking by Murdoch's News Corp.
"... Rupert Murdoch's powerful British news operation has admitted responsibility in a phone hacking scandal involving members of the royal family and celebrities like actress Sienna Miller that has also cost the British prime minister's spokesman his job. .."