If you were hoping right wing talk radio host Michael Savage might move to London, you’ll be disappointed to learn they won’t have him. The British Home Office released what it called a name and shame list recently, dentifying 16 of the apparent 101 people who are barred from entering the country under strengthened travel laws adopted after the July 7, 2005 subway bombings. The Home Office described Savage as “seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence.”

Others on the list include a former member of the Palestine Liberation Front, a Saudi Arabian Religious scholar, and a Pakistani cleric. The Rev. Fred Phelps, a pastor in Kansas, and his daughter were also on the list and barred for “fostering hatred.” Phelps is known for never missing an opportunity to preach against the LGBT community. 

It's tempting to cheer the British government’s decision to keep some of these undesirables out, certainly to call them out. But it raises a number of disturbing questions, of course, and could be used to bar anyone the government dislikes. Where do you draw the line? It's an age old question.

What isn't a question is that Michael Savage is a hypocrite. Endlessly defaming just about anyone he doesn't like, Savage has said he’s considering a lawsuit against the British home secretary for, ahem, defamation.  Yeah, good luck with that.