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Don’t Play Nice
Can we clarify that one can (and should!) believe that praising Hitler both should not be barred by law, and also that it’s anti-Semitic and should be condemned?
12 Responses to “Don’t Play Nice”
So basically handle it the way its currently handled? Yea I can get on board with that.
Barring such speech would be of those domino effect laws. Where do the restrictions end? We don’t have a problem with a growing neo-Nazi movement in this country, and as such the rantings of a few idiots pose no threat of any kind. Their bigotry is not forced upon anyone either, so unfortunately it’s something we have to live with, condemning it all the way.
Agreed, and it seems like common sense. Nobody has the right not to be offended.
We can certainly agree. Now it’d be nice if y’all could convince certain European governments of it. Merkel now wants the criminalization of Nazi activities and symbols (like the swastika) and also holocaust denial to be officially banned in the entire EU, like it is in Germany. I think this is a grave affront to free speech (and I also think it wont fly). I think people who would ban disgusting speech don’t have a clear idea of what “freedom of speech” is for.
“Merkel now wants the criminalization of Nazi activities and symbols (like the swastika) and also holocaust denial to be officially banned in the entire EU, like it is in Germany.”
Pls note it was Luxembourg who started the first initiative in this direction, ok? However, while I support the laws of Germany and Austria in this regard because of our historical liability, imho a european ban would go to far. A limit on the right of free speech can only be outweighed by a special obligation to do everything to prevent a revival of the shameful ideology of the past. Other european countries don’t bear this obligation, it would be wrong to limit human rights there because of genuine german and austrian liabilities.
Hmm… :-/
Correction:
“A limit on the right of free speech can only be justified by a special obligation to do everything to prevent a revival of the shameful ideology of the past”
Better.
Hmmmm sorry for the error Gray, I read it was Merkel. I’m still against the bad, for Germany included. Banning speech won’t prevent revival of Nazis. That doesn’t happen through laws, it happens through social pressure. I know a fair number of people who have lived in Germany, though no actual Germans. They say the whole subject is taboo, and even though there is a ban, there are neonazis and they are easy to identify. Banning their speech only gives romance to their so-called quest, as if they were being “persecuted for speaking the truth”. Freedom of speech is a right that must be especially defended in the case of unpopular speech. I find nazis as disgusting as the next human and holocaust denial as ridiculous, but I find the idea of banning it deeply disturbing.
that’s against the BAN.
What if you really liked his mustache? Is that anti-semitic?
I liked Moe Howards mustache more. The Three Stooges as the real ‘Axix of Evil’ was hilarious. Frum needed to watch more Stooges, listen less to Pearl.
“Hmmmm sorry for the error Gray, I read it was Merkel.”
Oops, don’t misunderstand me. Merkel is pushing for such a bill now. It’s just that she wasn’t the first to raise the topic. Everything else is correct.
“Banning speech won’t prevent revival of Nazis. That doesn’t happen through laws, it happens through social pressure.”
Right. But the main reason for the ban is that it would be an insult to all who suffered under the Nazi reign if we would allow its symbols to be used again and the irrevocably debunked holocaust denials to be spread. It’s in our foremost national interest to prevent this from happening.
“Freedom of speech is a right that must be especially defended in the case of unpopular speech.” sounds good, but in practice, ‘freedom of speech’ has limits. There are laws prohibiting libel and slander, even in the US. And not the free speech of Nazis in general is banned, only the use of Nazi symbols and the public denegation of the holocaust. These are very minor limits that don’t prevent right wing extremists from publicly spreading their idiotic ideas.
I approve those german laws. They are reasonable and necessary.