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Jens Laurson and George Pieler track the flight of free speech rights from the European continent.
Edward|5.28.07 @ 11:47AM|#
I think it should be illegal to speculate about the success of Ron Paul's candidacy.
|5.28.07 @ 11:54AM|#
Great piece. Worth reading along the same lines:
http://oliverkamm.typepad.com/blog/2007/05/the_tyranny_of_.html
|5.28.07 @ 12:39PM|#
"Edward -- I think it should be illegal to speculate about the
success of Ron Paul's candidacy."
Well, I think it should be illegal to speculate that it should be
illegal to speculate about the success of Ron Paul's candidacy.
Aaron|5.28.07 @ 3:42PM|#
I can honestly say I've never before been tempted to deny the Holocaust, but something about these arrogant jackasses really makes me want to.
pleasedonbtgivemyiptotheauthor|5.28.07 @ 4:07PM|#
As an European I would just like to mention that the holocaust never happened.
|5.28.07 @ 5:29PM|#
The most powerful argument against criminalizing Holocaust
denial is that it makes odious figures like David Irving into
prisoner of conscience.
I wonder if this legislation applies equally to denying the
Ukrainian Holodomor, which seems
to be a cottage industry for a handful of European leftists.
LarryA|5.28.07 @ 5:56PM|#
So if enough people say that Germany didn't build concentration camps, Germany will build concentration camps to prove them wrong?
|5.28.07 @ 6:01PM|#
I wonder if this legislation applies equally to denying the
Ukrainian Holodomor, which seems to be a cottage industry for a
handful of European leftists.
No.
What you must understand is that while Holocaust denial is of
course morally repugnant, that isn't why it is being made illegal.
It is being made illegal because it is a tiny fringe point of view.
There just isn't that many holocaust deniers, which is why that
point of view can easily be banned. I mean, you are banning the
speech of what, maybe 6 authors in all of Europe?
On the other hand, denial or trivialization of Communist
attrocities is not a fringe point of view. It is extremly common in
left-wing politics. While Communist Attrocity Denial is just as
morally repugnant and just as stupid as Holocaust denial, there are
enough die-hard Commies to make banning such things politically
unacceptable.
|5.28.07 @ 7:35PM|#
"Rex Rhino says: What you must understand is that while
Holocaust denial is of course morally repugnant, that isn't why it
is being made illegal. It is being made illegal because it is a
tiny fringe point of view. There just isn't that many holocaust
deniers, which is why that point of view can easily be banned. I
mean, you are banning the speech of what, maybe 6 authors in all of
Europe?"
And by that same logic, it should be OK to ban and imprison those
who advocate tiny fringe points of view, such as libertarians ...
and global warming deniers ... and Mormons ... and gay polygamists
... and (insert your personal fringe beliefs here).
|5.28.07 @ 8:47PM|#
Remember the book burnings.
Remember the mouth zipping.
How can we achieve thought control?
Turn yourself in if you even had a doubt come to your mind. Rats in
a box, box on a head, thoughts begone. Thinking is wrong?????
What is the greater evil?
Julia|5.28.07 @ 8:53PM|#
Ironically, punishing Holocaust deniers drives them underground (and there are more than six, trust me) and forces them to spread their views privately, without any open refutation. Keeping their speech legal allows them to put all their cards on the table and their silly argument is shown for the garbage that it is.
|5.29.07 @ 12:05PM|#
I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the
death your right to say it.
Voltaire
The right to free speech should be cherished.
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