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EU Anti-Hate Laws On The Web
coupco writes "The European Union's Council of Europe passes a measure that would make hate speech on the web illegal, and subject to banning and filtering. A story on Wired News explains the How and Why."
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I really hate them
I'm sorry, but racists, sexists, and homophobes are outright scum! If someone actively goes out of their way to tell people that 90% of the world's population should be enslaved or that the best thing they can do is kill someone because of their skin color, religion, ethnic background, immigration status, sexual orientation, disability, etc., they have forfeited their rights to free speech.
They deserve no rights to spread their violence-inducing propaganda against the most disadvantaged of society through sites such as Stormfront.
There is no positive aspect to hate speech, and many of its defenders are closet racists themselves. Those who would claim the supremeacy of "free speech" obviously believe that James Byrd or Matthew Shepard deserve no legal protection against racists and homophobes, and such vile hatemongers should be tolerated. Hate speech is an abuse of free speech and that people's lives are more important than the right of someone to publicly encourage others to target certain groups for a campaign of murder, rape, assault and terror.
Words may not hurt, but when people begin acting on the words of hate speech spreading like cancer on the internet, then the damage is done. Free speech shouldn't endanger people's lives. One can't yell "Fire!" in a crowded theatre, because people will probably get hurt trying to get out.
Hate speech acts in the same way - by trying to make certain kinds of people seem less than human and by glorifying violent acts against them - it's just a matter of time before a follower or supporter of a hate group puts words into action.
I agree. I have always wondered why the EU seems to be such an undemocratic organization. It seems to be run un elected politicians, that don't believe in fallowing the people's will. Do the people or Europe really want a super state than can be run by another Stalin, or Hitler? Shouldn't the people rule the rulers, rather the rulers rule the people? What happened to all the real Liberals? Don't they believe in Democracy any more? Freedom of speech is the corner stone of any free nation... and it is the first freedom taken away by a toltaren state.
European hate laws... Ya.. That's funny. Talk about a racist continent. They don't hate based on the color of skin, as is the problem in North America.
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They hate based on geography, right down to the region of a country itself. They dislike immigrants to a much larger extent then even the Americans appear to (right now), and don't even get me started on religion.
With religion, they take it to an all new high. Shit, they just love to fight.
But its Europe, they make jokes about how conservative and up-tight we are... Ya... well at least I can make a racial slur (and get my ass kicked, but that's different), you can have all your tv porn, nude beaches, low sexual age of consent, and no laws against child porn.
At least I can still say "I hate
There are times when I'm thankful there is an ocean between us... These are one of them.
Tournament Management Online &
One of the reasons that hate speech is censored in Europe is that we realised that words can be a dangerous weapon, even more than a very limited and democratically controlled censorship. In fact, it was Hitler's main skill to give vivid and charming speeches that convinced so many people to do things that are completely ridiculous.
Hitler's ideas spread because of a *lack* of free expression, not the other way around. For example, Jews were not allowed to safely tell their side of the story.
Table-ized A.I.