Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
it certainly is ! You cannot say or show anything then. So it's not 100% free.
I don't think political and religious matters are specially limited in Europe, do you have any examples ? Or at least I don't think they are that more limited than in the US. Also, why does the US president swear on the bible ? That means that he HAS do be a christian, right ? What if he wasn't ? So that is an example of religious freedom ? Explain that to me...
About political freedom: Why is it that US presidents can only be democrats or republicans ? Why isn't there a green party or a communist party ?
Also, Americans seem to me to be far more PC than Europeans in general. Why do they take offense when they get criticized ? Why do you assume it's a stalinist thing ?
About the Clinton thing: What has his "love" life to do with his ability to be a president ?
It is idiotic to say that you are the only place for freedom of speech because that means you consider the rest of the world to be restricted, when clearly it is not more restricted than you are in many fields, and sometimes less so.
it certainly is ! You cannot say or show anything then. So it's not 100% free.
I don't think political and religious matters are specially limited in Europe, do you have any examples ? Or at least I don't think they are that more limited than in the US. Also, why does the US president swear on the bible ? That means that he HAS do be a christian, right ? What if he wasn't ? So that is an example of religious freedom ? Explain that to me...
About political freedom: Why is it that US presidents can only be democrats or republicans ? Why isn't there a green party or a communist party ?
Also, Americans seem to me to be far more PC than Europeans in general. Why do they take offense when they get criticized ? Why do you assume it's a stalinist thing ?
About the Clinton thing: What has his "love" life to do with his ability to be a president ?
It is idiotic to say that you are the only place for freedom of speech because that means you consider the rest of the world to be restricted, when clearly it is not more restricted than you are in many fields, and sometimes less so.
Our 1st Amendment Rights are, and were always about, protection from the government. It had nothing to do with cursing on tv, or showing body parts. It was protection from the government. If I want to call that idiot in the WH the biggest moron who ever walked in DC, I don't get thrown in jail for it.
If I want to protest that fool that so many stupid people in this country elected, I have the right to do that.
Free Speech is a protection from the government, ONLY.
"Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
There IS a Green Party. NO one ever said you have to be only Republican or Democrat. We have a really, seriously, crappy school system, and it would appear that those who are even aware that we have elections, many of them don't seem to have a clue that there's more than two choices. Students are no longer taught to think, so whatever the media tells them, that must be truth.
As for PC, that's liberals. They whine and cry at every perceived sleight. I hate PC. I think everyone should be upfront, blunt, and honest. Once everyone got over their bu**hurt, we could all move on to more important things.
Clinton's "love life" wasn't about his ability to be President, HIS LYING ABOUT IT is what affected his ability to be President. As much as the liberals like to pretend it never happened, Clinton was impeached for lying under oath about his "love life".
Last edited by Three Wolves In Snow; 09-25-2015 at 05:26 AM..
Political and religious expression are not more restricted in most of Europe, either.
Yes. It is more restricted in Europe. How is this even something that you would assert?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neuling
The thing is, we are all humans and live in societies with almost identical values, especially in the West. Thus all our societies have come up with ways to prevent things that are considered harmful to a peaceful society, for instance insults. The restrictions may be handled in different ways, but they are there. The line between what is OK and what is not is pretty much the same everywhere in the West.
There is no free speech anywhere and that is a good thing!
The US protects political and religious speech to a greater extent than any other nation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neuling
In the US in particular there is an additional, relatively resent limit to free speech. There is a lot of surveillance and communication is being monitored for keywords. And people who say certain things end up on certain lists, and the ones taking care of those things (secret services etc.) are outside the normal legal system. So you better watch what you are saying if you don't want to get on those shady organizations' radar. After all, once you are considered a potential terrorist (which is a very wide term these days), you can forget about your constitutional rights.
These are not limits on free political or religious speech.
You cannot say or show anything then. So it's not 100% free.
Oh, please. I did not make that argument. I never said that there is 100% free speech in the US.
Quote:
Originally Posted by forgotten username
I don't think political and religious matters are specially limited in Europe, do you have any examples ? Or at least I don't think they are that more limited than in the US.
Of course political speech is more restricted in Europe. Come on.
Try holding a Nazi march in Germany, or denying the Holocaust. How many nations in Europe have anti-blasphemy legislation? The UK has a new anti-terror policy, under which the government wants to claim new legal powers to curb the ability of "non-violent extremists" to express hard-line religious opinions. The Austrian prosecution service is currently investigating whether a Dutch politician, Geert Wilders, might have broken laws against "hate speech". Ukraine has recently outlawed the denial of communists' crimes.
Go do just some cursory research and then get back to us...
Quote:
Originally Posted by forgotten username
Also, why does the US president swear on the bible ? That means that he HAS do be a christian, right ? What if he wasn't ? So that is an example of religious freedom ? Explain that to me...
Nobody has to swear on the Bible.
Quote:
Originally Posted by forgotten username
About political freedom: Why is it that US presidents can only be democrats or republicans ? Why isn't there a green party or a communist party ?
There are many political parties in the US...
Quote:
Originally Posted by forgotten username
Also, Americans seem to me to be far more PC than Europeans in general. Why do they take offense when they get criticized ?
Irony!
Quote:
Originally Posted by forgotten username
Why do you assume it's a stalinist thing ?
I don't assume. Limitations on free speech is a Stalinist thing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by forgotten username
About the Clinton thing: What has his "love" life to do with his ability to be a president ?
Who said it did?
Quote:
Originally Posted by forgotten username
It is idiotic to say that you are the only place for freedom of speech because that means you consider the rest of the world to be restricted, when clearly it is not more restricted than you are in many fields, and sometimes less so.
Read the thread.
I never said that the US is the only place with free speech. I said that the US protects political and religious expression to a greater extent than any other nation.
Yes. It is more restricted in Europe. How is this even something that you would assert?
The US protects political and religious speech to a greater extent than any other nation.
These are not limits on free political or religious speech.
I simply don't agree.
You can say things in some European countries, for which you would get sued in the US, for instance because of sexual harassment, insult, and such things. But of course it varies from country to country, some such as Germany have much tighter limits.
Just a couple of days ago there was a discussion on the election campaign ads of a radical party here, which said among other things Death to Traitors. Legally it was OK, but they removed that statement anyway because public opinion basically forced them to.
And that is the way it goes, you can utter anything, but you will have to pay the price for it one way or another if society thinks you are abusing your freedom of speech.
Politically monarchies tend to have limits regarding what you can say about the royal family.
Every country has its own rules and laws governing the freedom of speech, the Council of Europe is a joke and many member countries don't really care what it says and does.
Every country has its own rules and laws governing the freedom of speech, the Council of Europe is a joke and many member countries don't really care what it says and does.
I posted cites to other restrictive laws and examples of other legislation restricting speech in Europe.
Again, every European country defines freedoms such as freedom of speech differently. There is no common European definition.
I am familiar with Germany for instance, and it certainly has more limitations than the US. Then again, most of them make sense, and in the US the lack of such reasonable legal limitations is why political correctness is rampant, it evolved as an alternative way to keep stupid people from saying harmful things. Every society needs such conditioning where the majority tells the radicals what they can and what they can't do.
Again, every European country defines freedoms such as freedom of speech differently. There is no common European definition.
I don't know why you are so apparently hurt about this? I am not disparaging Europe.
Yes, I realize that Europe is a continent and that it is made up of many sovereign nations, each with their own laws.
That said, the fact remains that European nations, with their various laws, are all more restrictive with respect to political and religious speech than is the US.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neuling
I am familiar with Germany for instance, and it certainly has more limitations than the US. Then again, most of them make sense, and in the US the lack of such reasonable legal limitations is why political correctness is rampant, it evolved as an alternative way to keep stupid people from saying harmful things. Every society needs such conditioning where the majority tells the radicals what they can and what they can't do.
So, you do in fact agree that Europe has more restrictions on political and religious speech.
Thank you.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
