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I am against censorship, however as an European I agree with our country's constitution that says freedom of speech is granted only as far as hate speech isn't
by bad_user 9y ago
I am against censorship, however as an European I agree with our country's constitution that says freedom of speech is granted only as far as hate speech isn't involved.
Of course who should have the power to identify hate speech and censor content and what the definition of hate speech is, that's debatable.
However a platform like Twitter is also private property, another right protected by the constitution and people don't necessarily have free speech rights on somebody else's property.
As for the compelling arguments about letting Nazis speak in order to identify them:
1. read some German newspapers just before 1933 – the same arguments against censorship have been used then as well, nothing new
2. if you want to see actual antisemitism, some literal Nazis, go to https://gab.ai https://gab.ai — nothing on Twitter is as bad as what goes on in there and the moderates that are against censoring such opinions usually don't realize how bad they can get or their reach
Again, I'm very much pro free speech. But free speech is not my religion and it needs to be balanced against the other rights that we have as well, like property rights, or the right to feel safe and to be treated fairly and respectfully.
- TheSpiceIsLife 9y agoFor what it's worth, I thoroughly agree with you.
- arca_vorago 9y agoThat's because your governments constitution is viciously flawed compared to Americas, in which a system was established on the idea that we have rights independent of government and the government is only there to protect those rights, and may not infringe those rights. The argument isn't let any particular $hatedgroupofthemoment speak... the argument is that you have no right to presume yourself or anyone else to have the power to silence them in the first place. This is something even Christopher Hitchens talked openly about, and part of the reason he became a citizen. America's form of constitutional democratic republic, while in some disarray at the moment, is quite a unique accomplishment in the annals of history. It's what I consider the non-jingoistic and true basis of American exceptionalism, a term too often used in bandwagon derision. For good reading on the subject, try this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_speech_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_speech_in_the_United_Stat...
- TheSpiceIsLife 9y agoI honestly think your comment would be much stronger if it didn't start with the viciously flawed comparison. It was emotionally difficult for me to get past that first sentence. I otherwise agree the US Constitution, in theory is, potential, exceptionally powerful.
- arca_vorago 9y agoYou are right but by the time I started dwelling on it was too late to edit. Sorry, that's something I'm working on (being less abrasive).
- arkh 9y agoFreedom of speech is an absolute. You have it or you do not. The moment you start restricting it you don't have any. I'm from France and there is no freedom of speech here. If you think laws made to fight against "hate speech" will stay in their current form you forget about what happened with special anti-terrorist laws. They always get applied to more and more things. What is accepted speech today can be hate speech tomorrow. Remember: the power we let good government get will also be available to shitty government later.
- guywaffle 9y agoYes, but Twitter isn’t the government so they can’t deny someone their freedom of speech. Only the government can do that
- nodesocket 9y ago> says freedom of speech is granted only as far as hate speech isn't involved. I see this all the time on HN, mostly Europeans. This is false. US freedom of speech is universal, including Nazi or hate. There is no such clause that prohibits hate speech. That's Europe's thing.
- bad_user 9y agoI specified that I'm an European in that same sentence, so that's a straw man.
- nodesocket 9y agoSorry, I missread. That’s my bad. You are right, you did say you are European. Apologize.