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For those of you who read German the following article sheds a revealing perspective on the effects of these new laws: https://motherboard.vice.com/de/article/

For those of you who read German the following article sheds a revealing perspective on the effects of these new laws: https://motherboard.vice.com/de/article/kznxz3/vom-netzdg-zum-hetzdg-wie-trolle-das-maas-gesetz-nutzen-um-politische-gegner-mundtot-zu-machen https://motherboard.vice.com/de/article/kznxz3/vom-netzdg-zu... The leading paragraph claims that "Trolls and right-wing activists conspire through pr0gramm, Discord and Twitter to 'turn the law against hate speech' into its opposite: a tool to denounce left-wingers, women and migrants." In other words, the opposite of "hate speech" is "left-wingers, women and migrants" according to the writer of this article. This shows the incredible myopia of these activists who have been warned time and again that those same censorship laws they were pressing for and sponsoring could and would be turned around to target their own political platforms. Unfortunately they did not listen, often because they blocked or banned those who spoke out against censorship as racists, xenophobes and more.

novalis78 9y ago
Amen...and that's how Bismark's Prussian super government whose bureaucratic super machine was the pride and glory of the Germans turned into Hitler's nefarious totalitarian regime more or less overnight. The same tools that ensure 'order and safety' become tools for 'suppression and conformity'. You would think the Germans, if any, would have learnt what totalitarianism feels like. But no, all they learned is that they just did not have the right totalitarian tools in the first place. It must be a cultural/mentality thing. Those who feel quite uncomfortable under such a system historically leave and tend to end up in... the US.
- alphonsegaston 9y ago
  Ah yes, that bastion of freedom the US. The place that promulgated eugenics as the solution to all social ills and forcibly sterilized the poor and minorities. Whose ideas Hitler so loved, he decided it was necessary to do one further. Who turned away Jews fleeing his genocide because of its own fabricated, racist ideas about genetic “undesirablity,” which were presented uncontested all over popular media. I’m starting to think Germans might have a better handle on history.
  - paulddraper 9y ago
    Yet somehow the US didn't exterminate millions of its own citizens. Regrettably, no human system seems to avoid all violations of human rights. But the totalitarian systems will have the worst excesses.
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]
    - krainboltgreene 9y ago
      No, but it did exterminate millions of people who live on north america and abroad.
naturalgradient 9y ago
Also worth to point out that the justice secretary's party, SPD, has very close ties to various antifa, pro-migration, anti-hatespeec etc active groups. In particular, close financial ties by funnelling tax money to 'activism against the right' and so forth. So really, there was an expectation from these groups that the law would be a weapon for them to finally silence any opposition. Totalitarian thinking is very very deeply ingrained still, and the same people who go on 'never again' demonstrations recalling any of the totalitarian dictatorships in Germany are grouping together to oust, censor, privately harass opponents.
anigbrowl 9y ago
This shows the incredible myopia of these activists Or they knew that perfectly well but considered it a small problem relative to the harm they seek to prevent. Everything comes with a downside risk, but pointing out the fact of its existence tells you little about the scale of its severity..

novalis78 9y ago

Amen...and that's how Bismark's Prussian super government whose bureaucratic super machine was the pride and glory of the Germans turned into Hitler's nefarious totalitarian regime more or less overnight. The same tools that ensure 'order and safety' become tools for 'suppression and conformity'. You would think the Germans, if any, would have learnt what totalitarianism feels like. But no, all they learned is that they just did not have the right totalitarian tools in the first place. It must be a cultural/mentality thing. Those who feel quite uncomfortable under such a system historically leave and tend to end up in... the US.

alphonsegaston 9y ago
Ah yes, that bastion of freedom the US. The place that promulgated eugenics as the solution to all social ills and forcibly sterilized the poor and minorities. Whose ideas Hitler so loved, he decided it was necessary to do one further. Who turned away Jews fleeing his genocide because of its own fabricated, racist ideas about genetic “undesirablity,” which were presented uncontested all over popular media. I’m starting to think Germans might have a better handle on history.
- paulddraper 9y ago
  Yet somehow the US didn't exterminate millions of its own citizens. Regrettably, no human system seems to avoid all violations of human rights. But the totalitarian systems will have the worst excesses.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - krainboltgreene 9y ago
    No, but it did exterminate millions of people who live on north america and abroad.

naturalgradient 9y ago

Also worth to point out that the justice secretary's party, SPD, has very close ties to various antifa, pro-migration, anti-hatespeec etc active groups. In particular, close financial ties by funnelling tax money to 'activism against the right' and so forth. So really, there was an expectation from these groups that the law would be a weapon for them to finally silence any opposition. Totalitarian thinking is very very deeply ingrained still, and the same people who go on 'never again' demonstrations recalling any of the totalitarian dictatorships in Germany are grouping together to oust, censor, privately harass opponents.

anigbrowl 9y ago

This shows the incredible myopia of these activists Or they knew that perfectly well but considered it a small problem relative to the harm they seek to prevent. Everything comes with a downside risk, but pointing out the fact of its existence tells you little about the scale of its severity..