4 ms·
Although that is definitely an oversimplification (there are plenty of limitations to freedom of expression), why is your description particularly odd or diffic
by baddox 8y ago
Although that is definitely an oversimplification (there are plenty of limitations to freedom of expression), why is your description particularly odd or difficult to understand? If an executive at a public company makes misleading public statements with the intention to cause certain transactions (which may or may not be the case here), that's a pretty clear financial crime with clear victims. I don't see why jail time would be out of the question.
If you just make "outrageous" comments on twitter, why is it weird that "USA culture" wouldn't generally prescribe jail time? I'm from the USA, granted, but that sure seems like a reasonable protection of freedom of expression.
Racist comments are of course a trickier example, but I think it's perfectly reasonable for there to be a legal distinction between (protected) tasteless/offensive/insensitive statements about race/ethnicity and (not protected) statements that defame or incite violence.
- lgeorget 8y agoWell, of course I realize that I'm oversimplifying and exaggerating but my point was that I have the impression that messing with money is a much more serious problem than messing with people in the USA.
- gamblor956 8y agoInsulting people is a very different thing from defrauding them. Hate crimes are treated far more seriously than monetary crimes, if that's what you're trying to get out. It's simply that merely making racist statements is not a crime in the US.
- JBReefer 8y agosaying mean things doesn't hurt people - even if they're really horrible, they're just words. Providing guidance that is false or intended to hurt people, like Elon's tweet, is fundamentally different.
- jazzyjackson 8y agofreedom of speech is not the freedom to defraud it's as simple as that so i agree that US law makes a bigger deal out of messing with money than messing with feelings