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My original reply to you is just as relevant. This isn't true.

by fiblye 8y ago

AmericanChopper 8y ago
It absolutely is true. The US has the strongest free speech and freedom of association laws in the world. There is no country in the world that has anything that even comes close to the protection offered by the Bill of Rights. The copyright law Europe passed last week would require a constitutional amendment to be legal in the US.
- fiblye 8y ago
  And America doesn't protect an individual's right to privacy, unlike the EU and Japan which have strong legislation to protect individuals. And when it comes to protections from police, America is the absolute worst within what could be considered the first world. You can pick and choose rights that are important to you and say America is number one. Others can say America is positively lacking in other important aspects. It can easily be argued that America isn't even the best when it comes to protecting freedom of speech, and it's evident with how American-run tech corps police what's permitted on their sites to fit with American laws. Personally, I found America to be too constricting and the police state overwhelming, and I left for somewhere with more freedom. :)
  - AmericanChopper 8y ago
    The idea that an individual has a high expectation of privacy in public spaces is neither a right nor a freedom, it’s simply a restriction on what you’re legally allowed to do in public. It is freedom exchanged for safety. There is also no argument to be made at all when it comes to speech. America has by far the most extensive and thorough protections for expression and association in the world. Individuals in America also have much more protection from police interference than in any other country. The 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th amendments all protect individuals against malicious police actions and prosecutions. There is simply no other country that has anything remotely close to the Bill of Rights.
- hef19898 8y ago
  That is a very American comment. I, as a European, really have to disagree completely. I have yet to see any cases in which anywhere in Europe free speech is limited. Or association, in fact there is party litterally called The Party that got elected last time around into the European Parliament. That party is an off-shoot of a German satirical magazine. And the last time a political party was prohibited in Germany was the communist party in the 50s.
  - sneak 8y ago
    Racist speech that is legal in America is prohibited in Germany. Additionally, many video games have had to release versions with reduced blood and gore in Germany, due to laws prohibiting the uncensored original versions. http://www.dorkly.com/post/80945/germany-censorship http://www.dorkly.com/post/80945/germany-censorship There are lots of examples of the German government restricting free expression.
    - hef19898 8y ago
      Holocaust denial is probibited for, rather obvious, historical reasons. Same for Austria by the way, for agin the same reasons. Freedom of speech and art was, indeed, circumvented for games in Germany, but not Austria. And whether it is such a great thing to allow racist speech without consequences is everybody's guess.
      - sneak 8y ago
        > I have yet to see any cases in which anywhere in Europe free speech is limited I gave you several cases. Now you have.
  - notyourday 8y ago
    You sure about that? https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/marine-le-pen-isis-twitter-execution-videos-charged-france-front-national-fn-leader-a8234486.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/marine-le-pe... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_against_Holocaust_denial#Germany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_against_Holocaust_denial#... -- because apparently if we outlaw Nazi symbolism it will disappear. France is even more awesome: Gayssot Act makes it illegal to question the existence of crimes against humanity as defined in the London Charter. Let that sink in - it is illegal to question.

My original reply to you is just as relevant. This isn't true.

by fiblye 8y ago

My original reply to you is just as relevant. This isn't true.

It absolutely is true. The US has the strongest free speech and freedom of association laws in the world. There is no country in the world that has anything that even comes close to the protection offered by the Bill of Rights. The copyright law Europe passed last week would require a constitutional amendment to be legal in the US.

fiblye 8y ago
And America doesn't protect an individual's right to privacy, unlike the EU and Japan which have strong legislation to protect individuals. And when it comes to protections from police, America is the absolute worst within what could be considered the first world. You can pick and choose rights that are important to you and say America is number one. Others can say America is positively lacking in other important aspects. It can easily be argued that America isn't even the best when it comes to protecting freedom of speech, and it's evident with how American-run tech corps police what's permitted on their sites to fit with American laws. Personally, I found America to be too constricting and the police state overwhelming, and I left for somewhere with more freedom. :)
- AmericanChopper 8y ago
  The idea that an individual has a high expectation of privacy in public spaces is neither a right nor a freedom, it’s simply a restriction on what you’re legally allowed to do in public. It is freedom exchanged for safety. There is also no argument to be made at all when it comes to speech. America has by far the most extensive and thorough protections for expression and association in the world. Individuals in America also have much more protection from police interference than in any other country. The 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th amendments all protect individuals against malicious police actions and prosecutions. There is simply no other country that has anything remotely close to the Bill of Rights.
hef19898 8y ago
That is a very American comment. I, as a European, really have to disagree completely. I have yet to see any cases in which anywhere in Europe free speech is limited. Or association, in fact there is party litterally called The Party that got elected last time around into the European Parliament. That party is an off-shoot of a German satirical magazine. And the last time a political party was prohibited in Germany was the communist party in the 50s.
- sneak 8y ago
  Racist speech that is legal in America is prohibited in Germany. Additionally, many video games have had to release versions with reduced blood and gore in Germany, due to laws prohibiting the uncensored original versions. http://www.dorkly.com/post/80945/germany-censorship http://www.dorkly.com/post/80945/germany-censorship There are lots of examples of the German government restricting free expression.
  - hef19898 8y ago
    Holocaust denial is probibited for, rather obvious, historical reasons. Same for Austria by the way, for agin the same reasons. Freedom of speech and art was, indeed, circumvented for games in Germany, but not Austria. And whether it is such a great thing to allow racist speech without consequences is everybody's guess.
    - sneak 8y ago
      > I have yet to see any cases in which anywhere in Europe free speech is limited I gave you several cases. Now you have.
- notyourday 8y ago
  You sure about that? https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/marine-le-pen-isis-twitter-execution-videos-charged-france-front-national-fn-leader-a8234486.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/marine-le-pe... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_against_Holocaust_denial#Germany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_against_Holocaust_denial#... -- because apparently if we outlaw Nazi symbolism it will disappear. France is even more awesome: Gayssot Act makes it illegal to question the existence of crimes against humanity as defined in the London Charter. Let that sink in - it is illegal to question.