4 ms·

>It is clear that the Western Democracies have at least as much freedom of speech as the US. This is a laughable claim once one considers blasphemy laws that s

>It is clear that the Western Democracies have at least as much freedom of speech as the US. This is a laughable claim once one considers blasphemy laws that still exist in many western democracies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blasphemy_law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blasphemy_law https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39830447 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39830447 - Stephen Fry faces blasphemy probe after God comments [2017]

vmlinuz 8y ago
Not the greatest example, to be honest, since: a) the very article you linked states "...no publicised cases of blasphemy have been brought before the courts since the law was introduced in 2009 and a source said it was "highly unlikely" that a prosecution against Fry would take place." - and indeed, the case was dropped after an investigation found, effectively, that not enough people were offended to be worth proceeding... and b) earlier this week "voters overwhelming[ly] supported a referendum to remove [blasphemy] as an offence in Irish law." [0] [0] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46010077 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46010077
elteto 8y ago
And this just happened: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/calling-muhammad-paedophile-not-protected-by-free-speech-1.3678825 https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/calling-muhammad-paedo...
lozenge 8y ago
There are plenty of anti free speech laws and precedent in the US as well, you just have to look for them. Only if you accept the exact American definition of free speech, then of course other countries look bad by that standard.
- dsfyu404ed 8y ago
  And there's starving/malnourished kids in the US too. That doesn't mean the US is on par with some parts of Africa in that regard. Generally speaking anti free speech laws in the US get struck down as soon as they start getting used to prosecute people.

vmlinuz 8y ago

Not the greatest example, to be honest, since: a) the very article you linked states "...no publicised cases of blasphemy have been brought before the courts since the law was introduced in 2009 and a source said it was "highly unlikely" that a prosecution against Fry would take place." - and indeed, the case was dropped after an investigation found, effectively, that not enough people were offended to be worth proceeding... and b) earlier this week "voters overwhelming[ly] supported a referendum to remove [blasphemy] as an offence in Irish law." [0] [0] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46010077 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46010077

elteto 8y ago

And this just happened: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/calling-muhammad-paedophile-not-protected-by-free-speech-1.3678825 https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/calling-muhammad-paedo...

lozenge 8y ago

There are plenty of anti free speech laws and precedent in the US as well, you just have to look for them. Only if you accept the exact American definition of free speech, then of course other countries look bad by that standard.

dsfyu404ed 8y ago
And there's starving/malnourished kids in the US too. That doesn't mean the US is on par with some parts of Africa in that regard. Generally speaking anti free speech laws in the US get struck down as soon as they start getting used to prosecute people.