4 ms·

This is a thing that you don’t notice until you experience it. No more compelling argument that we’re doing something wrong as a nation than that first time ste

by roughly 8mo ago

This is a thing that you don’t notice until you experience it. No more compelling argument that we’re doing something wrong as a nation than that first time stepping onto an American street after visiting a civilized country.

robk 8mo ago
I live in a civilized European country and gravely miss the freedom of speech I had in the USA that I don't here. I'm terrified one tweet will get me jailed for 30 months.
- seattle_spring 8mo ago
  Considering the degree of "hate speech" a Tweet would have to contain to land someone in jail includes direct incitements of violence, I'm scared to ask what sort of opinion you'd like to share that you feel you legally cannot. The claim that you get thrown in jail in London "just for sharing your opinion" is a myth, unless your opinion is, "round up everyone of race X, put them in a hotel, and burn the hotel down."
  - juniperus 8mo ago
    the amount of people arrested for online activity in England is not the best example to use if you're arguing that such events are rare. otherwise, your incredulity to such a belief is why the far-right continues to gain a constituency in Europe and elsewhere. so instead of dismissing the concern, which fuels the far-right, you could just acknowledge it is a real thing people are experiencing, and that it doesn't help a liberal free society to criminalize thoughts that are unsavory to the political elite.
    - seattle_spring 8mo ago
      The "real thing people are experiencing" is posting unambiguous hate speech or calls for violence, and then getting in legal trouble for it. Calling it "online activity" or "just sharing their opinion online" is the actual blatant misrepresentation of what's happening on the ground, akin to saying someone robbing a store was "jailed merely for getting food for dinner that night."
    - Sohcahtoa82 8mo ago
      Your comment carries some major "Oh you know the ones" vibes. https://x.com/ndrew_lawrence/status/1050391663552671744?lang=en https://x.com/ndrew_lawrence/status/1050391663552671744?lang... Conservative: I have been censored for my conservative views Me: Holy shit! You were censored for wanting lower taxes? Con: LOL no...no not those views Me: So....deregulation? Con: Haha no not those views either Me: Which views, exactly? Con: Oh, you know the ones
- roughly 8mo ago
  I mean it sounds like you live in the UK, which seems to be doing everything it can to depart civilized Europe
- shimman 8mo ago
  Weird, I wish I had universal healthcare and socialized housing.
- maximinus_thrax 8mo ago
  Yeah, we have so much free speech lately, it's starting to overflow into the negative https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/us-department-homeland-security-reportedly-223749355.html https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/us-department-homeland-s...
gonzobonzo 8mo ago
True, after you visit a country where the cities are entirely safe and there aren't really any bad parts, it's disheartening to return to American cities where people say: "It's really safe! Just ignore these areas, don't go out late out night, keep an eye out when you walk around, and just ignore the crazy people yelling threats at you, they probably won't do anything." Americans really put up with low standards in a lot of areas, and it becomes obvious the more you travel.
- Herring 8mo ago
  I think it’s more than that. Surveys show the whole US is gradually becoming more and more unhappy. https://data.worldhappiness.report/chart https://data.worldhappiness.report/chart It’s mainly because income isn’t keeping up with rent/mortgages/healthcare/inflation etc. But there’s no collective will to solve it, the solutions are all individual, like “work harder”. But lots of people are already working 2 jobs. It sucks to live in a society that doesn’t care about you, and many are angry, but they don’t know what to do because they were trained to hate socialism. Half this country won’t even wear a simple mask to save your life, nevermind pay Europe-style taxes.
- roughly 8mo ago
  Ironically, this sort of mindset that, eg, homelessness and drug use are weeds to be trimmed, as opposed to the output of the whole of society and the economy - that homelessness is a personal flaw, not a social failing - is why America can’t effectively tackle those issues, whereas European countries can. The state of European cities is an output of European social policies, not some odd quirk of the European people.

by roughly 8mo ago

robk 8mo ago

I live in a civilized European country and gravely miss the freedom of speech I had in the USA that I don't here. I'm terrified one tweet will get me jailed for 30 months.

seattle_spring 8mo ago
Considering the degree of "hate speech" a Tweet would have to contain to land someone in jail includes direct incitements of violence, I'm scared to ask what sort of opinion you'd like to share that you feel you legally cannot. The claim that you get thrown in jail in London "just for sharing your opinion" is a myth, unless your opinion is, "round up everyone of race X, put them in a hotel, and burn the hotel down."
- juniperus 8mo ago
  the amount of people arrested for online activity in England is not the best example to use if you're arguing that such events are rare. otherwise, your incredulity to such a belief is why the far-right continues to gain a constituency in Europe and elsewhere. so instead of dismissing the concern, which fuels the far-right, you could just acknowledge it is a real thing people are experiencing, and that it doesn't help a liberal free society to criminalize thoughts that are unsavory to the political elite.
  - seattle_spring 8mo ago
    The "real thing people are experiencing" is posting unambiguous hate speech or calls for violence, and then getting in legal trouble for it. Calling it "online activity" or "just sharing their opinion online" is the actual blatant misrepresentation of what's happening on the ground, akin to saying someone robbing a store was "jailed merely for getting food for dinner that night."
  - Sohcahtoa82 8mo ago
    Your comment carries some major "Oh you know the ones" vibes. https://x.com/ndrew_lawrence/status/1050391663552671744?lang=en https://x.com/ndrew_lawrence/status/1050391663552671744?lang... Conservative: I have been censored for my conservative views Me: Holy shit! You were censored for wanting lower taxes? Con: LOL no...no not those views Me: So....deregulation? Con: Haha no not those views either Me: Which views, exactly? Con: Oh, you know the ones
roughly 8mo ago
I mean it sounds like you live in the UK, which seems to be doing everything it can to depart civilized Europe
shimman 8mo ago
Weird, I wish I had universal healthcare and socialized housing.
maximinus_thrax 8mo ago
Yeah, we have so much free speech lately, it's starting to overflow into the negative https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/us-department-homeland-security-reportedly-223749355.html https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/us-department-homeland-s...

gonzobonzo 8mo ago

True, after you visit a country where the cities are entirely safe and there aren't really any bad parts, it's disheartening to return to American cities where people say: "It's really safe! Just ignore these areas, don't go out late out night, keep an eye out when you walk around, and just ignore the crazy people yelling threats at you, they probably won't do anything." Americans really put up with low standards in a lot of areas, and it becomes obvious the more you travel.

Herring 8mo ago
I think it’s more than that. Surveys show the whole US is gradually becoming more and more unhappy. https://data.worldhappiness.report/chart https://data.worldhappiness.report/chart It’s mainly because income isn’t keeping up with rent/mortgages/healthcare/inflation etc. But there’s no collective will to solve it, the solutions are all individual, like “work harder”. But lots of people are already working 2 jobs. It sucks to live in a society that doesn’t care about you, and many are angry, but they don’t know what to do because they were trained to hate socialism. Half this country won’t even wear a simple mask to save your life, nevermind pay Europe-style taxes.
roughly 8mo ago
Ironically, this sort of mindset that, eg, homelessness and drug use are weeds to be trimmed, as opposed to the output of the whole of society and the economy - that homelessness is a personal flaw, not a social failing - is why America can’t effectively tackle those issues, whereas European countries can. The state of European cities is an output of European social policies, not some odd quirk of the European people.