The reason this guy was arrested was because he re-entered a country that he was banned from so that he can spread his idiotic viewpoint.

The reason that he was banned shouldn't be that hard to comprehend. It's just like yelling "fire" in a movie theatre. It's far from fascism.

Case in point, at a medieval times dinner I talked to a man from Germany. This was right after 9/11, so the end of the show featured some guy riding around with an American flag. There was a German man of about 30 sitting next to me who started cursing up a storm when he saw it. I asked the man, "what gives?" and he explained that in Europe, the last time people were gung-ho about waving flags around, 6 million people died.

It's not because they're fascist. It's because it happened there. The countries that were occupied by the nazis or even supported them are naturally somewhat suspiscious and protective when it comes to a sore subject like that.

Or maybe whatever I just typed was really a bunch of incoherent rubbish. IU'm not really feeling all that well right now, so allow for some error.

It's nothing like shouting "fire!" in a theater. Shouting fire can put people's lives in danger. Its the same reason making hoax calls to the emergency services is illegal.
In these cases people have to react immediately without checking the truthfulness of the statement and that's what makes them harmful.
Denying the holocaust is nothing like that.

You should have pointed out the fact that after we Yanks came in EVERYONE was waving the American flag. Well ok the British, French, and Soviet flags too.

And I still don't understand what difference it makes whether it's individual judges making individual arbitrary decisions about whether various kinds of speech are illegal, or a legislative body making a single arbitrary decision that a specific kind of speech is illegal. Sure, it's more consistent, but you're still giving the government the authority to ban certain kinds of speech that don't pose a clear and present danger to anyone.

SEE THIS MOVIE, (YOU TWITS)

You act like the United States isn't guilty of genocide

What did that have to do with what he said?

Yeah. No kidding.

Its not illegal to talk about that.

And most people don't even know.

In other words, get off the high horse.

Why don't you? If you want to talk about murdering natives just say that instead of trying to bring it in with some stupid witty remark.

He wasn't jailed for hate speech, he was jailed for denying that an event in history occured.

This shouldn't be a crime (well if you're against freedom of speech, i can see how you don't have a problem with this, as austria is apparently)

I agree that this man is stupid, but he doesnt deserve jail for simply denying that an event in history happened.

that's exactly what it means. if you are never exposed to ideas that offend you, then you are likely not living in a free society



exactly. why do we need to punish a man who does no harm? he may offend, but he will never convince the world of his ideas.
like nietzsche said... well, you know.

The point is, you shouldn't be ****ing man over for a given right to have an opinion just because you think it's inappropriate, wrong, stupid, or offensive.

I don't like racists. I don't like idiots. I can't stand homophobes.

But if there came a time in this country, where their right to free speech were being threatened I'd be one of the first to stand up for their rights.

In other words.

Its ****ed up, no matter how many ways you're going to try and slice it.

Quit kidding yourself. You don't like anyone.

Well, then his point works all the better :-p

So... if you say that the Holocaust didn't occur... then there will be a stampede of people in which children will be trampled?

This is nothing like falsing yelling "fire" in a theatre.

Wow, so theres a country out there that bans people for stupidity.
Interesting.

The bad thing about the system is that any one can say what ever they like. it's good he got busted. anny one visited a deth camp? i live in poland and i have. not only jews where killed in those camps you know.

[QUOTE=Zwier Zak]The bad thing about the system is that any one can say what ever they like. it's good he got busted. anny one visited a deth camp? i live in poland and i have. not only jews where killed in those camps you know.[/QUOTE]


The point of the system, the beauty of the system, is THAT YOU CAN SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT.

By limiting free speech, you're no better than Hitler. Seriously.

Why don't you go bother Lenin's corpse you facsist.

[QUOTE=Zwier Zak]The bad thing about the system is that any one can say what ever they like.[/QUOTE]

I consider that a good thing.

[QUOTE=Zwier Zak]The bad thing about the system is that any one can say what ever they like.[/QUOTE]

It's ironic. We fight people like Hitler, who are notorious for arresting people who voice any disagreement with the state. Then places like Austria turn around and arrest someone who disagrees with the state.

We think we've at least somewhat evolved beyond such totalitarianism, and it becomes evident that, no, we've just changed the standards of what's "acceptable".

[QUOTE=Zwier Zak]anny one visited a deth camp?[/QUOTE]

No one's defending the guy's opinion. We're defending his right to voice such an opinion. We've come this far, only to turn around and start walking back to where we were?

As long as it doesn't breach anyone else's rights.



THREAD OVER.

You're such a Moonhitler.

[QUOTE=The Mega-ZZTer]As long as it doesn't breach anyone else's rights.



THREAD OVER.[/QUOTE]


Seriously.

Examples of bad things not covered by free speech:
Exploitation films
Child Porn
Most smut

Things that shouldn't ever be restricted by free speech:
Stupidity
Opinion
Etc.

Yeah, because then you wouldn't be able to talk! :p

don't hurt me

I'd say a lot of us here in my part of Western Europe are especially allergic to people waving flags around, not so much people denying holocausts. Those are just idiots.

Freedom of speech is freedom of speech. Let the idiots deny the holocaust openly, so we can prove them wrong. Censorship is the first step on the road to tyranny.

They'd have you in the locks before myself!

Look in my opinion some people don't know how to use ther rights without ofending others. manny people lost all they had in that war and the guy is telling us it's not true. that is ofensive.

That's true, but the belief that you can live your life with out ever being offended is crap.

[QUOTE=Zwier Zak]Look in my opinion some people don't know how to use ther rights without ofending others. manny people lost all they had in that war and the guy is telling us it's not true. that is ofensive.[/QUOTE]


Your hypocrisy is offensive.

Hey, guess what.

Lets make that a law. When you're offended by someone excersizing their right to free speech, you should be jailed for three years!

Now does that seem fair?

No.

Well neither is what you're doing.

oh thats a good one!! and what am i doing??

Being an idiot, of course.

Yeah, don't deny Rob his right to be offensive, you fascist you! :p

Hilarious topic.

oh right i'm offensive and you are calling me an idiot??

[QUOTE=Zwier Zak]Look in my opinion some people don't know how to use ther rights without ofending others. manny people lost all they had in that war and the guy is telling us it's not true. that is ofensive.[/QUOTE]
Suck it up. Seriously. The man shouldn't be jailed because he pissed you off. People are going to say stupid and offensive things and you are going to get pissed off. Either suck it up or turn right around and call that guy a ****ing idiot. This goes for the lot of you who want him arrested. You want him arrested because he makes you mad. How dare he have such an opinion that contradicts me. This is not how things work, people. The Austrian government is doing this alllll wrong. Instead of ignoring him and letting his outlandish beliefs just simply become mere farts in wind, he's arrested and now has a lot more attention than he should get.

Suck it up, idiot, Hitler what next? you belive it's wrong that he is in jail i belive it's good. you are the ones who can't get along with the opinions of others.

Hah. No.

We can't get along with fascists.

I honestly don't care what your opinion is. But I'm telling you its stupid, and so are you.

Then WTF are you talking to me IDIOT??

edit: I'm a communist.

BECAUSE THATS WHAT YOU DO ON MESSAGEBOARDS.

DUH.