• Mr_Blott@feddit.uk
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    9 hours ago

    It’s your inability to differentiate between political speech and hate speech that’s the problem

    In modern societies, we’re happy with the government banning the latter and not the former

    In undeveloped countries like the US, their toddler-level reading skills prevent them from knowing which one’s which

    • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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      5 hours ago

      Government censorship isn’t just a ban on speech currently deemed to be hateful. It is also an endorsement of speech they currently believe to be political.

      The problem should be wildly apparent when we realize that governments around the world have a long and colorful history of making “political speech” that is only later determined to be hateful.

      Even “Good” presidents in our recent past have held positions that, in hindsight, are dehumanizing, abhorrent and vile. Our entire “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy for example.

      Our incoming president has indicated his intention to treat immigrants as enemy combatants. He plans to deport adults who were born and have lived their entire lives in the US if he determines their parents did not adequately prove their legal presence. He has determined that this racist position is “political speech”.

      Government has no fucking business deciding what is and is not protected speech.

      One important caveat: there is a difference between “speech” and “violence”. Threats may be spoken, but threats are not speech. Threats should be criminally prosecuted, not arbitrarily censored by the government.

        • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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          2 hours ago

          IMO, if our government was legitimate and uncorrupt,

          History has demonstrated that such a government can never be guaranteed. Germany had it right when they banned Nazi speech? They banned other types of “hate” speech not all that much earlier. Nobody knows what kind of “hate” speech they will be trying to ban tomorrow, or a decade from now. All we do know is that the people will broadly support it, just as they do now, just as they did a hundred years ago.

          I’m going to repeat this again: Even though they are spoken, threats are not a form of speech. Threats are “violence” and “censorship” is not the appropriate remedy for violence. People who issue threats should be prosecuted, not silenced.

          The government should not be allowed to shortcut the criminal process and merely prevent such violent people from being able to discuss their violent intentions in public. They should either be prosecuted, or ignored.

    • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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      8 hours ago

      Political speech can involve hate.

      Political disagreement, or any other disagreement that does not involve hate and harm should not be in question.

      You’re welcome to hate Biden or Trump. You’re not welcome to threaten to kill your political opponent’s supporters.

      • Mr_Blott@feddit.uk
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        6 hours ago

        Political speech can involve hate.

        Not in a modern society

        Political disagreement, or any other disagreement that does not involve hate and harm should not be in question.

        It never has been

        You’re welcome to hate Biden or Trump.

        I make a point of not hating anyone too old to control their bladder

        You’re not welcome to threaten to kill your political opponent’s supporters.

        Yes, that’s the idea

        I’ve not got a clue what point you’re making