Do we really have freedom of speech?

If you live in a european country, you are not allowed to say "Heil Hitler" or go on the streets with a banner that says "I hate all muslims". So if certain things are not allowed to be said/shown, how come we think we have freedom of speech?

 

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Freedom is a relative concept, that doesn't truly exist. If we were to allow someone to yell fire in a crowded theater and the resulting panic cause a death. How would that go over? You can't incite others to commit crimes. The big question is where you allow the line to be drawn between what is okay and what is not okay to say. That's why we have courts and lawyers to argue these type of cases and determine where that line will be drawn.

 

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it's my opinion that hitler was a military genius.
unfortunately military genius and civilized society don't mix too well.

this verges on racism if actually said.

it's understandable about racism, i'm not too sure about hitler though.

 

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We don't have freedom of anything if you go to extremes. Freedom of religion? Not if it requires human sacrifice. Freedom to bear arms? Not if you're a convicted felon.

 

You have less freedom of speech in Europe, especially Britain, where they have archaic laws about slander. But mostly we have freedom of the press and speech within limits. There are forces that don't like that, who force us into "free speech areas". And it doesn't apply to students in grade schools.

 

Sorry, Leo, Hitler was an egomaniac that thought HE was smarter than all his staff and advisers. To put it nicely, that made him an idiot. Want more proof? Only and idiot could have decided to open a second front on the huge Russian empire!

Back to the original topic:

We have MANY freedoms, including that of speech. But all freedoms have limitations. To think otherwise is a bit foolish in my opinion.

 

There's a limit to anything including freedom of speech.

Imagine going up to someone twice your size and telling them they are stupid and couldn't punch their way out of a paper bag and then curse at them really pissing them off. What then do you think would happen to you? You just might have your head knocked off by that person but at least you had your freedom of speech to tell them off.

 

The formation of a society dictates that we give up some freedom to benefit the whole. We have laws so we don't collapse into disarray and get set-back a few hundred years.
From an American perspective, we have a ton of freedom in regards to speech. The fact that I can denounce my country's government and slander anybody I want and nobody will bat an eye is pretty eye-opening. Prevention of speech that is directly threatening, or taking ones testimony and using it against them indicates the weight we give on simple words in the US. It does almost seem like an oxymoron to label ourselves a "free speech" nation but have specific laws dictating what we can and cannot say.

 

Twitter Hoax Sparks Swift Stock Swoon

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/twitter-hoax-sparks-swift-stock-swoon-142013719.html

Should this type of free speech be allowed? I don't think so. This guy hurt a lot of people.

 

There are limits on sciforums, which wasn't always the case. I suppose where there is a temptation to control the environment, there will be an effort to control speech.

 

This just demonstrates the flaws of the way our economy works. Why are we relying on algorithms to deal with billions of our dollars? Such a stupid and exploitable gamble.

 

Freedom of speech was originally about the right to speak the truth and have opinions without fear of censor. The liberal lawyers extended free speech to include actions that insult the traditions of conservatives like burning the flag or pissing on crosses. Then other liberal lawyers via PC reduced freedom of speech to protect their own groups from these tactics they invented.

Now there is censor on what is called "hate speech", which can nothing to do with hate (can be done in fun with laughter) but it is simply connected to sounds that PC defines as hate regardless of the cause and effect with emotion. This sets the stage and brings us back to the first sentence which was the right to speak truth or opinions without being censored. The hate speech gimmick theoretically allows manipulation of language to censor truth and opinions.

Say a liberal government wanted to impose an irrational law and they define anything said against this law as hate speech, then you can't say anything at the risk of being hateful. These opinions are based on freedom of speech and are done with cheer.

The question I have is, if you say words defined as hate speech with a cheerful heart, how is this hate speech? Or does PC have a dual standard even in terms of the expressions of emotions?

 

As others have already explained on this thread, you might shout "Fire!" in a crowded theatre. You might well do this, if you are an idiot, as a joke and with a cheerful heart. Have you that right? No.

Laws are not concerned with your inner feelings, it is your words and actions as they affect other people that may require regulation.

 

Do we really have freedom of speech?

That is just a buss word , even on this forum you don't have freedom of speech, If you put an add in the paper you are not allowed to put what you want , you can not select verbally or written to whom you want to rent your place

 

I think it's still alive in Europe...

[video=youtube_share;nwK7VRkbGiU]http://youtu.be/nwK7VRkbGiU[/video]

 

Well i am 38 years old, and all my adult life have been monitored and people in uk gov tried to ridicule me using others lifes.

In uk no such thing as human rights exist.

Trying to tell people about this upsets them, and i have just been banned on another forum for telling the truth of how the uk gov perves into our home, and its been going on all my adult life.

Not 1 single crime in my life, and they spent my entire adult life ruining my life.

 

hitler made some astounding blunders, but that's judging with 50 years of hindsight.
germany certainly possessed the technology.
but yeah, it's safe to say he was an egomaniac.

i think the siberian winters had a role in this.
but then again the russian people might have done their share too.
if so then the russian system (communism) can't be all bad if they are willing to fight for their country.

 

I think even a cursory study of human history would show you that you actually have more human rights than people living in the other 99% of human history.

Can you vote? Speak your mind on almost any topic? Complain about the government? Love who you want? Associate with who you want? Live without fear of being enslaved by a noble, murdered on the whim of the government, sent to fight a religious war? Have kids without the government taking them for their own purposes? Not worry about being raped by a cardinal because they're untouchable? If you can do all (or even most) of those things you are doing better than most people in history.

They really don't care that much about you. If you want to let your life be ruined by how you feel about them, that's your choice.

 

Don't be so sure of apathy of others, if you can't find empathy in your own heart.

 

Please don't be so coke there is Costa Rica, Which is more democratic then the USA and if you talk about freedom , you don't have much freedom because you have laws coming up your arse . I was in other south American country which have more freedom then in the USA. Go out and see and travel there are other country beside USA.