Re:Germany, in a First, Shuts Down Left-Wing Extremist Website
by scythe on Friday August 25, 2017 @05:15PM
(#15102319)
> Isn't the point that messages matter, and being able to exchange them is powerful?
No, the point is that people matter, and being able to understand them is crucial. If ideas are suppressed (rather than merely problematic expressions) people become dishonest and you can't criticize their real beliefs because you don't know what they are. For example another person noted that neo-Nazi organizations survive in Germany by simply pretending to be something else. That's not success by any reasonable metric.
>A dose of rationality in the free speech debate would be appreciated.
If there's one thing that's truly ridiculous it's that fascistic positions like yours are considered "rational".
No, the point is that people matter, and being able to understand them is crucial. If ideas are suppressed (rather than merely problematic expressions) people become dishonest and you can't criticize their real beliefs because you don't know what they are. For example another person noted that neo-Nazi organizations survive in Germany by simply pretending to be something else. That's not success by any reasonable metric.
>A dose of rationality in the free speech debate would be appreciated.
If there's one thing that's truly ridiculous it's that fascistic positions like yours are considered "rational".