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Freedom of... what?!
Topic Started: Mar 28 2012, 01:23 PM (739 Views)
Dantos4
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hjk561
Mar 28 2012, 03:23 PM
I have an article here maybe explaining some things: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17530450
I skipped to the ones I actually knew about :P (E.g. Stacey, Giggs, Cryer)

Take the end quote, for example:
"The judiciary needs to make it plain for people who can't think beyond the next 30 seconds to consider if what they are going to say is an offence,"

The problem is that, given enough people, somebody somewhere is going to be offended. Twitter essentially puts 68 million people (in the UK) all in a room. And if one guy says something stupid, then he's screwed.

To take a very liberal, American line: Censoring speech is censoring thought. Censoring thought is the very definition of thought control. Thought control leaves no freedom. Once they control your mind, they control you. Freedom becomes a memory :)
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hjk561
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He rules
Greysoul
Mar 28 2012, 03:24 PM
Dantos4
Mar 28 2012, 03:13 PM
Greysoul
Mar 28 2012, 02:58 PM
From an American perspective, The media had a right to chew into him as he was something of a celebrity, being a soccer player and all, and as such is just going to be held to a higher standard. (by that I most certainly don't mean he is being extorted for the amusement of the populous. That would be sadistic.... wait...) As for the jailing, that wasn't right. I might not agree with what he has to say but I will defend your right to say it to the death. (Don't know the actual quote by hart :-/ ) Note that in my opinion he was VERY close to actually deserving what he got. Obviously his twitter was somewhat popular for it to be ripped into by the media. What he wrote, people read. The real one at fault is your legal system. Freedom of speech is the most basic of rights for a human being. Without that "freedom" is just an illusion altogether. No offense meant to you limes.
Ah, my apologies Greysoul. I wasn't clear enough (I just re-read it):
The guy who was sent to jail was convicted for calling a footballer racist names. The guy the media tore into wasn't a celebrity, just a regular guy.

Quoting Voltaire? Impressive! I did the EXACT same thing :P

I agree completely with the freedom & illusion mate, no offence taken at all. I wish the UK was more like the US in that respect!

Yeah, I agree HJK. Maybe I am being a little harsh blaming the judge. It is more the media's fault as they should know the influence they have and use it responsibly. They do hide behind that "we speak for the people, freedom of information" etc, far too often. The problem is that they do not 'inform' they 'persuade'. Media bias and media spin are far too commonplace in the UK (I have no idea about US but I'd imagine it was the same, or similar). I remember reading one article where it quoted Liam Stacey's "awful racist remarks" directly, then about the guy who had provoked him as "an innocent member of the public" even though he called him a "stupid cunt" or some negative variant of it. (I can't find the actual article to quote it exactly).
THAT changes a lot. I apologize for my now-false statements. The guy was a dick but shouldn't be sent to jail.

I noticed. Great minds think alike?

Ahhh freedom. What a sweet nectar thou art.

I am not sure how it is in the Eng-lands, but in America when a person is charged, the jury is held to where they are not exposed to any media that might sway them. I believe the judge is done the same.
Our judges are supposed to be unswayed by media pressure, but you should try being completely shut out from the media in general. I dont envy how judges do their job :P
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Grey
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I am a very liberal American, and I agree.

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Dantos4
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Yeah true, I suppose. It would be very hard to not be swayed. The blame lies with the media... but then it is hard to censor their persuasive arguments, influencing people, without censoring/controlling the media. And that opens up a whole new avenue of corruption/mind control :P

Indeed Greysoul, great minds think alike ;)
Edited by Dantos4, Mar 28 2012, 03:51 PM.
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Kagurodraven
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I would say I lean more liberal, but the American conservatives do have some good ideas.
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Dantos4
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Kagurodraven
Mar 28 2012, 04:40 PM
I would say I lean more liberal, but the American conservatives do have some good ideas.
I wish we had such left-wing, right-wing politics over here. Maybe 3-4 groups in the middle grey areas. Over here we just have Eaton educated OR Eaton educated OR Eaton educated :P
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Torabisu
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I had an Idea from the title... Freedom of Ice Cream!!! but anyways I bet governments and people get falsely arrested all the time but more about this case it seams to be an opinion on rather the punishment was to harsh or not. I think that it should be a democracy were the local people vote on whats best. ( that may made no sense sense it bean 27 hours sense I went to sleep = D (I can not fall asleep) )
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