Comments on: Jailed for free speech http://playarta.com/blog/2006/02/21/jailed-for-free-speach/ Finland's Online Magazine in English Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:32:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0 by: Oli http://playarta.com/blog/2006/02/21/jailed-for-free-speach/#comment-47 Tue, 21 Feb 2006 17:18:59 +0000 http://playarta.com/blog/2006/02/21/jailed-for-free-speach/#comment-47 I really don't support nazis and razism, but I don't understand why they have to send him to jail when they simply could kick him out of the country and if coming back then that would be a reason for jailing him. It just seems not right for me to jail somebody just because he thinks different, even if he thinks adolf was a cool guy, well I think anybody that thinks like him is everything else than a serious historian, but I see no need to jail him. This will only bring more wood into the fire, and his friends will support him more now and he might even try harder now after being punished. Isn't it enough to simply tell him.. you are not welcomed here and if you come back then you will suffer the consequences? And where's the spirit of: "I might not agree with what you say but I will defend with every power your right to say it." I really don’t support nazis and razism, but I don’t understand why they have to send him to jail when they simply could kick him out of the country and if coming back then that would be a reason for jailing him.

It just seems not right for me to jail somebody just because he thinks different, even if he thinks adolf was a cool guy, well I think anybody that thinks like him is everything else than a serious historian, but I see no need to jail him. This will only bring more wood into the fire, and his friends will support him more now and he might even try harder now after being punished.

Isn’t it enough to simply tell him.. you are not welcomed here and if you come back then you will suffer the consequences?

And where’s the spirit of: “I might not agree with what you say but I will defend with every power your right to say it.”

]]> by: alexbafana http://playarta.com/blog/2006/02/21/jailed-for-free-speach/#comment-46 Tue, 21 Feb 2006 10:17:52 +0000 http://playarta.com/blog/2006/02/21/jailed-for-free-speach/#comment-46 Unfortunately Austria is not in the position to drop this law. There are still too many old guys around who think Adolf was a great guy. Unfortunately these old guys managed to pass their believes on to younger Austrians. Under the shiny, rich, happy, Edelweiss-surface of Austria you will still find way too much brown dirt that wants to bubble up whenever there is a chance. I believe it will still take some 50 more years until Austria can drop the law of holocaust denial. Maybe it will even take 100 years. By the way, it is interesting that Austrian politicians and media all condemned the cartoons. In a survey Austrians expressed in a majority they were against the cartoons and also wouldn't wish to see insulting cartoons about other religions published. Furthermore, I am not aware of anybody in Austria who stood up for defending freedom of speech in connection with the cartoons. That is simply not Austrian mentality. Thirdly, this Irvine was playing with fire. He knew about the Austrian laws and what he could expect. Still, he toured the country calling concentration camps Disneyland for tourists. He first received a warning, still the fool returned to the country. So he was basically asking for a conviction because Austrians are absolutely not quick to apply the holocaust-denial laws. They will only apply the law when authorities are not left with any other option any more. That is something I can guarantee to you. Unfortunately Austria is not in the position to drop this law. There are still too many old guys around who think Adolf was a great guy. Unfortunately these old guys managed to pass their believes on to younger Austrians. Under the shiny, rich, happy, Edelweiss-surface of Austria you will still find way too much brown dirt that wants to bubble up whenever there is a chance. I believe it will still take some 50 more years until Austria can drop the law of holocaust denial. Maybe it will even take 100 years. By the way, it is interesting that Austrian politicians and media all condemned the cartoons. In a survey Austrians expressed in a majority they were against the cartoons and also wouldn’t wish to see insulting cartoons about other religions published. Furthermore, I am not aware of anybody in Austria who stood up for defending freedom of speech in connection with the cartoons. That is simply not Austrian mentality. Thirdly, this Irvine was playing with fire. He knew about the Austrian laws and what he could expect. Still, he toured the country calling concentration camps Disneyland for tourists. He first received a warning, still the fool returned to the country. So he was basically asking for a conviction because Austrians are absolutely not quick to apply the holocaust-denial laws. They will only apply the law when authorities are not left with any other option any more. That is something I can guarantee to you.

]]>