Then most of the world isn't free I fear.
Why should it be legal to publicly insult someone? You can't punch people in the USA. Does that make the country not particularly free?
Why should it be legal to publicly insult someone? You can't punch people in the USA. Does that make the country not particularly free?
I fear that too. Freedom has always been paid for with blood, so if it's just meekly handed back, we are robbing our grandchildren and passing that cost on to them.
That said, what parts of the world are you talking about? If you look at the insults being freely hurled on twitter at politicians around the the English speaking western world, I'm not sure how bad it is here yet. Maybe it's only a problem there if you insult the wrong type of politician?
> Why should it be legal to publicly insult someone?
How do you define an insult? Would it be insulting to call someone a nazi, white supremacist, racist, misogynist, Russian agent, heartless, senile? What if those things were true or you believed them to be true or at least a valid comparison to some degree? What if you call a religion or ideology bad or point out bad things about its teachings? Even if what you say is true, it can still be taken as insults by followers. Should blasphemy be outlawed?
> You can't punch people in the USA. Does that make the country not particularly free?
It does not.
Note that it is entirely play pretend anyway. I know for a fact that I can actually say and do far more here than the American society would tolerate in the USA.
For what it’s worth, having lived in both places Americans are less likely to insult you than the British, but more likely to take it seriously.
This, for instance, is clearly an insult; please report to the nearest detention center for your reeducation immediately. /s
But seriously, no; insults are subjective enough to be a terrible legal basis.
I consider an insult to be an expression of an opinion and thus protected by the 19th article of the universal declaration of human rights.
As far as I am concerned, ideally such blatant misuse of power in such an authoritarian way should land people in jail.
Only if you compare words with the most trivial of physical violence.
> Insults are unneeded. They are unnecessary to a discussion and they are a form of violence. Why should they be legal?
This is dismissive of my perspective and therefore insulting. I think you should be arrested. Maybe the cops and the judge will agree with me.
I'm sorry but that only applies if you are thoroughly infantile. I don't mean this as an offense but that behavior is proper of literal children.
If some random person says a word and that has serious consequences upon the mental health of an adult person that person needs therapy.
Well, exactly.