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Britain's police are restricting speech in worrying ways

economist.com

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Re: Britain's police are restricting speech in worrying ways

#31

Post by adamors »

OgsyedIE wrote: post #14

It's strange that all four examples in the article are people with commonly objectionable right-wing views when the UK has sent arresting officers to people on the basis of online comments across the political spectrum in the last couple years. It isn't merely a partisan issue where a group that are easily written off as racists receive heavy-handed justice, the police have intermittently targeted every view away fro…

It’s a wierdly written article, for one I wouldn’t take at face value anything coming from the current US admin, secondly, it keeps using British and European interchangebly, when the only examples are from the UK. It definitely tries to push a narrative.

Re: Britain's police are restricting speech in worrying ways

#32

Post by idle_zealot »

croes wrote: post #21
hathym wrote: post #16

I used to think I lived in a democracy, but the last couple of years pulled back the curtain revealing the true nature of western democracy

Fun fact, democracy doesn’t mean free society. People can vote for less freedom

Not really? If freedom is restricted to the point that people can't meaningfully influence their governance then you no longer have a democracy, even of you continue to hold ceremonial or sham elections. A democracy that allows voting to stop being a democracy is fundamentally unstable and will eventually cease being democratic.

Re: Britain's police are restricting speech in worrying ways

#33

Post by chairmansteve »

hathym wrote: post #16

I used to think I lived in a democracy, but the last couple of years pulled back the curtain revealing the true nature of western democracy

Yes, there are definitely problems, but at least you can criticise the speech laws. And fight to change them. In fact if you feel strongly about it you can do something about it. The article mentions the Free Speech Union in the UK. There is also the EFF in the USA. Democracy requires that we fight for it. Otherwise it will disappear.

In dicatorships there is no opportunity to speak out.

Re: Britain's police are restricting speech in worrying ways

#36

Post by pcrh »

The comparison is made with America's First Amendment, which is a valuable piece of legislation.

How does the law in the US treat incitement to violence, as shown by some of the cases described, e.g. Among them were people who said things like “blow the mosque up” and “set fire to all the fucking hotels full of the bastards”. That probably would have been legal in America, says Gavin Phillipson of Bristol University, since it falls short of presenting a clear and imminent danger.

What would constitute "clear and imminent danger" in a online posting?

Re: Britain's police are restricting speech in worrying ways

#37

Post by account-5 »

sherr wrote: post #10
account-5 wrote: post #5

Pretty sure the police aren't enacting the laws they are obligated to enforce, the government is the ones doing that.

Yes, bad laws that are open to interpretation, perhaps as designed. But the police have a lot of discretion and it's much easier to go after someone for an obnoxious tweet or supposed offense than it is to go after real crimes. We always hear "lessons will be learned" after the fact, again and again, but they don't seem to be.

The two laws that the article mentions are pretty well explained in it, fairly clear cut in was can be a criminal act under them. Now whether they are fit for purpose in modern contexts or whether they are too broad is another matter, and not one the police can do anything about. Their job is to enforce what's on the book.

Re: Britain's police are restricting speech in worrying ways

#38

Post by postepowanieadm »

chairmansteve wrote: post #18

Britain has a problem. But so does America. Quite a few people (non citizens so far), have been arrested for criticising the actions of the current Israeli government.

I think we need to be more specific: not criticizing Israel per se, only criminal actions of the current government.

Re: Britain's police are restricting speech in worrying ways

#39

Post by OutOfHere »

landl0rd wrote: post #35
OutOfHere wrote: post #27

[flagged]

[flagged]

The British police don't look to discriminate in their application of the law. If the British-right feel more entitled to free speech, then they will naturally perceive the brunt of the law directed at them.

Re: Britain's police are restricting speech in worrying ways

#40

Post by XCabbage »

perching_aix wrote: post #19

[flagged]

Two journalists criticised how their daughter's primary school handled her disabilities and were arrested for it, ostensibly on the grounds that their doing so was harassment and was grossly offensive, and you think this isn't worrying, isn't arbitrary, and doesn't hint that the standards set out in those laws are vague?
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