> The problem is that (by my cursory understanding) he > isn't being > prosecuted for lying. He is being prosecuted for > espousing a > (admittedly offensive) political position.
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article327744.ece He denies that the holocaust or certain parts of it occurred. > > One should be held responsible of ones *actions* not > ones *ideas*. And if those ideas lead to actions? If I hold racist ideas justiyfing mass murder and someone acts on these ideas, am I not responsible? I would feel I am. Isn't that the whole point of political ideas? Actually, most extreme right-wing parties in Europe tend to be rather circumspect about their public statements in this regard, since they know that anything smacking of systematic racism will cause substantial financial drains to their coffers, since someone usually sues them. > Prosecute him for lying or for calling other > historians liars or some > other *action* for which he is responsible. I agree. Don't > prosecute him for > his ideas or opinions or even for expressing them. Again, it is not an opinion on some historical detail which is subject to interpretation, however offensive, which is at issue. Neither are his right-wing views at issue, although in my opinion, he and his friends are getting dangerously close to justifying Nazis policies. I am afraid that espousing racist ideas in a public forum is a criminal offense in many countries, since it is seen as incitement. Again, if we did this on an individual basis, (incitement to commit a crime) we would have no qualms about sentencing the accused. Why do you think that inciting an audience of several hundred to violence should be exempt? > > Today it's denying the holocaust, tomorrow it's > supporting Al Quaeda > and day after tomorrow being liberal will be > illegal. I know what you are getting at, but there is little connection between the three. Yes, there was an attempt in the UK to make glorification of terrorism of any kind an offense. It will not survive, at the very least not in its present form. I hope the proposal dies. And yes, there is a dangerous trend, perceptible in many North American political blogs to connect the liberal dot with the Al Quaeda dot and sometimes even the holocaust dot. It does not mean we should lose our ability to analyse each case and do justice to the differences between holocaust denials and liberalism or rather what some US politicians see as liberalism. It should be pointed out that supporting mass murder in any sense is a criminal offense in many countries. Indeed, the international legal framework making genocide or its support a punishable offense for which no immunity can be claimed dates back to the Nuremberg trials against Nazi war criminals. But I digress. -Frank > > -- b > > ___________________________________________________________ How much free photo storage do you get? Store your holiday snaps for FREE with Yahoo! Photos http://uk.photos.yahoo.com
