[tguinot]

Sorry to disappoint you but people in Europe don't have as much free speech as in the US especially in the press.

In European countries like France or Switzerland you get sentenced to prison time for describing someone as "a fat lesbian".

Free Speech is much better in the US.

[Jolter]

I live in a Northern European country, you don’t have to lecture me about how free speech law works here.

It remains a fact that you cannot be deported from most countries (including my home country) for allegedly expressing a particular political opinion, without at least first being put through a legal process to determine that you did in fact express that opinion.

[Jolter]

As for that particular law you mention in France or Switzerland, please support the claim with at least one example from each country of someone serving prison time over calling someone a “fat lesbian”. I don’t believe it for a minute.

[tguinot]

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/societe/justice/l-essayiste-fran...

It's a fact, I'm afraid. Disclaimer: I don't even like the guy, he makes money off conspiracy theories about Jewish people. But it's a fact that he got sentenced to prison for saying a journalist is a fat lesbian.

[Jolter]

That’s pretty eye-catching. My French is a bit rusty, did he get 40 days imprisonment?

Normally in European countries, an insult, slander or libel would render a fine only.

I’m not sure it follows from this case that the US has better protections for speech, though. It certainly used to, but the argument being made here is that the Trump administration has reduced free speech protections lately.