[sottol]

This is nothing new - Germany has always had pretty "strict" libel laws. Eg there have been "200,827 investigated cases as of 2009" [1].

I think this post comes in light of Europe being seen as curtailing free speech recently. Europe and the US have always had different ideas on the limits of free speech.

[1] https://kellywarnerlaw.com/germany-defamation-laws

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

>This is nothing new - Germany has always had pretty "strict" libel laws.

If the police are involved, then this isn't even libel in the way that people from the United States tend to think of it. In the US, libel is strictly a tort, and while you might get zinged for some large sum, only lawyers are involved and not the cops. Hell, the standard's pretty high too, has to be both damaging and a statement of fact that the libeler knew to be untrue.

[skeeter2020]

>> target citizens for speech deemed offensive, sarcastic, or politically incorrect...

does not seem like "libel" - unless the person is most definitely not a nincompoop^1

^1 noun - A silly, foolish, or stupid person.

Could you imagine if the worst thing you heard in US media was "so-and-so is silly and foolish!" ?

[Beijinger]

Well, Germany has no idea about free speech and freedom. They only know the moral high ground, and they see their citizen as property that must be controlled and can't be trusted.

In the US it is otherwise around. The founding fathers thought, that the government can't be trusted. The result is that the US Constitution is 250 years old and Germany has one failed state after another. Also, the current German state will fail. Likely within the next 10 years.

[foxtacles]

Unfortunately I have to agree with this take. This plus the anti-innovation and risk-averse culture is what drove me out of the country. Living in the United States now and enjoying the environment much more.

(source: born and raised in Germany, lived there for 30 years)

[V__]

That really is not a good takeaway.

Regarding free speech: How many arrests happen in the U.S. at town halls, school assemblies etc. because someone says something the board or mayor doesn't like? How often do police officers arrest people for filming them and so on? The courts typically side with you, however let's not pretend there aren't any consequences. Be it jail or police brutality.

Regarding the U.S. constitution: It is worthless. If the president can ignore it without consequence and the supreme court and congress doesn't care, what is the point?

It may very well be that the state might fail, but let's be honest not before the U.S. will.

[Beijinger]

Well, we had German Empire, Weimar Republic, 3rd Reich, BRD and DDR and now "Germany", I consider it a new state after the reunification. It will likely implode in the next 10 years.

The US Constitution still stands, after 250 years....

[SanjayMehta]

Whenever I’ve pointed out the pathetic state of “freedom of speech” in the EU, I’ve been downvoted here.

Laughable, but “freedoms” are what the EU and NATO claim to export to the world.

[balfirevic]

> This is nothing new

Well, it's authoritarian bullshit and deserves contempt. There is nothing redeeming int the fact that it's been going on for a long time.

[jijijijij]

> I think this post comes in light of Europe being seen as curtailing free speech recently.

Which is motivated by foreign need of influence.

I mean, the blog linked here is most certainly associated with an American thinktank, even if registered in the UK, judging by their curious selection of articles and lack of identifying information. Rather unlikely, some intrinsically motivated individuals got the time to write several articles per day, but mostly concerned with European matters "hostile" to American social media influence, and advertising for American right-wing influencers and Trump's politics.

Fun fact: Registered On 2018-08-08, Expires On 2033-08-08. Conspiracy isn't my vice, so I won't hold that as evidence of anything, but it sure as hell is a hilarious coincidence for a political bias.

Not to dismiss the topic in the article here, although I think stylizing personal insults as a pillar of democracy and freedom is a bit silly.

By the way, is it legal in the UK, or the US to accept donations and sell merch, disclosing nothing but an domain-bound email address? Seems like this would allow liability evasion, tax fraud and money laundering.