[lenkite]

Why has Europe gone nutso ? They were the ones who kept lecturing us (Global South) about "freedom of speech and media is critical to democracy", yadda-yadda at every global conference. Now many of their laws are even worse than much of the third world and people are getting arrested for saying banal stuff online.

Why did this happen ? What changed ?

[graemep]

Because they only suppress "bad" speech, where as we (identifying with one of my two nationalities, for those looking at my other comments which may seem contradictory) are suppressing "good" speech. Nothing subjective of culturally specific about any of that!

[immibis]

What were people arrested for saying?

[DANmode]

This is a fun one, because Americans only read headlines,

and the UK people can’t write the comments.

[zingababba]

In the absence of god suicide is the highest form of self-expression.

[logicchains]

Economies failing due to bad economic management but the people in charge don't want to lose power so they're resorting to silencing criticism to stay in office.

[graemep]

It think its not thought through, but a lot of people benefit from these sorts of "culture war" issues deflecting attention from elsewhere. Its not the silencing that benefits them, its the controversy.