Comment by mousethatroared
20 hours ago
No, not OK.
Even if we admit the criminalization of insults among private individuals, what makes it pernicious to criminalize insulting politicians is that they are powerful.
Politicians, as a class, effectively control mass media, state violence, and the purse. One of the only effective curbs on their power is ridicule.
In America this is called punching up.
Pray tell me, would you be OK if a EU police arrested a comedian for mocking [1] Putin or Trump? If not, your position is strictly partisan therefore not universal, and therefore self serving.
Anyway, we found the EUist.
[1] I said mocking, not encouraging violence
EUist as an insult is peak. I love it.
> a EU police arrested a comedian for mocking Putin or Trump
The EU doesn't have a police force, nor does it legislate the moral standards of the member states. Making this some sort of EU issue is ridiculous.
You have an unhealthy relationship with the laws if you decide to make the contrast that sharp. There is in fact a difference between making fun of your local politicians and making fun of a foreign dictator. I'm not saying that justifies differences in laws, I'm also not NOT saying that. I am saying you'd have to present at real concrete case for anybody to make any useful determination.
EUist - thank you. As a born European, that loves Europe, I think it's important to distinguish these.
EU police -> EU member state police force.
A bit wordy. I know there isn't a EU police force. Just like there will never be EU bonds (see what I did there?)
"There is in fact a difference between making fun of your local politicians and making fun of a foreign dictator."
Trump is a foreign dictator? He is not mocked ruthlessly in EU media?
Anyway, I'm not impressed by local media mocking foreign leaders for the same reason I prefer that the CCP spy on my (personal) devices than the FBI: jurisdiction.