Free speech vs. fascism

I've been astonished at how little commentary there's been on left-leaning blogs and web sites in recent days concerning the worldwide protests, riots, and fires stemming from the printing of (originally) a handful of European newspaper cartoons that some Muslims find spiritually offensive.

Sorry, but I find riots and violence to be spiritually offensive. Am I the only progressive alive who thinks this?

While the Right goes apeshit on this issue, the Left's relative silence has been troubling. Me? I'm all for cultural sensitivity, and as a child of desegregation in the South Carolina of the late '60s, I'm fully aware of the power of words and images to wound.

But I've never been a fan of so-called "hate crimes" legislation, in which charges and sentences are increased when a defendant is allegedly motivated by racial, ethnic, religious, gender-based, sexual-orientation-based, or whatever-based hatred.

The problem with these laws is that it is inevitably the state -- people in power -- who are increasing penalties based on their interpretation of what someone else is thinking. Eventually, and usually sooner rather than later, the state (or the D.A.) realizes that this is a very handy tool for suppression of all sorts of untidy thought. Criticizing the state, magically, becomes a "hate crime," like when the guy in San Jose who defaced a statue of Christopher Columbus for being a genocidal bastard was charged with a "hate crime" for his purported unreasoning hatred of Italian-Americans.

It's a very, very slippery slope.

And now we are faced with one of the more fascistic tenets of Islamic fundamentalism, and one of its most terrifying -- their complete lack of interest in freedom of speech, and their complete lack of a sense of humor, respectively. Salman Rushdie knows what this is about. He had to live in hiding for years after some Muslim yahoo issued a fatwah against his life for having had the temerity to write a satirical novel about the prophet Muhammed. Rushdie's mistake, of course, was in thinking that because he lived in liberal, free-speech-loving England, he was safe from the Islamic censors.

Wrong.

And now a few European cartoonists and their publishers have discovered the same thing. Their admittedly tasteless, offensive depictions are worth condemning; they are not worth rioting over. The authors and publishers are being vilified by people whose own media frequently runs depictions of Jews and Christians that are as racist and offensive as anything imaginable. The Muslims' problem isn't with disrespect to religion; it's with disrespect to their religion. And in particular, pro-Western Arab dictatorships like Egypt and Pakistan don't dare let their populations demonstrate against the U.S. or Israel, but Denmark and Norway are nice, safe targets for the outrage of the masses. So cops normally inclined to crack open protester heads are encouraged instead to join the fun.

Regular readers of mine are well aware that I think George Bush's foreign policies are full of it. But when he and his fellow neo-cons warn that fundamentalist Muslims are fascists, they are right. They don't believe in freedom of speech, and they reserve the right to enforce their moral interpretation of the universe anywhere in the universe -- just like Christian fundamentalists. The difference is that while their religion is probably responsible for the spilling of more blood than any other religion in the history of the world, very few Christians issue death warrants or riot if someone draws Jesus or God. Even when it's not a very flattering drawing.

Muslim fundies are big on the being judge, jury, and executioner. And They're big believers in what they call "education" -- kids' memorizing of the Koran, or what we might refer to more quaintly as "brainwashing." I suppose that crack could land me on some fatwah list, too.

This isn't about "r

Weather you like is or NOT

Dane?s are fascists? everyone in Europe know that...
The paper which started this stuff.. Is the same newspaper prised the HITLER back in 1933, you get the Idea..??

RIGHT WING?always against something, especially (the lower elements is society) in this case ?Muslim immigrants?.

RACISTS? as the way you guys look at South American people? !



RACISTS?.& FASCISTS.. all I can say..

Damn Denmark and its policies....I am happy that they lose 3 billions (in profit) a year for their stupidity..
Rest to follow?

In my own opinion (not Norwegian opinion) dane?s are stupid. Why?

Tell you a simple story about those fascist.

I have a dear friend which live in Spain today? but back in 90.s he lived in Denmark and got married with a lady from South America (Chile) both were politically active and they?ve got even a kid?


She got deported from Denmark..😢? for no good reason..

We?ve tried everything to save her life and her kid.. alas? she got jailed in (Chile) because of her earlier political activities and her kid ended up in foster home (some where).

Do I love Danes? no sir?

You tell me..!!

What you?ve said.. is like (remote armchair philosopher) not the realistic analyser..

Things are creepy out there?you either know for what you are talking about?or you don?t know..

In this case.. you don?t know?.so? why bother..??

Ha? I?ve said 3 billions—... my bad? lol? today rating is 8 billions.. and counting.
Let those bastards pay for their stupidities.

I love to see the governments kiss asses..

And about my friend... he is 35?.but he looks like 65 today... because of the stupid Danes?and their decisions...

How about that::??

And his lady?yesterday I talked with her.. (still in jail) for the next 20 years.. (freedom of speech and thought)?My ass?

Do not elude yourself wit the imaginations of.. BS.

If everything going to be ok?. She?ll be out when she is 55?!

Because of her thought?

You know?

I am ashamed to call myself human?that?s why I can't sleep sometimes?!

hell...
my problems anyway... thanks for listening...

heh...
typical American..

Lol

Lol... you are right... I am wrong....

Let see how the future unfolds?!

In the mean time... you should study more carefully about East and West relationship and their policies..

You have no knowledge of what is going on.. Call me when you acquired more and exact info.