Germany: Neo-Nazi Musicians Sentenced

[Dirk39]

"For the first time, a Berlin court on Monday sent a neo-Nazi musician to prison on the basis of his membership in a criminal organization, incitement of the people and distributing Nazi propaganda. The songwriter of the band “Landser” will have to spend three years and four months behind bars. The group’s bass player and drum player received a suspended sentence of 21 and 22 months respectively. As “self-proclaimed terrorists with an electric guitar,” band members posed a threat to public safety, praising the Nazi era and attacking foreigners, parliamentarians and religious communities. The group, which no longer exists, only appeared once in public and distributed its music mainly through CDs."
http://www.dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1432_A_1066461_1_A,00.html
Hello from Germany,
Dirk

[Clark Edwards]

1. I understand Germany has some

tougher laws on hate speech...has something to do with their past...

[windansea]

2. hello Dirk!

what's your opinion on this as a citizen of Germany?

[Dirk39]

3. I support the decision...

although I have problems with decisions like that in general. It could be used for other purposes later and "terrorist" has become a vague word...
But in this case: these nazi-rock bands play a major role in recruting young people. There are often tie-nazis behind the scenes. And on the other hand, the destribution of CDs is one the major tools for financing Nazis in Germany.

This is a statistic of violent attacks with a right-wing extremist backround. 2/3 of the offenders are young people. And the number of unrecorded cases might be much higher



Hello from Germany,
Dirk

[inspectorgadget]

4. I don't think it will be so good in the end...

I wish they could just throw them all behind bars - but i'm also one to scream about "freedom of speech." For me to back something like this up is to contradict my own beliefs. Although I agree that the guys are hate-craze-assholes, I don't think they should go to jail unless they are hurting other people.

"I may not agree with what you say, but I will fight to the death your right to say it." -- voltaire.

[Paschall]

5. OT - For the record, that Voltaire quote is invented

<quote>

Beatrice Hall, "translator"
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
-- in The Friends of Voltaire, 1906

The phrase "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" is widely attributed to Voltaire, but cannot be found in his writings. With good reason. The phrase was invented by a later author as an epitome of his attitude. It appeared in The Friends of Voltaire (1906), written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall under the pseudonym S G. Tallentyre. ...

Hall wrote:
...The men who had hated , and had not particularly loved Helvétius, flocked round him now. Voltaire forgave him all injuries, intentional or unintentional. 'What a fuss about an omelette!' he had exclaimed when he heard of the burning. How abominably unjust to persecute a man for such an airy trifle as that! 'I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,' was his attitude now.

...

Hall herself claimed later that she had been paraphrasing Voltaire's words in his Essay on Tolerance: "Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too."

...

"I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to mis-attribute this quote to Voltaire."
-- Avram Grumer, rec.arts.sf.written, May 2000

</quote>
Source: http://www.classroomtools.com/voltaire.htm

[Dirk39]

6. DU is simply indispensable, as sure as...

Paschall is. I give up all my puplic and private duties, I did never hear before that this quote is wrong. If only some nazis would do studies like that.
Just one more media-spin.

But now I test you, Paschall - and don't shy away you cheese-eating red wine drinker: Where can I find this famous quote of cheese-eating Michel Foucault, where he states to resign from all of his public and private duties, 'cause he didn't know the exact date, when the pacifier was invented. You know - in case your english might as incomplete as mine:



I couldn't resist,
Dirk

[Paschall]

7. LOL

I never heard that Foucault quote! :-)

I've tried to Google it, but can't find anything. If it helps a pacifier in French is a "tétine." :shrug:

By the way, are those glow in the dark pacifiers?

(Oh, the Voltaire "quote" was obvious. Voltaire was not someone who was willing to risk his life anytime an idiot spoke up. He cared more than that for his own hide, which I think is a healthier attitude than the one usually attributed to him. ;-))