The right-wing threat to free speech

The real choice is this: free speech for everyone or free speech for no one. I would rather the former option but the ID left want it for themselves only, so by default they choose the latter.

For sure in Spain, ‘ultraje’ is a serious crime making it illegal to, for example, burn the national flag. The Bourbons are beyond criticism effectively if, a satirical rag: ‘El Jueves’, publishes on its front page the then first-in-line to the Spanish throne: Felipe giving Letizia one under the caption ‘If we try hard enough do you think we’ll get the extra subsidy?’. The magazine was fined 3,000 Euros at the ‘Audencia Nacional’ a court meant to deal with terrorist cases not dodgy jokes. Recently, a similar case involved a series of tweets which frivolised the assasination of Carrero Blanco in 1973 (Francisco Franco’s replacement), i.e. she made a joke; the woman (trans as it was) also ended up in the ‘Audencia Nacional’.

Once again we have TBP been involved in activities that make it clear they do not grasp or are failing to defend the principle of free speech. Now if one considers, rightly , that democracy cannot exist in any meaningful way without the fundamental building block of free speech we have a worrying situation occurring here, a party whose entire existence depends on defending the democratic mandate of the referendum been implemented is providing evidence that its committment to democracy may be at best flawed. And yes it is absolutely correct that the demand of the electorate that at least the basic understanding of democracy – that majority will is upheld – is defended, it is becoming clearer that a deeper clarification of what democracy means needs wide discussion within that party and some semblance of policy put in place to represent that, otherwise this democratic surge may just become a demand for the removal of those MP’S who are blatantly denying the democratic will, which itself raises other questions immediately as important such as replace them with what, why and how without any changes the newly elected will not turn out just like the present incumbents, been portrayed as good honest business operators or been of a diverse background is well short of sufficient if democratic accountability is to be upheld.

‘Are rightwingers now the biggest snowflakes ?’
Because they got angry at that lump of blubber Brand ?
You think that one incident out does all the whingeing of the left ?
Get serious ! I know you are desperate to find something on the ‘right’ to moan about , but you really are clutching at straws here.