Spain is on the verge of passing a draconian measure that threatens fundamental values of free speech. Faced with ongoing protests over economic conditions, the Spanish government is about to make insulting police officers and protesting without permission crimes punishable by fine greater than dealing drugs or prostitution. Not since Franco has the country turned so decidedly against civil liberties and free speech.
Once passed by the Spanish Parliament, citizens who dare to protest without permission will face fines up to $810,000. It would be better to sell drugs which are subject to less than five percent of that fine.
Harassment or insults can be charged with fines as high as €600,000. An insult to a police officer is now treated as a “serious offense” with fines of €30,000. Most people consider insulting the government or police to be a core exercise of free speech.
The concern is that, as economic and social tensions grow, such measures may expand throughout Europe.
Source: The Local
Dear Jonathan,
Great thought-provoking post. Thank you.
I’ve decided to pick up the subject and discuss it further in my Let’s Talk Opinion series.
Here is the link in case you would like to read it and/or comment: http://shardsofsilence.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/any-right-sometimes-has-to-be-overridden/
Best regards,
Vic
Oxa, haven’t you noticed what has happened to people in Germany who have criticized what they believe to be the myth of the Holocaust. Even lawyers who defend the accused are imprisoned for several years for merely defending them in court. That appears to be more draconian than the proposed legislation in Spain.
How much for bashing Picasso?
Hey, when democracy, equality and neo-liberal economics fail… just outlaw protesting. That will solve everything, right?
Wow
This has nothing to do with Muslims. Nice projection.
Spain is in a painful Depression with no end in sight. The Party, PP, in control is very unpopular and came into power with 44% of the vote with a large block not voting in protest. ( stupid in my opinion but what happened)
We can hear protests most everyday where we live in Valencia: students, workers, government employees, unions, sometimes even the police.
Schools are without heat and supplies, teachers unpaid. Pharmacies have not been paid for drugs by the government and have shut in protest. All services have been curtailed, while the VAT has gone up and been expanded to areas where it was exempt before.
Unemployment under 30 years old is approaching 60%. A whole generation is fleeing. Corruption from the King’s family on down is evident with bribes, cash payments, and slush funds in the news.
A whole generation is fleeing the country. We have many middle aged friends who have been forced to leave in the diaspora.
We are talking about a complete breakdown of the social compact.
This government fears the populace and is correct to do so. The government is properly held in contempt. There are neighborhood social councils forming setting up alternative networks and frankly a potential alternative political structure.
This law if passed it will not stand under the EU Constitution but things will get even uglier.
If a law or constitution is on the books but unenforced, it’s not really a law since it carries no weight. If in doubt, read the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution – they are virtually meaningless today and judges don’t enforce the Exclusionary Rule anymore.
Robert Jackson, Nuremberg prosecutor and U.S. Supreme Court justice, said the worst abuse of prosecutors is when they pick and choose which cases prosecute. When they cherry-pick laws and cases they are essentially villains. When they follow the laws, they are the best public servants.
For example: the FBI admitted witnessing torture but just walked away instead arresting U.S. Interrogators torturing innocent citizens. FBI agents, police, intelligence agents are constitutional officers sworn to uphold the Bill of Rights/U.S. Constitution.
Yes, we do do this in the US. We have laws in place restricting protest. We may not officially have laws on the books for insulting police and the powerful, but we clearly see how the govt. and police will go after people, who lay bare their wrongdoing. Laying bare wrongdoing is what the powerful mean when they say they are insulted. There will be none of that.
As the economic situation brought on by the world wide thieves of public wealth worsens, these thieves will respond with physical force and force by law. We see this everywhere governments are in a state of tyranny. That is why we see these actions in Spain and the US.
The U.S. Already does this. Doesn’t make the news because it’s not “overt” but police, FBI, etc. do it “covertly” through blacklisting – punishment (for life) where the citizen is never charged or arrested and never in front of a judge or jury.
With greater safeguards than today, programs like CoinTelPro (1950’s-1970’s) punished Baptist ministers like Martin Luther King, Jr. Today these same tactics are widely abused after 2001 and DHS grants to local and state governments.
The U.S. does it, we are just better at hiding it from pubic view! Heroes like Edward Snowden give us a few examples of this “color of law” criminality.
its amazing to me how no one except a few know the story of why israel aka germany hates the usa so much!!!!!…
here start and at the beginning… get some laughs but truth also.. same as we do right here….
only this is insider truth not halfaxxed like with the media..
http://12thfinalreligion.blogspot.com/
A cloistered monk, nick?
🙄
In a PC culture virtually everything can be spun as an insult. I’m screwed if these laws ever come to the US. I would have to become a monk.
pete,
A very valid question since insult is a subjective reaction.
I tried to warn people Jonathan. Sorry–I didn’t try hard enough I guess.
Spain was a Pirate Territory under Franco. Then it slipped above the water line and is now back in there with Nigeria. EU is going to hell in a handbasket.