Free Speech, International

Anti-Free Speech Laws Hit New Heights in Italy: Reporter Fined for “Body Shaming” Prime Minister Meloni

I have long been critical of the erosion of free speech in Italy and other Western European countries, including the use of criminal libel laws against critics of the police or government. This week a Milan court has ordered a journalist to pay Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni damages of 5,000 euros ($5,465) for making fun of her in a social media post. Giulia Cortese was also given a suspended fine of 1,200 euros for a joke on X. It is the latest absurd example of the expanding crackdown on free speech.

In my new book, “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage,” I discuss how this anti-free speech wave from Europe has finally reached our shores. The rapid loss of free speech in countries like Italy, France, Germany, and Great Britain should be a wake-up call for all Americans to protect this “indispensable right.”

There are many in the United States, including Hillary Clinton, who want to replicate the anti-free speech laws in the United States.

This is a prototypical example of how vague laws are being used to crack down on everyone from journalists to politicians to even comedians.

Cortese posted a comment on Twitter in Oct. 2021 about Meloni’s height. She objected to the government’s attack on “freedom of expression and journalistic dissent.”

Cortese published a mocked-up photo of Meloni with a picture of the late fascist leader Benito Mussolini in the background. As she clashed with the Prime Minister, she then later added “you don’t scare me, Giorgia Meloni. After all, you’re only 1.2 metres (4 feet) tall. I can’t even see you.”

Notably, Meloni supported the legal action despite the fact that she is part of a party long in the minority and threatened by such laws. She also successfully sued best-selling author Roberto Saviano after he insulted her on television in 2021 over her position on illegal immigration.

This is the slippery slope that our own country could soon find itself on if many politicians and pundits have their way. Just recently, the New York Times published another anti-speech diatribe titled “The First Amendment is Out of Control.”

It is, of course, no easy task to convince a free people to give up a core part of identity and liberty. You have to make them afraid. Very afraid.

Anti-free speech books have been heralded in the media. University of Michigan Law Professor and MSNBC legal analyst Barbara McQuade has written how dangerous free speech is for the nation. Her book, “Attack from Within,” describes how free speech is what she calls the “Achilles Heel” of America.

There is even a movement afoot to rewrite the First Amendment through an amendment. George Washington University Law School Professor Mary Anne Franks believes that the First Amendment is “aggressively individualistic” and needs to be rewritten to “redo” the work of the Framers. She wants the language change to balance your right to speak against the interests of “equity.”

Meloni’s use of these laws to silence critics is disgraceful. At the same time, the media has been largely supportive of these laws in targeting others with dissenting political and religious views. The Cortese case shows how many in journalism and academia remain silent on the rights of others until they are themselves threatened by the growing intolerance for opposing views.

As the anti-free speech movement literally reaches new heights in countries like Italy, Americans should take note. This remains an existential fight over a right that defines us all. That is the long and short of it.

 

219 thoughts on “Anti-Free Speech Laws Hit New Heights in Italy: Reporter Fined for “Body Shaming” Prime Minister Meloni”

  1. Until I hear otherwise, I’m STILL going with my Hillary prediction, although I expect a lot of head-fakes and dodges in an effort to camouflage the planning and make it look like Hillary’s ascension hasn’t been planned for a long time.

    I think democrats figure that the shortened campaign schedule is all Hillary needs, because a full campaign schedule gives people enough time to remember just how unlikeable she is. My guess is that with a short campaign schedule, democrats figure that Hillary can skate by on raw enthusiasm for ANYONE other than Joetard being the nominee.

    So the unprosecuted multiple felon formerly known as “Hillary in a landslide” won’t have to bore and annoy people to death and can mostly just show up at a few campaign events just to BE THERE, and let the garbage media do her campaigning for her.

    And I can’t emphasize this enough: I REALLY hope I’m wrong about all of this. Unfortunately, I have an almost-miraculous record of being right whenever I wish I was wrong.

  2. People who are wrong shouldn’t have any power or influence, lest everyone else suffer as a result of their wrongness.

  3. Biden needs to resign now.

    Release the Hur tapes if you need more information.

    Also, thanks to the poster for the Bee Headlines. Always fun!

  4. My prediction is that Biden, in the next few weeks, citing a medical reason, will resign as President thereby elevating Kamala to be President, the first black (1/2) female President in US history and giving her the title President Harris for the duration of the campaign. For Democrats, this will be more than enough to prove she is qualified to be President and when that is added to abortion, their most treasured right, they will turn out in droves to vote for her. Thus endeth the United States of America.

    1. And if he doesn’t do so they could use 25A for the same outcome (see my comment above).

      1. The 25th? No, Joe doesn’t need to ride bikes nor climb stairs to be an effective president. He can issue orders from his Lazy Boy rocker.

        He’ll be briefed daily by his trustworthy staff and form his own decisions and opinions with the help of his vast wisdom and experience.

    2. You overestimate Kamala’s likability with voters.
      She never got a single vote. She’s not likable. She’s too far left and does not sell in most of the country.
      She’s got political instincts, hence how she got to where she is, but she ain’t “it.”
      Her talent is in knowing who to blow to get ahead. She’s ambitious, ruthless, and power hungry. And unlikeable.
      Her talent is in being a shrewd tactician.
      Even Willie Brown said that about her. She’s a tactician. Don’t underestimate her.
      Being a tactician is not enough to get her over the finish line in a national race.
      If Kamala is the candidate, she will have the Obama machine, the media machine, the Hollywood machine, and Dem donors propping up her unlikable, incompetent ass. And that is not going to be enough to drag her over the finish line. Even with their usual cheating. They can’t steal it this time. It will be too obvious and the country will never accept the results.

      1. “Her talent is in being a shrewd tactician.”

        But she is NOT a talented politician. She is NOT likable.
        She will lose — even with the help of the Democrat Machinery & their usual lying and cheating.

    3. DEMS ARE IN CHAOS RIGHT NOW. KAMALA IS UN-ELECTABLE without massive rigging & cheating.

      “This is what winning looks like by the way. Our enemies are not omniscient and all-powerful. You do not have to take their power for granted and explain every happening to yourself in a way that aligns”. @ComradeDoyIe

  5. Speaker Johnson needs to initiate Congressional investigations of all of the Democrats who covered up for Biden much more severely than what Pelosi did to J6 and Republicans because this time, it is an insurrection of 3+ years.
    Tempus fugit

    Speaker Mike Johnson
    @SpeakerJohnson

    At this unprecedented juncture in American history, we must be clear about what just happened. The Democrat Party forced the Democrat nominee off the ballot, just over 100 days before the election.

    Having invalidated the votes of more than 14 million Americans who selected Joe Biden to be the Democrat nominee for president, the self-proclaimed ‘party of democracy’ has proven exactly the opposite.

    The party’s prospects are no better now with Vice President Kamala Harris, who co-owns the disastrous policy failures of the Biden Administration. As second in command and a completely inept border czar, Harris has been a gleeful accomplice — not only in the destruction of American sovereignty, security, and prosperity, but also in the largest political coverup in U.S. history. She has known for as long as anyone of his incapacity to serve.

    Regardless of the chaos in the current White House, our adversaries around the globe should be reminded that the U.S. Congress, the U.S. military, and the American people are fully prepared and committed to defend our interests both at home and abroad.

    If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.

    https://x.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1815093011669516433

    It is time for Congress to trigger the XXV Amendment, section 4, and create “of such other body”

    Twenty-Fifth Amendment Presidential Vacancy

    Section 4 Declaration by Vice President and Others

    Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide….

  6. Biden has nothing to lose now if he attacks Russia and China. Destroying all of their weapons once and for all would be a good way to preempt war with Russia and China. Perpetual deterrence is costly. That’s why we don’t fight wars with Germany and Japan anymore.

        1. “Intended from he beginning to be a disposable president”

          Disposability is not new. The Democrats believe in a disposable Constitution and now a disposable President.

  8. Selected Bee Headlines:
    – Jill Biden drops out of presidential race
    – Aides trying to figure out how to break the news to Mr. Biden that he Dropped out
    – Dems pull off successful insurrection
    – Dems list job opening for presidential candidate on LinkedIn
    – Biden announces he will host his own ‘Stop the Steal’ rally’
    – Democratic party leaders vow to save democracy by overruling voters, staging coup
    – Activision announces release of “Call of Duty: Moderately Sloped Roof”
    – Secret Service says it’s working tirelessly to investigate anyone criticizing their incompetence
    – Trump selling official $250 golden ear bandages
    – Entire Microsoft network goes down after Greg removes USB device without clicking ‘eject’ first

  9. If polls in the next few days indicate that Kamala (or Hillary) can’t pull this off, I won’t be surprised if Joetard suddenly croaks — wholly accidentally, I’m sure (sarc) — so that they can give him the full Marc Antony treatment about having been “the noblest Roman of them all.”
    We’re into a full, Hollywood-scripted production at this point.

  10. The MSM outlets are irrelevant. Twitter/X is America’s public square

    POLITICO
    @politico

    Biden’s announcement stunned White House and campaign aides, who up until this afternoon were insisting he’d stay in the race. “We’re all finding out by tweet,” said one Dem. “None of us understand what’s happening.”

    https://x.com/politico/status/1815098672113402138

    1. What’s happening is that they pulled the plug on Joetard, and depending on how polling goes over the next 48 hours, they may pull the plug on Kamala and send in Hillary.
      It’s all polls and backroom deals now. Toto has pulled back the curtain so we can see levers being operated:

    2. So the only people in the world that were unable to see the hadwriting on the wall was the Same WH that was among those leaking that Biden had to go and that had lots of rats fleeing the sinking ship ?

    1. See below as the Draft Dodge Dennis McInlyre confesses that he was the last person on the planet to know that Joe was dripping out.

      I guess he was too busy gathering info for his Supermarket Tabloid.

      Yea, Denny, just try denying Kameltoe her rightful place at the convention and you’ll see something different alright. You dont have the balls to try that in Chicago.

  12. Jonathan: I was going to comment on your desperate attempt to sell your book by pointing to “anti-free speech laws” in Italy when the news hit: Joe Biden has just dropped out of the 2024 presidential race! Talk about a bombshell!

    And this breaking news will come as a great disappointment to DJT and the MAGA Republicans who wanted Biden to stay in the race. MAGA House Speaker Mike Johnson told ABC’s Martha Radatz that replacing Biden at this point with VP Harris or another candidate would be “unlawful”. That’s because the Republicans plan to file lawsuits to bar whoever the Dems select because it is too late to put the Dem nominee on the ballot in some states. Those legal challenges have all been rebuffed by courts in the past because judges refuse to prevent voters from selecting the candidate of their choice. Then we have Trump vs Colorado in which the SC ruled Trump couldn’t be kept off the ballot. That precedent would make it hard even for the right-wing of the SC to deny a place on the ballot for a Dem candidate. Besides, all election law experts agree. The nomination of the presidential candidate does not take place until the party’s convention.

    So what happens next? Biden has endorsed his VP, Kamala Harris. That doesn’t mean she is a shoe-in. We may even see an “open” DNC convention next month in which other candidates step forward. But that is unlikely because time is running out and Harris right now is the presumptive nominee. But whatever happens at the DNC it will be far different than what we saw at the RNC this week when DJT was “anointed” and “coronated”.

    But if Harris is the Democratic candidate the contrast with DJT couldn’t be more stark. Harris stands for women’s reproductive rights. DJT put three members on the SC that overturned Roe v. Wade. I have a feeling that when women go to the polls in November they will make the difference and will vote for Harris!

    1. I was going to comment on your desperate attempt to sell yourself on this blog by showing up everyday with your own private interest in seeing your name in print. but no worry. No one usually gets past your first sentence. Are you going to drop out of the 2024 commenter race? Or should we say, are you going to drip out of the 2024 commenter race?

    2. Dennis pretty close to the entire world has known Joe was not making it to election day – there is no Bombshell.

      The only question was WHEN. This was a tiny bit sooner than I had expected and hoped. But if democrats had actually wanted to win this election – Joe would never have run in 2024 (or honestly 2020) and they would have had a real primary.

      Democrats have a mess – but it is a mess that most anyone with a brain has been predicting since Before 2020.

      Joe Dropping out is News, it is interesting. But it was not a bombshell. It was not unexpected.

      Now we get to watch democrats jockeying for position.
      At the moment many are claiming that Harris is the candidate.
      Shortly we will see a Harris/somebody campaign start.

      And we will all get to watch as Harris screws it all up – as she always does.
      And whether democrats change their minds and try to dump her at the convention.

      Regardless the Democratic party is in turmoil – but that has been true since Trump defeated Clinton in 2016.
      They did not solve the problem that they had gone too far left then,
      They will continue to be in turmoil until they tack back to the center.

      None of this is news.

      1. Who is signing presidential orders now?
        We KNOW Biden is non compos mentis.
        How can he be legally allowed to sign anything?
        How is it legally binding for demented Biden to authorize or implement any order with his signature?
        How can anything be done based on a document signed by Biden or his handlers (“Dr” Jill?)

        No freakin way. Republicans need to grow spines and balls immediately.

    3. The 2024 Democrat Party Platform:

      1. You won’t be able to afford groceries or gasoline and you’ll never own your own home but you can get an abortion.

      2. That’s pretty much it.

    4. “refuse to prevent voters from selecting the candidate of their choice. “

      And how exactly do voters do that now, Denise?

    5. “I have a feeling that when women go to the polls in November they will make the difference and will vote for Harris!”

      And as always, you’d be WRONG.
      Abortion is not the number one issue for women, or moms, or white women, or moms. TRY TO WAKE UP DENNIS.
      YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE YOU CONSUME ONLY FAKE NEWS!

    6. Replacing Biden with Harris is the least problematic solution for democrats.

      Though honestly Krazy Kamala is a worse candidate than Demented Joe.

      Are Republicans going to court given a chance – Certainly – it is not like Democrats have not spent the past 8 years using stupid legal claims to screw with republican – loosing some in the supreme court 9-0.

      But it is not republican lawsuits that are the big threat – it is democrat ones.

      Do you really expect that there are not going to be lots of either irrate democrats – or democratic groups with ulterior motives looking to use lawfare to get their way in the election ?

      Regardless, you should expect to be up to your neck in schiff when you screw up your own primaries and elections.

      You have give Republicans a gift of your own incompetence.

      Republicans did not make the mess you are faced with cleaning up.

    7. “Then we have Trump vs Colorado in which the SC ruled Trump couldn’t be kept off the ballot. That precedent would make it hard even for the right-wing of the SC to deny a place on the ballot for a Dem candidate.”
      Incorrect – it would make it hard for Democrats this late in the game to replace Biden or Harris.
      Though frankly the analogy is really poor.

      “Besides, all election law experts agree. The nomination of the presidential candidate does not take place until the party’s convention.”
      All left wing not experts agree on whatever they are told to agree on.

      In reality – Democrats have made a massive legal and constitutional mess.

      Any “election law expert” that provides any answer that they claim holds throughout the country is clueless.

      The FACT is that different states have different laws regarding how candidates get on the ballot.

      It is near certain that the DNC will ultimately be able to put whoever they confirm at the convention on the ballot in all 50 states.
      It is also near certain that if it is not Harris, there will be lawsuits in some states they have to deal with.
      It is likely there will be more lawsuits by democrats than Repuiblicans – but it is likely that Republicans will engage in Lawfare if it looks helpful to them.

      I have told you REPEATEDLY – what’s good for the goose is good for the gander – but you would not listen.

      “So what happens next? Biden has endorsed his VP, Kamala Harris. That doesn’t mean she is a shoe-in. We may even see an “open” DNC convention next month in which other candidates step forward. But that is unlikely because time is running out and Harris right now is the presumptive nominee. But whatever happens at the DNC it will be far different than what we saw at the RNC this week when DJT was “anointed” and “coronated”.”

      First I think you are right that Harris will be the nominee.
      Yes it will be different from the RNC convention – where electors cast their vote for the candidate that the voters in their state had selected. Absent selecting Harris the DNC will be running a presidential candidate that did not win a primary and was not selected by voters. Even Harris is complicated, because though all biden voters knew they were voting for Harris as VP – In many or most states – even Harris was not on the ballot. Primaries select the Presidential candidate, they do not select the VP.
      While Biden was not going to dump Harris – FDR did exactly that in 1944 which lead to President Truman.

      “But if Harris is the Democratic candidate the contrast with DJT couldn’t be more stark. Harris stands for women’s reproductive rights. DJT put three members on the SC that overturned Roe v. Wade. I have a feeling that when women go to the polls in November they will make the difference and will vote for Harris!”

      Dennis – beleive whatever you want. Harris is the only democrat that consistently polls worse than Biden and has an even Higher disapproval rating.

    8. Dennis.
      It is an odd world you live in.

      While Biden’s withdrawl will likely diminish the interest of voters in the Corruption of the Biden Crime family – it also likely means that Joe Can pardon Hunter NOW.

      Other than that it changes little. Harris does not have dimensia – but she is as gaffe prone as Biden who DOES have dimensia.

      Harris claims to have been close to Biden for all of the past 4 years. Didn’t she have a duty to tell the entire country that Joe was losing his marbles long before the June Debate made hiding that impossible ?

      I would note that in one way or another Biden’s mental incompetence is a problem for the MSM, the Left and ALL democrats – you are all complicit in trying to hide the increasingly obvious.

      Had Trump not suckered Joe into a debate which proved a disaster – Biden would likely still be the democratic nominee.

      The fable of the Emporer’s new cloths is not just about the Emporer it is about all those who pretended the emporer was not naked.

      That includes YOU, that includes Harris, that includes the left, and the democratic party.

      Biden’s withdrawl was not the act of patriotism that the very people forcing him out are now proclaiming.
      It was Biden capitulating to a coup by Democratic leaders who no loner could hide the fact that Biden was non-compis-mentis and likely to lose badly.

      I have enjoyed the past month of Democrats running arround like chickens with their heads cut off.

      The whole thing is Hillarious – as it changes almost NOTHING. Harris is stuck with her own record as well as Joe’s – she is the Vice President. She like all democrats is stuck with the fact that she has been lying about Biden for years, she defended Biden’s competence after the debate claiming that she has regular working Lunches with Joe and that he was Fully competent.

      Either the democratic party is staging a coup against their own nomineee – who won THEIR primaries – except that this was being done by DNC elites – how is this different from January 6th ?

      Democratic leaders sought to undo the vote of Democratic voters and have their elites choose a candidate that voters did not get to vote on prior to the election.
      How is this different from the protestors trying to get Congress to refuse to certify the election and let congress pick their own presdident ?

      How are all the Democrats engaged in behind the scenes efforts to get Joe out of the race and OVERTURN THE PRIMARY ELECTION, different From Trump’s mostly public efforts to overturn a lawless and fraudulent general election ?

      How can you expect anyone to take you seriously about elections – after this Coup ?

      All of uys may understand that Biden had to go.
      But that does not change the fact that you engaged in a lawless coup to accomplish that.

      Absolutely the actions to get Joe out were legal. As were Trump’s, and Clinton’s in 2016 and Stacy Abrahms and anyone else that has challenged an election.

      As to Harris – she does not have the excuse at campaign events that she is demented.
      She owns the Biden administration policy messes. She cast the deciding vote in the Senate for much of this mess.
      As well as being the VP.
      She was the disasterous Border Czar, She was a disaster at everything she touched – until whoever has been running the country quit letting her do anything.

      In 2020 Harris was supposed to be Biden’s heir, she was always supposed to be the 2024 candidate.
      But she proved a worse choice than Demented Joe.

    9. Dennis “Baghdad Bob McIntyre started another deflecting litany of lies with his sleazy Cheap Fake salutation “Jonathan”:
      I was going to comment on your desperate attempt to sell your book by pointing to “anti-free speech laws” in Italy

      We want you to explain why you Soviet Democrats created the Cheap Fake Website supposedly belonging to Trump regarding Project 2025.

      The lies, deflections, insinuations, and channeling come straight out of that website:

      https://www.TrumpProject2025.com/

      Just a Cheap Fake Soviet Democrat website where you pull the lies you post here straight from this Russia Dossier v2.03

      And a Coles Notes dissection of this Cheap Fake Biden Project2025 website:

      https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/jul/16/bidens-bogus-trump-website-spews-election-lies-mis/

      The only way you know how to campaign is as a Cheap Fake American, lyin’ like a Biden.

  13. I wonder if Biden knows yet that he has announced that he is dropping out?

  15. I think its hilarious that the DEI party has locked themselves into Kacklama as their replacement.

    1. I think it is juvenile for people who call themselves adults to purposefully call people by 5 year old names. Her name is Kamala. What is wrong with you, get help. You are “supposedly” an adult.

        1. You’re right. I shouldn’t have. The poster must have been a 5 year old because what adult would stoop so low as to call people names? Oh yea, I keep forgetting, trump is that juvenile.

          1. Huh? Are you saying that all grammatical and syntactical errors are Trump’s fault.

            No TDS here. Nope. None. Not a thing…

          3. And we know that you are Gigi, the pathological liar, who likes her own posts immediately after she posts them.

      2. You mean Word Salad Annie? I wonder if sh will claim that gators got her granny, just as the cannibals got Bye Bye Den’s uncle?

      3. Too bad, Aninny!

        Would you prefer Kamel Toe?

        Or Kamalahahahahaha?

        Gimme your name and i’ll see what I can for you.

      4. A cowardly, feckless Anonymous Soviet Democrat Marxist Useful Idiot had a Midol Moment.
        You are “supposedly” an adult.

        You put more time into hiding behind the username ‘Anonymous’ than into posting anything worth reading… and don’t understand why you are jeered, scorned, and generally treated with contempt.

        Adults identify themselves – you could use the username ‘Kamala’s Useful Idiot’ for example. But you hide behind ‘Anonymous’

        Grow a pair or get some counseling to help you explain how to move beyond being the coward hiding behind ‘Anonymous’.

  16. This is how they hide the lawless collusion surrounding Bidens illness. Now the demands for his undergoing a cognitive exam and MRI will cease, and once he is a private citizen, the medical records will be inaccessible.

      1. Yea, that would go over real good. trump afraid to debate a woman. Which is probably pretty close to the truth.

        1. I guess you didn’t tune in to the Trump-Hillary debate, and apparently you have never seen any of the million clips of it that pretty much all news stations have shown

        2. Sign in Gigi, the sexist misogynist.

          What’s her being a woman got to do with anything.

          Whats next, he’s afraid to debate a 14?

        3. A cowardly, feckless Anonymous Soviet Democrat crackhead thought that the Memory Hole exists outside of the book 1984:
          trump afraid to debate a woman. Which is probably pretty close to the truth.

          Your dealer should remind you not to post after smoking crack. Trump already debated your fallen hero, Killary Clinton.

          Twice. And kicked her ass back and forth across the stage, repeatedly, each time. Resulting in her getting her ass kicked in the 2016 election.

          Clinton had the Clinton machine behind her… all the Cackle Hoe has going for her is she made her way up the political ladder orally… one slimy inch after slimy inch.

  17. Kamala Harris is not a “natural born citizen.”

    The American Founders and Framers required the president to be an undefined “natural born citizen” in their new Constitution at the dawn of a new era.

    “The circumstances of a rising state make it necessary frequently to consult the Law of Nations,” wrote Ben Franklin.

    Blackstone mused only of “natural born subjects” and ligeance to a liege lord or king within, and relevant only to, the structure of an obsolete monarchy and dictatorship.

    The ONLY definition of “natural born citizen” at the time of the adoption of the Constitution and the advent of self-governance existed in the Law of Nations by Vattel, which was published in 1758 and circulated in the American Colonies by 1762 and with which the American Revolutionaries, Founders, and Framers were eminently familiar.
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    “I am much obliged by the kind present you have made us of your edition of Vattel. It came to us in good season, when the circumstances of a rising state make it necessary frequently to consult the law of nations. Accordingly, that copy which I kept, (after depositing one in our own public library here, and sending the other to the college of Massachusetts Bay, as you directed, has been continually in the hands of the members of our congress, now sitting, who are much pleased with your notes and preface, and have entertained a high and just esteem for their author.”

    – Ben Franklin Letter to Charles Dumas, December 9, 1775, Continental Congress
    _______________________________________________________________________________________

    NATURAL BORN SUBJECT (Obsolete/Irrelevant)

    William Blackstone, Commentaries 1:354, 357– 58, 361–62

    1765

    The first and most obvious division of the people is into aliens and natural-born subjects. Natural-born subjects are such as are born within the dominions of the crown of England, that is, within the ligeance, or as it is generally called, the allegiance of the king; and aliens, such as are born out of it. Allegiance is the tie, or ligamen, which binds the subject to the king, in return for that protection which the king affords the subject. The thing itself, or substantial part of it, is founded in reason and the nature of government; the name and the form are derived to us from our Gothic ancestors.
    ______________________________

    NATURAL BORN CITIZEN

    The Law of Nations or the Principles of Natural Law (1758)

    BOOK 1, CHAPTER 19

    § 212. Citizens and natives.
    The citizens are the members of the civil society; bound to this society by certain duties, and subject to its authority, they equally participate in its advantages. The natives, or natural-born citizens, are those born in the country, of parents who are citizens. As the society cannot exist and perpetuate itself otherwise than by the children of the citizens, those children naturally follow the condition of their fathers, and succeed to all their rights. The society is supposed to desire this, in consequence of what it owes to its own preservation; and it is presumed, as matter of course, that each citizen, on entering into society, reserves to his children the right of becoming members of it. The country of the fathers is therefore that of the children; and these become true citizens merely by their tacit consent. We shall soon see whether, on their coming to the years of discretion, they may renounce their right, and what they owe to the society in which they were born. I say, that, in order to be of the country, it is necessary that a person be born of a father who is a citizen; for, if he is born there of a foreigner, it will be only the place of his birth, and not his country.

    2. Get a life, Kamala was born in Oakland, CA. Oh wait, I get it. She is part black so she should rightfully be a slave with no rights. I forgot how racist repos have become.

        1. What if she was descended from slaves that makes her automatically a slave? I think you have the low incorrect. It is strictly based on the color of her skin. Dark = slave.

          You repos better think twice about that argument.

    3. George– “Kamala Harris is not a “natural born citizen.”
      +++

      With that cackle I could be persuaded that she was hatched.

    4. George, the Confederate Democrat constitutional Kluxxer popped up to let his white sheets fly in racist outrage:
      Kamala Harris is not a “natural born citizen.”

      You can be opposed to VP Cackle Hoe becoming president without going full Kluxxer racist.

      Intersectionality on display: George’s Confederate race hatred of black (and brown) Americans collides with his desire to flex and pose in support for a Soviet Democrat president.

      George’s prize Prussian and Brits he uses as the excuse for his racism weren’t among the Framers.

      George’s prize Prussian and Brits AREN’T MENTIONED IN MADISON’S NOTES IN THE RECORDED DEBATES AND VOTES ON WHAT A CITIZEN IS.

      In short, George is an obsessed Confederate Democrat racist. George is human filth… if we threw him and his racial opposite, Louis Farrakhan in an arena to work their racism out on each other, we could probably make a few bucks selling tickets.

    2. Law Professor Robert George on point, as usual

      Robert P. George
      @McCormickProf

      That’s an exceptionally generous reading, Michael. Here’s why I don’t share it: He withdrew only under the pressure of threats and bullying by party leaders and super high dollar donors. (Ironically, these very people will now pretend to praise him for “patriotism and courage”.)

      https://x.com/McCormickProf/status/1815085845784809487

    3. Millions of Americans are still wondering the same as before: who’s the real President now?

  19. If there’s no interest in efficient collaborative problem-solving, then sure, let the insults and intimidating vague threats fly.

    JT somehow is missing the point that there are trade-offs between maintaining cohesion and smart decisionmaking within a functioning group and widening speech freedom so far as to encourage militant, strident tactics. Anyone who has managed a team saddled with a complex design or problem-solving task knows that conflict must be managed toward a constructive outcome. That means the leader must moderate, keeping interactions respectful and civil — otherwise the team will fracture, self-destruct, and fail at task. If you don’t care about failure, then hey, put a weak, unskilled referee in charge.

    The same logic applies to family politics — unbridled, unhinged incivility leads to family dissolution. Nation states have to solve problems in realtime, and with finite emotional energy — take away civility and the best possible thinking will fail to emerge as persons recoil from the public square fearful of reputational damage.

    Bottom line, the widest pipeline of free thought and expression takes place in moderated fora, with rules of civility being upheld by leaders with the power to uphold it. Leaders must be committed to divergent thinking, and only clamp down on those who come into the public square to deceive, intimidate or make self-entertaining mischief. This takes mature wisdom and judgment — obviously algorithms are singularly unable to understand content, and cannot moderate.

    Italy’s approach (prosecution with fines) is not the American approach (lawsuit with judgments). That said, you cannot legally deceive in many situations (in court under oath, tax return, medical device claims, foreign spying, etc.) without risking jail time.

    We could strengthen civility in our political discourse by repealing the Sullivan decision, and revisiting Section 230. These are delicate, calibrated adjustments. What Italy is doing with state prosecution is a sledgehammer.

    Jonathan’s one-sided advocacy emboldens the taking up of militant communication tactics lacking in ethics and integrity. This channels creativity into unproductive jousting (virtue-signalling and oppo-branding) — meritocratic discourse is effectively inhibited, breakthrough ideas remain under the radar, and nothing gets accomplished.

    Looking for exemplar’s, great military leaders (e.g., Geo. Washington) knew exactly how much constructive dissent to allow and still be able to decisionmake and act in realtime without later regret. Business team leaders operating in competitive markets are in the same boat.

    1. Military leaders, particularly generals, have a legitimate scope of absolute authority over their troops. Civilian leaders have no such authority, and are (in the case of the U. S.) strictly limited in their actions by a plain reading of the Constitution. It appears that you would prefer those circumstances be altered. Very well, have at it, champion and amendment to rescind the guarantees of the First Amendment (better include the Second, as well, since lovers of liberty won’t much appreciate your efforts against the First), convince Congress to pass it, and the States to ratify it. That effort should provide you more than enough busywork to keep you from contaminating this space for a while.

    2. pbinca tried lying by insinuation:
      If there’s no interest in efficient collaborative problem-solving, then sure, let the insults and intimidating vague threats fly.

      YOU’RE going lecture Prof. Turley on a lack of ethics and integrity?

      When you’ve shown a willful blindness to the police state fascism of your Soviet Democrat party – that went on long before Trump and has targeted people with no connection to Trump – you’re just a Cheap Fake Soviet Democrat American.

      It’s almost like you and Dennis ‘Baghdad Bob’ McIntyre think you might be able to pull off a good cop – bad cop from a movie.

  20. Behind or below the anti-free speech lawfare is Political Correctness (PC). PC is primarily a psychological and emotional dimension (matriarchal impulse) that evolved from the historical Feminist Movement. Its power stems from it primal origins. Once you read the details and dynamics, you won’t be able to “unsee” it. Read SOCIETY AGAINST ITSELF: Political Correctness and Organizational Self-Destruction, Howard S. Schwartz.

      1. You CLOWNS with your moronic seals of approval — “Well said” — have got to be the DUMBEST animals on the web.
        God only knows what you think you’re adding to the discourse. Why don’t you just post a Youtube video of a crowd applauding?

        2. Anonymous 4:29 PM
          Clapping is just a reflex when you have nothing useful to say. Especially in Hollywood and the upper east coast

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