Is Freedom of Expression Civilized?
Maybe someone is wondering why "freedom of expression" is such a big issue in the West. It's being treated like the crown jewel of Western civilisation and put on a pedestal above everything else like the finest of the finest.
Does that mean that Freedom of Expression is civilized?
Oh no, not at all! It's the most dirty and filthy part of a working democracy. It's a shotgun put in the hands of the most savage members of the society. They will use it to expose any matter or person, just to get the attention of their fellow citizens.
But how can you accept it?
We accept it for one simple reason: it's the most efficient tool for keeping those in power from abusing their privileges and get away with it. Even if our leaders are democratically elected we don't trust them a bit. We need someone to watch them day and night. Someone who will not keep quiet even if the mightiest ruler is caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
This is bogus, you don't really need it!
Don't forget that Europe has a tradition for growing powerful dictators with millions and millions of innocent people killed as a consequence. Think of Mussolini, Franco, Hitler and Stalin just to mention some of the worst examples of a dark era only 60 years ago. Believe me - we need it.
Does that mean that Freedom of Expression is civilized?
Oh no, not at all! It's the most dirty and filthy part of a working democracy. It's a shotgun put in the hands of the most savage members of the society. They will use it to expose any matter or person, just to get the attention of their fellow citizens.
But how can you accept it?
We accept it for one simple reason: it's the most efficient tool for keeping those in power from abusing their privileges and get away with it. Even if our leaders are democratically elected we don't trust them a bit. We need someone to watch them day and night. Someone who will not keep quiet even if the mightiest ruler is caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
This is bogus, you don't really need it!
Don't forget that Europe has a tradition for growing powerful dictators with millions and millions of innocent people killed as a consequence. Think of Mussolini, Franco, Hitler and Stalin just to mention some of the worst examples of a dark era only 60 years ago. Believe me - we need it.
posted by Danske Jens | 10:41 AM
2 Comments:
Thank you Jens, I think that a good first step is a dialog between representatives of both cultures and societies to fish out the real issue underlying this incident.
Frankly, I agree that many are cashing in on this as an opportunity to improve their own status, whether politically or socially, owing to their own hypocrisy.
But in principle, even as a democracy, you are bound by society and common sense to certain limitations with which you can blacken the face of people, especially those who are struggling to stay above the surface with all the global propaganda associated with terrorism and its supposed parallel existence with Islam.
Read the examples I added in my last post regarding African Americans.
Jens:
Thanks for initiating some useful debate in the middle of all the hysteria.
Zohare:
The same to you. I am glad there are moderate muslim people who care enough to take active part in the debate also!
I agree with you that we should hold our personal standards above making hurtful statements just for the sake of provocation. I would never ridicule anyone's faith, and I am certain that most Danes feel that way - probably most world citizens in fact.
But the POINT which I believe Jens is making here is that this is exactly why freedom of expression can never be "civilized": It allows both the nice people and the not-at-all-nice people to express their point of view.
Your point about African Amercians is valid: It would not be nice at all to make fun of slavery, or the holocaust, or 9/11, or the murders committed during the crusandes a millenium ago - because making fun of the actrocities of human history is NOT nice. So, when people do this, we can be rightfully angry, rightfully annoyed, but we can't STOP them from expressing their (wrong and ugly) opinion. Not without dismantling this very important safety valve ensuring a functional democracy.
Are you aware that there are ugly publications by right wing extremists in Denmark as well as in all the other European contries (and, most likely, in any other countries with a free press), which mock your religion and your culture much more severely than these 12 cartoons? These get read by very few readers, because most people wouldn't read them, but they are _available_ to anyone who cares to get hold of them. And they are legal. Such publications also ridicule many things and values dear to me, and I dislike them very strongly, but I don't think they should be illegal - they are part of the picture, although an ugly part, and I simply choose not to read them.
Are you aware of the South Park cartoon featuring an animated drawing of your prophet, which was made in the US, and was shown on cable tv in a large number of countries a few years back? That cartoon episode didn't intend to offend muslims in particular, I'm sure, in fact it made fun of all the major players in the great world religions, but I wonder why it was less provocative to you anyway?
The thing is that this newspaper represents noone beyond the journalist and his editors. They don't represent me, or the rest of Denmark.
If our prime minister made drawings like these, he would no doubt be forced to leave his office! His actions represent our nation, and as such he is bound to high standards of ethical behaviour in order to do his job. The newspaper does a different job: It voices opinions, personal opinions. There are many newspapers in Denmark, and they voice very different opinions, but none of them voice the consensus of our nation.
I think there is a real worry here: We might worry that the political climate has become such, that a major newspaper voices the opinion of a link between islam and terrorism. I think we are all a bit to blame in that: In Denmark for allowing right wing politicians to stand unopposed too much of the time in the media, and in the muslim world for not allowing moderate powers to gain more focus and to distance themselves from the extremists.
We all need to work for tolerance. But tolerance can't be forced by legal restrictions.
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