EU Lawmakers starting down a slippery slope

[Stacyrect]

With the specter of populism looming over a critical election year in Europe, the European Parliament has taken an unusual step to crack down on racism and hate speech in its own house.

In an unprecedented move, lawmakers have granted special powers to the president to pull the plug on live broadcasts of parliamentary debate in cases of racist speech or acts and the ability to purge any offending video or audio material from the system.

Trouble is, the rules on what is considered offensive are none too clear. Some are concerned about manipulation. Others are crying censorship.

"This undermines the reliability of the Parliament's archives at a moment where the suspicion of 'fake news' and manipulation threatens the credibility of the media and the politicians," said Tom Weingaertner, president of the Brussels-based International Press Association.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/...-talk-45744695

Looks like EU is heading down the slippery slope of not only censoring speech that isn't politically correct but entirely removing it from the record. For politicians like Le Pen and Wilders, it means heavy fines and censorship of their entire political platform. In what seems to be a race towards novel like conditions of 1984, EU is determined to beat American progressives.

[Moratori]

Seems rather ridiculous.

[Stacyrect]

EU is starting to fall apart under the weight of migration

[Moratori]

EU is starting to fall apart under the weight of migration

Good joke. There's nothing wrong with immigration. They'll do just fine.

[JohnBrown1917]

EU is starting to fall apart under the weight of migration

I always find it funny when Americans think they are experts on the subject.

[Theodarzna]

With the specter of populism looming over a critical election year in Europe, the European Parliament has taken an unusual step to crack down on racism and hate speech in its own house.

In an unprecedented move, lawmakers have granted special powers to the president to pull the plug on live broadcasts of parliamentary debate in cases of racist speech or acts and the ability to purge any offending video or audio material from the system.

Trouble is, the rules on what is considered offensive are none too clear. Some are concerned about manipulation. Others are crying censorship.

"This undermines the reliability of the Parliament's archives at a moment where the suspicion of 'fake news' and manipulation threatens the credibility of the media and the politicians," said Tom Weingaertner, president of the Brussels-based International Press Association.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/...-talk-45744695

Looks like EU is heading down the slippery slope of not only censoring speech that isn't politically correct but entirely removing it from the record. For politicians like Le Pen and Wilders, it means heavy fines and censorship of their entire political platform. In what seems to be a race towards novel like conditions of 1984, EU is determined to beat American progressives.

Glorious revolutionary EU must silence evil people who wish to squelch radiant light unto all nations! /s

As a serious note, this will likely backfire horrible and be atrociously abused to cut out any speech the EU Commissioners ect do not like.

[sheggaro]

Sounds sketchy, to say the least.

[Stacyrect]

Glorious revolutionary EU must silence evil people who wish to squelch radiant light unto all nations! /s

As a serious note, this will likely backfire horrible and be atrociously abused to cut out any speech the EU Commissioners ect do not like.

Pretty much. They say it's only for anti-pc speech but their is no clear outline for what is acceptable and what is not.

[Stacyrect]

Good joke. There's nothing wrong with immigration. They'll do just fine.

Nothing wrong with immigration, what's happening in europe isn't normal immigration.

[Theodarzna]

No, it won't.
This is only something the President can do, he's impartial and it's his job to run the meeting.
There's hardly anything special about this, they already had the power to kick someone out if they were misbehaving.
It's only sounds sketchy because of the way some people report about it.

He's impartial? Is he a robot?

[Stacyrect]

I always find it funny when Americans think they are experts on the subject.

Where did I claim to be an expert? Are you such an expert to say who is and isn't?

[Stacyrect]

No, it won't.
This is only something the President can do, he's impartial and it's his job to run the meeting.
There's hardly anything special about this, they already had the power to kick someone out if they were misbehaving.
It's only sounds sketchy because of the way some people report about it.

Sounds sketchy because it is sketchy. When you don't clearly define what is and is not acceptable, that's sketchy. It's not limited to hate speech.

[Cairhiin]

Look at the Trump apologists trying to make it sound the EU is the bad guy.

[Stacyrect]

I'm sure you have great news sources over there in Wisconsin to inform you properly about the immigration in europe.
It's not like US news sources aren't festering with misinformation and sensationalism, amirite?

Are you trying to suggest your internetz is better then my internetz?

[Independent voter]

We have a bigger problem with racism in the US but it's never been a problem in Congress or at other levels of government. I get the feeling that the EU is hyper sensitive about "Hate speech" and probably unnecessarily so.

[kasuke06]

wow, so basically they're just going to censor anyone not voting the way the president wants? You wanna imagine this is perfectly safe and impartial? think of what would happen if trump could literally gag order and get rid of the record of anyone speaking against him on a whim under the guise of "hate speech".

[minteK917]

Did some people not read this line...

live broadcasts of parliamentary debate

So they will silence themselves... wow call the press! There is already closed door debates too, wow!!!

[Queen of Hamsters]

EU is starting to fall apart under the weight of migration

Yeah no, but nice hyperbole you got there.

[sarahtasher]

You know guys, there are was a beloved time in Europe where there was ''fradom of spuch'' as some people considers it. (IE, just the right to scream with foam in the mouth racist drivel-the usual suspects are PERSUADED that an angry basement dweller with a Waffen SS avatar typing ''nuke duh brown people'' is an intricate political opinion worthy of consideration)

AKA, newspapers screaming like possessed that Jews were vermin to be exterminated. (And/Or Rumanians, if you were Hungarian. And vice/versa).

Guess what ? In addition to the point that the professionals Jew-bashers were on Berlin payroll to push a pro-German agenda (talk in France about producing airplanes to face the Reich ? Berlin snap their fingers and all the far right press start screaming that you are a tool of DUH DJEEEEEEEWS), those people who were ''just talking'' spent the war begging their masters to kill more Jews and opposition.

[Deleted]

Are you trying to suggest your internetz is better then my internetz?

Actually it is since europe has greater standards of consumer protection regarding private data collection and display by search engines

But yeah OT funny to see americans trying to lecture eu about free speech

No one will miss Le Pen not being able to claim the holocaust was a minor detail of WW2

- - - Updated - - -

You know guys, there are was a beloved time in Europe where there was ''fradom of spuch'' as some people considers it. (IE, just the right to scream with foam in the mouth racist drivel-the usual suspects are PERSUADED that an angry basement dweller with a Waffen SS avatar typing ''nuke duh brown people'' is an intricate political opinion worthy of consideration)

AKA, newspapers screaming like possessed that Jews were vermin to be exterminated. (And/Or Rumanians, if you were Hungarian. And vice/versa).

Guess what ? In addition to the point that the professionals Jew-bashers were on Berlin payroll to push a pro-German agenda (talk in France about producing airplanes to face the Reich ? Berlin snap their fingers and all the far right press start screaming that you are a tool of DUH DJEEEEEEEWS), those people who were ''just talking'' spent the war begging their masters to kill more Jews and opposition.

I think i'm in love with you @sarahtasher