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Old April 16th, 2008, 04:38 PM   #12 (permalink)
thrpschr
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Join Date: Oct 2005
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I think most European countries have laws that prohibit agitation against an ethnic, social or religious group. We don't really see it as an impediment of free speech; you're allowed to have any opinion you like, even thoroughly undemocratic ones, and it's perfectly legal to work politically for those opinions. You are just not allowed to slander, incite discrimination of or violence against specific groups of people.

There are brown political parties in most European countries, and they are represented in the parliaments of Austria, the Netherlands, France and Denmark, among others. Even in Germany one of those parties has gained entrance into a few regional parliaments (where they are being continuously attacked and ostracized by all other parties, by the way, but no one disputes their right to their mandates).

And yes, WWII made a huge impact on Europe - of course it did. We've seen first-hand what that kind of scapegoating can lead to, which is why agitating against Jews, Muslims, homosexuals and other clearly defined religious, ethnic or social groups isn't allowed.
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