Up to two years in jail await anyone glorifying communism according to an amendment to Article 256 of the Polish criminal code — the race-hate article — which is likely to come into force next year. The ban outlaws “the production, distribution, sale or possession … in print, recordings or other means of fascist, communist or other symbols of totalitarianism”.
Well, actually, such limitations on free speech aren\’t really desirable at all. But putting the two great murderous ideologies of the 20th century on an equal footing certainly appeals.
You’ve got to admire the misplaced chutzpah of someone who decides the best way to avoid totalitarianism is to, erm, pass laws imprisoning people for their beliefs…
Off topic, but …
The ‘Money for Gold’ advert is very irritating.
Can’t you stop the audio from playing automatically?
john b, I don’t think TW is praising the laws banning a certain type of speech. Which he does condemn, clearly. Rather he is praising the Poles’ attempt to place Communism and Fascism on the same level. Which they are, except perhaps Communism is worse.
So I can see why Trots (such as yourself perhaps?) would not like to be compared to the National Front, but that does not change that the fact that is what all those Trots are.
@3, fairly obviously, I was criticising the Poles and not Tim.
john b, I’m not so sure. We normally think of totalitarian regimes putting the classical liberals and libertarians in the gulag. This seems pointless because, unless the regime utterly breaks them, room 101 style, being locked in a gulag is hardly going to persuade them that they are wrong and that totalitarianism is a great idea.
OTOH, what better way for a non-totalitarian regime to persuade those advocating totalitarianism that they are wrong, than by giving them (and only them) exactly what they advocate?
I do see & appreciate the irony value (see also: ensuring that convicted rapists end up sharing cells with rampantly gay bodybuilders), but it still isn’t the sort of thing a non-totalitarian regime ought to be doing…
Tim, I hope I’ve interpreted your intentions correctly here:
http://velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com/2009/11/glorifying-communism-shouldnt-be-crime.html