About freedom of expression

A few years ago, there was a debate in the US, the country where freedom of expression is taken almost to its limits, about a book that was a essentially a handbook for hit men. It gave instructions about the job, basic precautions, the best weapons for each particular case, the current rates in different states (i.e., how much you should charge to kill someone), how to dispose of bodies... In short, a very useful and practical manual. The debate came after crimes were discovered that had clearly followed its instructions.

In the US everything is legal unless you directly incite violence against a person or persons (this is different from mere hate-talk). The other limitation is libel law. And that's pretty much it. You can voice white supremacy, deny the Holocaust, ridicule other person's most dearest beliefs or religions, air conspiracy theories of every kind, burn the American flag or the Bible.

The hit man manual sat in a grey area, because it did not incite violence directly.

In the rest of the Western countries, freedom of expression is not understood in so extreme a manner. In fact, it is not understood at all. A number of random limitations are in the laws. You may not deny the Holocaust, but you may deny other genocides. An offensive caricature of a member of the royal family may be illegal, but others may not be. These limitations are not important for freedom of expression to serve its purpose. And in countries like the UK, where freedom of expression is an entreched traditions for centuries they need not be taken seriously. In other countries with relatively recent historical episodes of authoritarian regimes, like Spain or Germany, they are dangerous, because the slope to censorship is a slippery one. Nothing annoys power so much as people speaking their minds. Also, many people are quite happy when those who express opinions that offend them are gagged.

Many people have died in the last few centuries because of thought crime. Let us not forget those brave people, and let us appreciate the gift they gave us. Let us remember them next time we hear that some ideas should not be allowed to be published because they are racist, because the promote female submission, because they needlessly offend the beliefs of others, or because they are outrageous. Many things that are now mainstream were once blasphemous. Let us leave the stupid or odious ideas simply die out by voicing ours. Let's please remember that the right to express something as long as it offends no one is not a freedom.