RE: Double standards on freedom of speech
January 9, 2015 at 3:00 am
(This post was last modified: January 9, 2015 at 3:02 am by Ryantology.)
(January 9, 2015 at 12:13 am)MysticKnight Wrote: A common idea that is being repeated over and over in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attack is how important satire is to a functioning democracy (although it's never really convincingly explained why that is, but that's another topic)
Satire is a way to ventilate discord that is most preferable to outbursts of violence. A democracy which allows such outlets is less prone to see discontent expressed in violent or disruptive ways. It's also an assertion of the rights of the people to speak their minds. To see how the government responds to satire can be very instructive. Stable governments tend to be thick-skinned.