[lbo-talk] European Union May Ban Nazi Symbols

Carl Remick carlremick at hotmail.com
Tue Jan 18 08:35:38 PST 2005


Maybe the EU has forgotten its liberal proceduralism, but the important thing is to remember substantive liberalism, i.e., it's OK to *act* like a Nazi -- as the US and UK have in Iraq -- so long as you don't *look* like a Nazi, as Prince Harry the Clueless did.

Carl


>From: "Charles Brown" <cbrown at michiganlegal.org>
>
>Have they forgotten their liberal proceduralism ?
>
>CB
>^^^^^^^
>
>European Union May Ban Nazi Symbols
>
>Debate Comes After Photo of Prince Harry's Swastika Armband
>
>By CONSTANT BRAND, AP
>
>
>BRUSSELS, Belgium (Jan. 17) - The European Union may consider banning Nazi
>symbols in its 25 member nations after Britain's Prince Harry wore a
>swastika armband to a costume party, the bloc's top justice official said
>Monday.
>
>
>
><http://cdn.news.aol.com/aolnews_photos/04/03/20050114163809990027
><http://cdn.news.aol.com/aolnews_photos/04/03/20050114163809990027> >
>
>Reuters
>
>A copy of the Jan. 13 front page of The Sun newspaper in Britain shows
>Prince Harry wearing a swastika and an army shirt with Nazi regalia at a
>friend's party.
>
>Franco Frattini, the EU's justice and home affairs commissioner, said he
>was
>open to discussing the issue at a Jan. 27 meeting of EU justice ministers.
>
>"It may be worth looking into the possibility of a total ban, a Europe-wide
>ban," his spokesman, Friso Roscam Abbing, told reporters Monday.
>
>"Commissioner Frattini shares the general feeling of opprobrium on the use
>of the swastika and other Nazi symbols."
>
>The call came after several German conservatives, socialists and liberal
>democrats in the European Parliament urged a European ban following a
>scandal last week over photos published worldwide of Harry, third in line
>to
>the British throne, wearing the Nazi outfit.
>
>German Socialist Helmut Kuhne called Harry a "royal idiot" for not knowing
>the consequences and World War II history linked to the Nazi swastika.
>
>Germany already bans such symbols.
>
>But British Liberal Democrat Chris Davies questioned the need to ban the
>swastika.
>
>"I understand how the burden of history weighs upon my German colleagues'
>
>view," he said. "However, banning symbols cannot ban evil and risks playing
>into the hands of those who would seek to subvert the very liberties we
>most
>champion."
>
>Roscam Abbing said Frattini would urge EU ministers to use the swastika
>incident to push for agreement on EU-wide rules to combat racism, fascism
>and anti-Semitism.
>
>A proposal was introduced two years ago but discussions have failed to make
>headway. Roscam Abbing said officials would take care not to violate
>freedom
>of expression in devising such a ban.
>
>Frattini's decision to look into an EU-wide ban could further embarrass
>Queen Elizabeth II, who is to lead British commemorations of the Holocaust
>in London later this month.
>
>
>
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