[lbo-talk] Freedom" of fascist speech is an absurdity

Charles Brown cbrown at michiganlegal.org
Fri Feb 10 11:58:50 PST 2006


Wendy Lyon
> Do I really have to prove to you that the Nazis conspired to and did kill
> tens of millions of people, tens of millions more casualties ?

WL:I wasn't asking you to prove that. I just don't except that everyone who subscribes to the ideology of Nazism is actually conspiring to do the same. As I indicated previously, most of the ones I've known have been happy just to shave their heads and listen to Skrewdriver records. They may talk the talk but they've no real intention of walking the walk.

^^^^ CB: For me this is where it gets back to the fact that there is no value for society in protecting the speech of those who only talk the talk or engage in strictly "abstract" Nazis discourse. In order to nip in the bud the ones who might walk the walk , it is worth it to society to "sacrifice" the few who are only talking the stuff. It's a classical legal balancing test. The gravity of the harm of the ones who will walk the walk outweighs the "benefit" of allowing the others to play around with Nazi talk and ideas (the ones you know). Plus , there is zero benefit to society from the ones who just play around with Nazi speech.

Also, I think you are ignoring the fact that there are neo-Nazis who carryout racist killings. So, you are ignorning those who do in fact walk the walk. The fact that they don't gain state power doesn't reduce the gravity of the harm from them to the extent that the scales tip the other way.



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list