Stay Classy, Europe

[Al B. Sure!]

Yes, in Europe we have this thing we call free speech and tolerance for different of opinions, as long as you do not start shooting anyone in the street noone pays much attention (knifing is OK), we really only care about food, football, women and unemployment benefits.

You go to prison in Britain for yelling on a subway about immigrants or tweeting racist slurs, in France and Switzerland for denying the Armenian genocide, etc.

We have a far greater level of freedom of speech in America.


The fact that no one pays attention to extreme and open racism is a problem. A really big problem that says a lot about you.

[giblets]

They pay so little attention to it that they passed laws against it.

[OzzyKP]

Did you watch the video?

[giblets]

The one about Poland and Ukraine that prompted Alby to make generalizations about a whole continent and allege that no one in Europe was paying attention to a subject that the BBC did a report on?

[dannubis]

See that's a notable difference. In North America, sure, we have wingnuts, but they are ostracized, marginalized. It isn't sanctioned for them to speak out. It is universally understood that those views are wrong and they try to tone them down or keep it secret. It seems that in Europe the wingnuts feel comfortable enough about their views to show up at professional sport matches and wear their bigotry proudly. What is even more interesting is that their views are actually illegal in many/most European countries, whereas they aren't illegal here. Yet here those views are socially taboo, and that does a much better job of controlling them.

You can come of your high horse now junior. Racism is not generally supported here. As I said before, idiots you find everywhere. In fact I am pretty sure that in your country there is a lot of racism going on right now, otherwise a black person would be able to get candy after dark without getting shot by some neighbourhood vigilante. This fact takes your comment to the same level as Speers drivel: uninformed and generally stupid, right at the level of the average Republican.

Speaking of which, I don't see how not supporting gay marriage is not bigotry against gays. And since one of your presidential candidates is quite vocal about it, it makes this form of bigotry mainstrain.

[dannubis]

Yes, it shows that they aren't good about properly shaming people who believe repugnant things.

Funny. The image of the US is pretty much the same: a bunch of idiots who love freedom so much they deny their fellow men the right of free choice.

[dannubis]

The fact that no one pays attention to extreme and open racism is a problem. A really big problem that says a lot about you.

This must be about the dumbest, ignorant **** you have been posting on this forum lately, Speer.

[ricketyclik]

How ironic - accusing an entire continent of people of being racist/tolerant of racism.

[OzzyKP]

You can come of your high horse now junior. Racism is not generally supported here. As I said before, idiots you find everywhere. In fact I am pretty sure that in your country there is a lot of racism going on right now, otherwise a black person would be able to get candy after dark without getting shot by some neighbourhood vigilante. This fact takes your comment to the same level as Speers drivel: uninformed and generally stupid, right at the level of the average Republican.

Speaking of which, I don't see how not supporting gay marriage is not bigotry against gays. And since one of your presidential candidates is quite vocal about it, it makes this form of bigotry mainstrain.

See this is exactly the problem. The US puts everything out in the open and we challenge each other. The only reason you know about Trayvon Martin is because it became an international news story and a huge story. Why isn't it a huge story that there are hundreds of neo-Nazis beating up blacks and Jews at soccer matches? Because it is appallingly normal. And you think a policy position against gay marriage is the same as huge mobs of Nazis? Hah, you are an idiot. You do happen to realize that gay marriage is illegal in the majority of Europe too, right? So, by your logic, not only is Europe a racist hellhole because of racism and antisemitism, but there is widespread bigotry against gays as well. Well done.

I love also how when horrible stuff happens in Europe, Europeans will fall over themselves to say that it doesn't represent Europe, just that one small isolated pocket, while when something bad happens in the US they are more then happy to blame the entire country.

[Guynemer]

See this is exactly the problem. The US puts everything out in the open and we challenge each other. The only reason you know about Trayvon Martin is because it became an international news story and a huge story.

I'm sorry, Ozzy, but if you think things like the Martin incident are rare, and that we keep things in the open in this country, you are deluding yourself. The rest of your post is on much more solid ground.

But look on the bright side: we're all equally douchebaggy!

[DinoDoc]

Isn't it past time to give up on the idea that Europe exists as anything other than a continent?

[Guynemer]

it's not even that!

[DinoDoc]

I suppose Pluto isn't a planet either.

[Guynemer]

Touche.

[loinburger]