While Iran remains in an icy stare down with the West over its’ nuclear program, the international community is largely ignoring the other drama playing out within Iran. It’s time for another election in Iran.
Ever watchful of the internationally broadcast street demonstrations following the dubious results of the last presidential election, Iran has begun clamping down on the press and personal freedoms throughout the country. Sadly, this is just pretty much par for the course for the Islamic Republic these days.
Iran has basically proven every Western leader that has called the Islamic Republic a corrupt, authoritarian, police state correct. What exactly do the religious leaders not want the world to see?
I’m not Colombo, but sounds like their preparing for another controversial election where basic democratic rights are withheld. This will probably be followed by large scale mass protests that will be broken by the elite guards under the thumb of the theocracy.
Another Iranian election season…joy.
Showing posts with label Censorship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Censorship. Show all posts
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
The Mein Kampf Question
The German magazine Zeitungszeugen has backed down from its efforts to reprint portions of Adolph Hitler’s Mein Kampf in order to avoid legal proceedings by the Bavarian government, who holds the copyright. The Bavarian government has blocked all other attempts to print and sell the book in Germany since the end of World War II.
Germany has very strict laws against the display of Nazi symbols and the distribution of texts inciting anti-Semitism and racial hatred. Mein Kampf is not banned outright, copies published before 1945 can be purchased online, through second-hand bookshops, and checked out from libraries.
Zeitungszeugen has previously been accused of attempting to profit from the publication of Nazi propaganda under the pretext of historical interest. The magazine often publishes newspaper sections written from 1933-45 with commentary by modern historians. Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2012/0126/German-magazine-caves-in-battle-to-reprint-Hitler-s-Mein-Kampf
The broader issue is when is it okay for governments to engage in censorship?
The Holocaust was one of the most horrific events in human history, but I believe the German people are capable of owning up their national past. This national past includes the publication of Mein Kampf. We can’t get in the business of not publishing material because it may upset people. Doing this would give governments a blank check to ban anything that they find objectionable.
Censorship is the way of totalitarian regimes, Freedom and Ideas belong to democrats.
Germany has very strict laws against the display of Nazi symbols and the distribution of texts inciting anti-Semitism and racial hatred. Mein Kampf is not banned outright, copies published before 1945 can be purchased online, through second-hand bookshops, and checked out from libraries.
Zeitungszeugen has previously been accused of attempting to profit from the publication of Nazi propaganda under the pretext of historical interest. The magazine often publishes newspaper sections written from 1933-45 with commentary by modern historians. Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2012/0126/German-magazine-caves-in-battle-to-reprint-Hitler-s-Mein-Kampf
The broader issue is when is it okay for governments to engage in censorship?
The Holocaust was one of the most horrific events in human history, but I believe the German people are capable of owning up their national past. This national past includes the publication of Mein Kampf. We can’t get in the business of not publishing material because it may upset people. Doing this would give governments a blank check to ban anything that they find objectionable.
Censorship is the way of totalitarian regimes, Freedom and Ideas belong to democrats.
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