Sensible move or thin end of wedge regarding freedom of expression?

[Blatman]

2 hours ago, Nick - Joint North East AO said:

It's just another "little" freedom being withdraw not that I would wish to do it, demonstrating the move away from true Democracy, which does appear very common in some of our key EU neighbours and should be worrying for us all. They do appear to be going down the initial stages of another dictatorship.

 

According to one source the EU seem to be following the Chinese who have a similar penalty for flag burning. Oh the irony...

[ajpearson]

17 hours ago, DonPeffers said:

 

Apparently even flying a flag upside down can be construed as desecration.

 

 

Flying a Union Flag upside down is a maritime signal indicating distress.

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

The two principal causes of fights are religion and flags. I do not mean God when I say religion - He or She is innocent in this argument, but those esoteric doctrines and infinitely complex beliefs constructed by man in the name of God but for the purpose of control. Even those within a faith cannot stop fighting, so how do different faiths expect to get along? Waving a flag (or team scarf) in someone's face is a certain way to arouse passions as well. Booze, I'm sorry to say, is a close third cause... 

 

All this tends to suggest that making a national flag subject to legal penalties for desecration raises its status yet higher in the scale of 'reasons to start a war'. This particularly applies when the nations involved have different religious faiths but Catholic and Protestant, Sunni and Shia, et al, prove that particular rule!

[corsechris]

It all boils down to tribalism, one of our most basic (and base) bits of behaviour. 

[DonPeffers]

22 hours ago, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Secretary said:

But why would a “reasonable person” want to?

I won't defend deliberately provocative acts but then I wouldn't defend inflaming religious tension by ridiculing religious prophets which satirists have done.

 

Just as one person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter 'reasonable' depends on point of view.

 

[Nick Algar - Competition Secretary]

14 hours ago, Blatman said:

 

According to one source the EU seem to be following the Chinese who have a similar penalty for flag burning. Oh the irony...

If you look back in history far enough it's been what the EU has been about from day 1. Only no-one likes to talk about it much and our media who rush around and jump up and down about all sorts never seem to mention this angle. But slowly & surely this is the direction, with every country sleepwalking into the end result. Shame but Power corrupts, and absolute power, corrupts absolutely

[DonPeffers]

Historical note----an infamous German gent (Mr A. H.) was a big fan of Ode to Joy although it wasn't his taste in music that caused problems.

 

I reckon it might have been better if EU had created a new anthem of their own.

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

Corporal Schiklgruber was a great Wagner fan and in literature, he liked Friedrich Nietzsche.

[DonPeffers]

 https://www.euronews.com/2017/11/09/which-country-has-the-harshest-punishments-for-disrespecting-flags-and-national

 

states "German law takes a hard line with anyone who “reviles or damages” the German federal flag, with offenders receiving up to five years in prison."

 

and confirmed by https://www.independent.co.uk/   yesterday.

 

Glad UK doesn't take itself too seriously.

[Blatman]

7 hours ago, DonPeffers said:

Glad UK doesn't take itself too seriously.

 

I firmly believe this is one of our greatest strengths.

We have plenty of grit when grit is called for, and when it isn't we'll be off to the pub for a pint and a pie...