German faces jail for 'ironic' remark on message board

[Grungi]

i understand why they do it too, its not a dumb statement, its implications can be construed to be dumb, but why is it dumb to say you understand them? i fully understand why they would do it, doesnt mean i condone it, i think its a pointless waste of life acheiving nothing but more problems, but i understand why they think they have to do it.

I still think, anyone who straps explosives to their body and blows themselves up is not right in the head, and if that is the case...if you truely "understand" them, can you also be right in the head?

It is a philosophical question not a literal one...

[Rikard_OHF]

Originally posted by MagiK: One more reason why I am glad I am a citizen of ther USA and not the country of my ancestors.

What does this have to with that?
I find it sick that both these people glorify the deaths of other human beings

If that guy is jailed, then that engine guy should be jailed aswell for murder is still a crime here in the netherlands

[Rikard_OHF]

Originally posted by MagiK: I still think, anyone who straps explosives to their body and blows themselves up is not right in the head, and if that is the case...if you truely "understand" them, can you also be right in the head? It is a philosophical question not a literal one...

I have a pretty hard time understanding the way you think if you encourage killing of other human beings just for the gain of oil...

[Grojlach]

Originally posted by johnny: We have a similar discussion going on here. The wife of the president of the European Bank, Gretta Duisenberg, was traveling through Palestinian territory this week, and she made statements on TV, saying she could understand why Palestinians gave their lifes im suicide attacks. Imo, that's one of the dumbest things one could say on national television, but she did it nonetheless. You won't believe how much attention things like this get in the media. Who IS that woman anyway ? Why all the media attention for someone who's not well in the head ?

Actually, she condemned the suicide attacks. Read about it here (sorry that the source is in Dutch), but I'll quote her official statement for the Israelian tv, which she gave this morning, if Wim Duisenberg's letter is correct:

"Let there be no misunderstanding: I first and foremost strongly deplore and condemn the suicide bombings in Tel Aviv. I extend my condolences to those who lost their loved ones and I share their grief. When I meet Mister Arafat today, I will urge him to intensify his effort to prevent such terrible acts from happening again and to use his influence to the maximum extent possible---even though the means to do so, that have been left to him by the Israëli military, may be very limited---, and even though one can have some understanding for the emotional feelings that bring these desperate youngsters to undertake these terrible acts. These emotions, however, have to be suppressed. Suicide attacks, so is my conviction, inflict disaster upon Israëlis and Palestinians alike".

Anyways, the above bit is off-topic, let's go back to the news article in the first post.
I think it's more interesting to discuss what would happen if people actually could get prosecuted for the nonsense they're spouting online, and what kind of implications this could have for Ironworks, for instance.

[ 01-09-2003, 11:00 AM: Message edited by: Grojlach ]

[Grungi]

indeed i can be right in the head [img]tongue.gif[/img]

suicide isnt the best way to go about it, but if your driven to the point where your family is raped and murdered , your lands are full of enemy soldiers who shouldnt be there and noone helps you, then i can understand why they would do it, just they are not foresighted enough to see its not helping anything, rather perpetuating it. I cannot fully understand their situation because im not living it, but i can get close because i think how i would react similarily, i just wouldnt blow myself up thats for sure not for any reason, it achieves nothing, plus im selfish enough that even if i knew me dying would save the entire world i still wouldnt do it [img]tongue.gif[/img] , thats self-preservation for ya.

so yes im philosophically right in the head, only way to fully understand it though is if i lived it and thankfully im not [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Grungi]

god if i get prosecuted for what i say online im in trouble, for one thing the league of kobolds will have my arse kicked [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Borvik]

Is there a difference between spouting nonsense online, or in newspapers, or on tv?

[johnny]

Groj, i think she took her words back after all the critics she got from the homefront. I saw her on TV, crying and saying she could understand why they were doing it. And i also think they should confiscate her diplomatic papers, cause she sure as hell isn't representing our country abroad. She also wanted to visit Israel, but they won't allow her entrance, and i can completely understand that.

[Grojlach]

Originally posted by Borvik: Is there a difference between spouting nonsense online, or in newspapers, or on tv?

Currently? Absolutely. If someone spouts nonsense in newspapers or on tv, there's a very good chance that someone will have to suffer the consequences of his/her words, whether it's national or sometimes worldwide criticism or even legal action against that person.
When you're spouting nonsense online currently, the worst thing that could happen is an ip-ban, or your site being taken offline. But you won't make any headline appearances, you're still as anonymous as you want yourself to be.

There is hardly any censorship on the Internet at the moment, which has it's positive and negative implications. This case could be a step in the direction of a more censored Internet (even though it's practically impossible to censor the Internet 100%, of course).

[ 01-09-2003, 11:31 AM: Message edited by: Grojlach ]