Comedian to be prosecuted for insulting Turkey's president.

jcdf

So can I take it that no German public figure like this Jan Boehmermann has ridiculed or insulted any foreign leader and not been prosecuted!

The Randy Riverbeast

While calling someone a goat ****er could be defamation I think a court should be able to tell the difference between a person making serious claims that a person has sex with goats and using it as an insult.

mikeym wrote: »

Whatever happened to free speech?

Germany has never really had it, its illegal to deny the holocaust happened, or at least something along those lines.

Samaris

I'm not actually commenting on whether or not Turkey should get all up in arms about this idiot, more just that calling "goat-shagger" satire demeans the whole concept of satire.

Also, let's get it straight here. Teh Internetz concept of "free speech" is generally bollocks. What do you mean by "free speech"? Can you quote the IRISH concept of free speech (or, indeed, Germany or Turkey's?). If it's pseudo-American bull****, it's got no place in the debate over here.

Not least since even the AMERICANS don't understand the American concept of free speech.

Irish "free speech" - explicitly does not cover "blasphemous, seditious, or indecent matter" (until new law had to be passed in 2008 covering blasphemy), and may not even cover normal communication but rather written opinions (closer to freedom of the press). Also it cannot be used to undermine "public order or morality or the authority of the State".

Germany - Is quite restrictive on the concept - insult is actually punishable, satire is not unless it is contrary to human dignity. How does "goat-shagger" work in there? Also covers other things like holocaust denial and, interestingly, public assemblies.

Turkey - outlaws snarking about the Turkish state, but otherwise doesn't have a great deal to say about it, at least nothing helpful to this specific case. Also, I'm kinda losing interest in this branch of research, so feel free to hunt more rather than take my word for it!

My overall point is that a) direct and entirely unprovable insult isn't really satire and this case -so far as I've seen- doesn't really deserve the label of "attack on satire and free speech" and b) I (yes, ironically indeed) would quite like to see the words "free speech" eliminated from teh interwebs unless the speaker can prove they have half an idea of what the term actually means. (This is why it's a good thing that I'm not in charge of aforesaid interwebs, of course.)

Iwasfrozen

The_Valeyard wrote: »

What?????

It's a comedy. A joke is a joke and all comedians should worldwide focus on Mr. Erdogan as the butt of jokes. I for one look forward to the PC response by Frankie Boyle and Bill Maher

It's not satire though, it's defamation.

Free speech needs to be balanced against anti defamation laws. If I accused you of beastiality you could rightly sue me.

Erdogan might be a primier but the law should be blind to a persons position in these matters.

Samaris

And comedians used to have to have more of a repertoire than what amounts to "you are a big poopy-head".

Cienciano

Samaris wrote: »

Wait, calling someone a goat-shagger is now satire? That's..not so much satire as "random insult is kinda dumb".

It depends on the context.

Samaris

Cienciano wrote: »

It depends on the context.

Can you give me an example of context involving the president of Turkey and goat-shagger where it's satire?

Kristopherus

Samaris wrote: »

Can you give me an example of context involving the president of Turkey and goat-shagger where it's satire?

But sure said president is the biggest bollox east of Berlin. He rules with an iron fist and is trying to engineer laws that allow him to remain as president ad infinitum:mad::mad::mad: