If the democracies are wise, they will repeal their "hate speech" laws and let anti-immigrant parties come to power, or fail to come to power, in open debate and election. If they do this, then the actions against immigrants will be largely limited to restrictions on new immigration, enforcement of existing laws against immigrants who commit crimes, and deportation of undesirable individuals -- and European democracy will remain intact, its luster brightened by its success in repelling the jihadist menace.
If they are foolish, then their hate speech laws will prevent the nationalistic parties from coming to power, and they will smile and feel secure -- until the day that the mob marches on the parliaments, and the Armed Forces refuse to open fire on them. Then, the actions against immigrants will include mass expulsions and murders of whole populations -- and European liberal democracy will be shattered, scorned as the system which failed in Europe's hour of need.
I'd like to think that the European democracies will be wise, but so far they seem to believe that the way to deal with popular discontent over jihadist outrages is to clamp down on the public expressions of dissent. And along that course lies disaster.
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Date: 2008-04-24 01:24 pm (UTC)If they are foolish, then their hate speech laws will prevent the nationalistic parties from coming to power, and they will smile and feel secure -- until the day that the mob marches on the parliaments, and the Armed Forces refuse to open fire on them. Then, the actions against immigrants will include mass expulsions and murders of whole populations -- and European liberal democracy will be shattered, scorned as the system which failed in Europe's hour of need.
I'd like to think that the European democracies will be wise, but so far they seem to believe that the way to deal with popular discontent over jihadist outrages is to clamp down on the public expressions of dissent. And along that course lies disaster.