Is/Should being a Nazi in the U.S. be illegal?

Dis · May 27, 2003, 21:46

I'm kind of shocked the FBI had an investigation over a late casino owner in my city who was accused of being a nazi.

Sense when is being a nazi illegal? As long as he isn't partaking in any illegal activities I don't understand what the deal is.

Here's a link to the article in my local paper. The guy died recently and the FBI revealed their investigation.

Such a waste of tax payer dollars. I just hate the FBI for so many reasons.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_ho.../21325141.html

Oerdin · May 27, 2003, 21:59

No political party should be illegal but if a party commites an illegal act or incites others to commit an illegal act then they should be punished. More precisely the persons who commited the illegal act and/or the persons who incited it.

reds4ever · May 27, 2003, 22:00

Is/Should being a Nazi in the U.S. be illegal?

Impeach the President? ;O)

David Floyd · May 27, 2003, 22:26

Being a Nazi of COURSE should not be illegal. It's just as legitimate as being, for example, a communist - and, I'll remind you, communism has been responsible for more deaths than Nazism over the course of history, yet no one talks about banning communism.

Banning Nazism is simply an emotional response - a few idiots joining a fringe lunatic party aren't gonna hurt anyone, and if they DO hurt someone, you arrest the specific people responsible.

SlowwHand · May 27, 2003, 22:35

As disgusting as Nazi's are, the basis for the United States protects them, too.

Giancarlo · May 27, 2003, 22:38

Quote:

Originally posted by reds4ever
Is/Should being a Nazi in the U.S. be illegal?

Impeach the President? ;O)

Typical. You got anything useful to add to this?

But to the topic... no party should be illegal if that party has not been involved in terrorist activities. That is what we did in Spain. We allowed Batasuna (Basque nationalist party) but soon found they were involved in terrorist funding.. so they were shutdown and banned.

Shi Huangdi · May 27, 2003, 22:39

No.

August Borms · May 27, 2003, 22:56

Yes, Nazism should be banned.

JCG · May 27, 2003, 23:01

Perhaps, strictly speaking, no it shouldn't be illegal...but the thing is, relatively similar things (in concept, at least) under different names are supposedly restricted, so I'd find it somewhat ironic.

Still, I guess some people think that the freedom to advocate racial superiority and hatred must be protected too....

DinoDoc · May 27, 2003, 23:02

No. What do you think this is? Somesort of repressive regime like Germany or France?

Imran Siddiqui · May 27, 2003, 23:06

No, of course not!

alva · May 27, 2003, 23:11

Quote:

Yes, Nazism should be banned.

Banning it doesn't make it go away..

Quote:

No. What do you think this is? Somesort of repressive regime like Germany or France?

Pfff, time for the magic spell:

DanS · May 27, 2003, 23:19

Of course not.

Inverse Icarus · May 27, 2003, 23:19

smart idea, force us further underground.

thats how revolutions get started.

Wittlich · May 27, 2003, 23:21

Should it be illegal to be a Nazi? No.

Should it be illegal to collect your own cache of assault weapons? Most definately.

Kuciwalker · May 27, 2003, 23:21

Uber, *us*?

Ever since you became our first SMC, I knew you were a fascist warmonger

Nazism shouldn't be banned, but commiting illegal acts in its name SHOULD.

loinburger · May 27, 2003, 23:21

Quote:

Originally posted by JCG
Still, I guess some people think that the freedom to advocate racial superiority and hatred must be protected too....

Your rolleyes have convinced me. I propose that we outlaw any and all opinions that JCG finds distasteful.

BeBro · May 27, 2003, 23:26

Quote:

Originally posted by DinoDoc
No. What do you think this is? Somesort of repressive regime like Germany or France?

We are just fair. Nazi-Parties (but also other extreme parties) who are openly against our constitution can be declared illegal. It isn´t enough to be extreme right or left.

Means - if they want to abolish our system, they shouldn´t wonder about the reaction.

reds4ever · May 27, 2003, 23:32

Quote:

Originally posted by Fez

Typical. You got anything useful to add to this?

relax..just having a giggle..

August Borms · May 27, 2003, 23:35

Quote:

Originally posted by alva

Quote:

Yes, Nazism should be banned.

Banning it doesn't make it go away..

It's not about making it go away, it's about removing any potential threats to the state. Not doing anything will allow them to get organised, better funded and setup paramilitary organisations, which, IMO, doesn't seem like a smart thing to do...

Dr Strangelove · May 27, 2003, 23:45

True Nazism is all about hate and racism.

Inverse Icarus · May 27, 2003, 23:45

Quote:

Originally posted by August Borms

It's not about making it go away, it's about removing any potential threats to the state. Not doing anything will allow them to get organised, better funded and setup paramilitary organisations, which, IMO, doesn't seem like a smart thing to do...

if you allow them to exist they won't go so far underground. you will be able to keep tabs on them more easily.

if you make them illegal, the die-hards would start underground orginizations, which are far more dangerous.

JohnT · May 27, 2003, 23:55

"Nazism shouldn't be banned, but commiting illegal acts in its name SHOULD."

Anybody else find this unintentionally funny as well as slightly confusing?

Are you saying that Nazis should have harsher jail sentences for committing the same crimes that non-Nazis commit? Or are you adding an additional charge, the crime of committing crimes in the name of Nazism, on top of the already illegal acts?

In regards to banning Nazism: "It's not about making it go away, it's about removing any potential threats to the state."

One would be hard-pressed to find a more clear and succinct statement of difference between European and American attitudes towards statist authority. Not even our Democrats and other Yank Leftists would say this.

Ramo · May 28, 2003, 00:00

Freedom of speech means the right to say things we disagree with or it means nothing at all, and all that shtick.

BeBro · May 28, 2003, 00:08

Yeah, but if a party openly advocates violence against others in its official doctrine, I think this party should be toast. The problem is that those people/parties use granted rights to deny the rights of others.

Ramo · May 28, 2003, 00:15

Quote:

One would be hard-pressed to find a more clear and succinct statement of difference between European and American attitudes towards statist authority. Not even our Democrats and other Yank Leftists would say this.

The American right is usually more friendly towards statism in matters such as this (personal freedoms) than the American left. Look at Ashcroft, etc.

Quote:

Yeah, but if a party openly advocates violence against others in its official doctrine, I think this party should be toast. The problem is that those people/parties use granted rights to deny the rights of others.

Why? Almost every political party supports a police and prison system (i.e. a mechanism for violence against others). Does that mean almost every political party should be toast? Further, are you saying that every somewhat authoritarian party (i.e. one that denies the rights of others) should be toast?

Berzerker · May 28, 2003, 00:22

Quote:

We are just fair. Nazi-Parties (but also other extreme parties) who are openly against our constitution can be declared illegal.

That would include the Democrats and Republicans.

BeBro · May 28, 2003, 00:47

Quote:

Originally posted by Ramo
Why? Almost every political party supports a police and prison system (i.e. a mechanism for violence against others). Does that mean every political party should be toast?

But this reflects a certain consensus in society. Part of that consensus is that (most) people want certain rights, but they also agree to certain reactions in case of violations against those rights. That is not only a party thing.

Also, the system of law is not controlled by certain parties. So if a party says "murderers should be imprisoned" you still have a fair trial in each individual case, where guilt has to be proven, independantly from political parties.

That is not the same as demanding and practising violence outside any existing law against others.

Quote:

Further, are you saying that every somewhat authoritarian party (i.e. one that denies the rights of others) should be toast?

No. My first post here said that it is done only in exceptional cases (to be more specific just once in Germany after WWII) because it is extremely difficult according to our law. And it is that difficult because we are aware that it is always somehow problematic to limit rights (not to mention the practical problems which UberKruX metioned above).

There is no automatism to declare all authoritarian parties illegal. But it is an option, if the particular party becomes a serious thread to the current consensus of the society. This derives from our special historic experience (esp. the end of the Weimar republic), and this is what I support.

Kramerman · May 28, 2003, 00:53

Quote:

Originally posted by Wittlich
Should it be illegal to collect your own cache of assault weapons? Most definately.

guns dont kill people.... people kill people, and especially nazi people.... but normal people like me should be allowed to cache all teh assault weapons we want, damn it!

Ted Striker · May 28, 2003, 01:01

Yes, it SHOULD