Ep. 220: Political violence and speech
So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast
Exploring the complexities of political violence and speech in historical context
The speaker discusses the misconceptions around the link between speech and actions in the context of Weimar Germany, highlighting that there is no empirical evidence to support the theory that restricting speech could have prevented Hitler's rise to power or the atrocities of World War II. It is noted that despite hate speech laws in Weimar Germany, they were not effective in preventing political violence, as individuals engaging in such violence were not brought to justice. This situation underscored a lack of consistency in the application of laws, leading to an environment where political murders went unpunished while prosecutions were focused on speech against certain groups, illustrating the complexities of balancing political violence and free speech within a historical framework.
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