Page 10 - The Market For Ideas no. 1, 2016
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argument  does  not  apply.  The  own-  attacked, and by doing that they try to  down on their knees begging the Rus-
            er should be the only one who should  please all the parties involved. In Char-  sians not to get angry. In fact, “peaceful
            be able to decide what goes in his/her  lie’s  case  the  statement  in  question  is  coexistence” was the perfect tool for the
            newspaper. It is his money and he takes  the following: I fully agree with the ab-  communists to take over the world. For
            the risk. Anybody who feels unfairly ex-  solute freedom of expression. The trou-  those  who  do  not  remember,  “peace-
            cluded and does not find a newspaper  ble is that it is followed by a conditional  ful coexistence” was defined as a con-
            owner to agree with him should start  sentence that creates exceptions to this  cept  in  which  two  different  systems,
            his own newspaper, his blog, his Face-  otherwise absolute statement.  each  having  its  share  of  qualities  and
            book account, so that he can promote  Interestingly enough,                      defects,  must  coex-
            his ideas.                       we have a similar sit-                          ist and respect each
            The libertarian position in this case is  uation in the Roma-                    other.  The  realistic
            crystal clear. The dean of the Austrian  nian   Constitution,                    and  firm  position
            School of Economics Murray N. Roth-  article  number  7.                         that Ronald Reagan
            bard presented it in the following way:  The problem is both                     took sent the Soviet
            “Freedom of expression means basically  linguistic  and  lack                    Union to the histo-
            that everybody has a right to say what-  of  logical support. If                 ry  trash-bin,  right
            ever he wants. What is not mentioned  you  want  to  use  an                     where  it  belonged.
            is  where  this  can  take  place.  He  can  absolute statement, it              The  difference  be-
            definitely  do  it  in  a  public  place.  Not  cannot be followed by            tween  standing  up
            the  same  thing  on  somebody’s  prop-  a  sentence  that  con-                 to  the  enemy  and
            erty.  The  property  right  precedes  the  tradicts  its  initial  meaning.  However,  turning the other cheek is obvious.
            right to exercise the free speech. If you  the formulation that an element is ab-  As a perfect conclusion, I would like to
            want to have your opinion heard, you  solutely well defined cannot be followed  mention  an  article  written  by  Cătălin
            are always free to rent a hall”. All this is  by a sentence that says “except in the  Ștefănescu  in  Dilema  Veche  having  a
            largely explained in his book The Ethics  following instances”: if you want to have  significant  title:  “Tolerance  is  a  code
            of Liberty.                      some exceptions, you have to replace the  name for being submissive and burying
            Things became more complicated when  word absolutely with the expression in  your head in the sand”.
            a private location is certified as a pub-  general.  Otherwise  you  have  created  a  It is also the right time to address those
            lic one. I am talking about a couple of  perfect oxymoron. The Americans are  who see only the short term implica-
            bakers in the United States who refused  right on target here: you cannot be a  tions of their decisions. A way to de-
            to bake a cake for a wedding between  little pregnant.            scribe them is by using the expression:
            two men, invoking the freedom of their                            “The  road  to  hell  is  paved  with  good
            religious beliefs. In the end, the Court  Be nice to him! So what if he’s   intentions”.  A  typical  product  of  this
            decided  in  favour  of  the  newlyweds,   got a gun to your head  way of thinking is the very much hated
            considering  the  confectionery  a  certi-  A  typical  misconception  is  that  being  “political correctness”.
            fied public place that was not allowed to  nice  to  your  aggressor  will  make  him
            discriminate. In a similar case, an em-  realize  how  wrong  he  is  and  he  will   You cannot say it better than
            ployee of the City Hall refused to cer-  stop attacking you and ask to be forgiv-  that to conclude
            tify a gay marriage. She was fired, the  en. This is insane. If you take a stand  I  quote  again  from  an  article  in
            reason being that a state employee has  you  only  provoke  him,  claim  the  so-  România Liberă by Cristian Câmpeanu:
            to follow the rules and her only other  called peacemakers. This attitude liter-  “Our world, our Western free society,
            option was to quit. It is important to  ally looks at the picture upside down.  built with the sacrifice of tens of mil-
            mention  that  in  this  case  we  have  an  If there is something that invites him  lion people, is currently under attack by
            unusual confrontation of two freedoms:  to be more aggressive it is exactly the  a primitive ideology that wants to de-
            freedom  of  expression  and  religious  opposite:  weakness,  fear  and  timidity.  stroy it and if we do not find resources
            freedom.                         It gives them a wider scope for action  to defend it we will witness the end of
                                             showing them that they have nothing  civilization  as  we  know  it.  We  should
               Maybe it’s time to do some    to  fear.  The  belief  that  if  we  present  stop having multicultural dreams. The
              mathematics: let’s say some    ourselves as “good boys” we will be left   only civilization that is capable to ac-
             people are 1,000% sure, 100%    in peace is not only hilarious, but also  commodate at the same time a superi-
            Perhaps  this  is  the  right  moment  to  dangerous.             or standard of living, safety, individual
            mention the fundamental mistake that  When Ronald Reagan called the Sovi-  freedom  and  equality  is  the  Western
            has completely misdirected the Charlie  et Union “The Evil Empire”, all of the  civilization, in other words, the capital-
            case.  The  situation  occurred  because  so-called reasonable people who appre-  ist democracy.”  •
            people have the tendency not to assert  ciated “peaceful coexistence” (a notion
            themselves firmly for the fear of being  introduced  by  Henry  Kissinger)  went


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