AnimeSuki Forums

SaintessHeart · 2015-02-13, 08:32

Latest World Press Freedom Index shows 'drastic decline'; Singapore ranked at No. 153

Quote:

PARIS (AFP) - Media freedom suffered a "drastic decline" worldwide last year in part because of extremist groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Boko Haram, the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders said in its annual evaluation released on Thursday, which ranked Singapore at No. 153, a drop of three places from last year's ranking of 150.

The ranking of 153 is the lowest-ever ranking the Republic has been given. The position is out of a total of 180 countries and territories.

"There has been an overall deterioration linked to very different factors, with information wars, and action by non-state groups acting like news despots," the head of the Paris-based group, Mr Christophe Deloire, told AFP.

The Reporters Without Borders 2015 World Press Freedom Index stated that there were 3,719 violations of freedom of information in 180 countries in 2014 - 8 per cent more than a year earlier.

All parties in conflicts raging in the Middle East and Ukraine were waging "a fearsome information war" where media personnel were directly targeted to be killed, captured or pressured to relay propaganda, it said.

ISIS, Boko Haram in northern Nigeria and Cameroon, and criminal organisations in Italy and Latin America all used "fear and reprisals to silence journalists and bloggers who dare to investigate or refuse to act as their mouthpieces", said the watchdog, known by its French initials RSF.

North Africa and the Middle East contained notable "black holes" in which "entire regions are controlled by non-state groups in which independent information simply does not exist", the group said.

"The criminalisation of blasphemy endangers freedom of information in around half of the world's countries," the report said, noting that religious extremists sometimes also go after journalists or bloggers they believe do not sufficiently respect their god or prophet.

RSF's ranking put Iran, China, Syria and North Korea among the countries with the very worst levels of press freedom out of the 180 evaluated.

Repression of journalists in Ukraine during its early-2014 uprising against its pro-Kremlin president, and in Turkey during anti-government demonstrations earned both spots in the bottom quarter of the table.

"Police misconduct" during the Occupy Central protests in Hong Kong earned that territory a slide to 70th position.

The best-rated nations were northern European states such as Finland, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden, with New Zealand, Canada and Jamaica also making the top 10.

The United States ranked 49, three spots lower than in the previous report, in part because of what RSF said was the US government's "war on information" against WikiLeaks and others.

In South America, Venezuela stood out with a 20-notch fall to a ranking of 137 due to the National Bolivarian Guard opening fire on clearly identified journalists during demonstrations.

Libya dropped 17 places to 154 because of the national chaos that has seen seven journalists murdered and 37 kidnapped.

Russia slipped to the 152nd spot after introducing "another string of draconian laws", website blocking and the extinction of independent media.

"Press freedom... is in retreat on all five continents," RSF declared, claiming its indicators were "incontestable".

Spoiler for List:

ganbaru · 2015-02-13, 10:27

Greece promises to do 'whatever we can' as debt talks cheer markets
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0LH1I920150213

Apple $1 trillion stock market value could be years away
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0LH05E20150213

Majority of New Jersey voters view Christie unfavorably: poll
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0LH0BR20150213

AmeNoJaku · 2015-02-13, 15:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mentar

It's not only a matter of efficiency. I've read an article that the Greek statistics are a "guesstimate" based on what the employees themselves report back to the Greek officials. Those familiar with Greek statistics know what I mean.

By Greek statistics "that article" means Goldman-Sachs, unless it comes from Focus again

Also don't forget that the governments working with those bankers were supported by the German conservatives, undermining the official statistics, and the "troika" demanded those public servants that revealed the swaps... fired! Replaced by eurostat, who were complicit in that deal. [bbc][spiegel][bloomberg][guardian]

ganbaru · 2015-02-14, 11:39

Palestinians want role in probing 'terrorist' killings of Chapel Hill Muslims
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0LI0I720150214

Oregon governor resigns amid ethics scandal involving fiancée
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0LH29C20150214

U.S. moving to resupply Jordan's military with munitions: officials
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0LH2GP20150214

SaintessHeart · 2015-02-14, 14:59

One Dead in Copenhagen Shooting That May Have Targeted Cartoonist

AmeNoJaku · 2015-02-14, 16:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

One Dead in Copenhagen Shooting That May Have Targeted Cartoonist

From a more credible source. Otherwise, these barbarians are getting more dangerous and seriously threaten humanity and intellect, worldwide. I can understand the social background generated in Europe over the past decade that lead into this tragic situation, but there is still time to fix this long-term, while dealing with all the damage short-term.

erneiz_hyde · 2015-02-14, 17:49

Yep, when they're Muslim, they're barbarians to be eliminated, otherwise they're just some common 'deranged lone wolves'.

In all seriousness though, I understand that freedom of speech is important and nobody deserved to be killed for it. But shouldn't what some of those cartoonists were doing count as slander, defamation, hate-mongering etc? Aren't there laws for that, or are they protected by free speech as well?

Anh_Minh · 2015-02-14, 18:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by erneiz_hyde

Yep, when they're Muslim, they're barbarians to be eliminated, otherwise they're just some common 'deranged lone wolves'.

It's not a question of Muslim or not. If a crazy plans and organizes his rampage on his own, he's a lone wolf. If a large terrorist organization trains him, helps him get weapons, and publicize his murders as their own achievements, he's not. Whether you want to call that lot barbarians or not is up to you.

Quote:

In all seriousness though, I understand that freedom of speech is important and nobody deserved to be killed for it. But shouldn't what some of those cartoonists were doing count as slander, defamation, hate-mongering etc? Aren't there laws for that, or are they protected by free speech as well?

I don't think slander laws would stretch to what are clearly caricatures of what's at best a historical figure. And while there are hate speech laws, I think they're meant for actual hate speech, not "whatever offends someone somewhere".

erneiz_hyde · 2015-02-14, 18:30

Fair enough, I also wouldn't think insults should be categorized as hate speech. Everybody should be free to express their dislike towards something.

AmeNoJaku · 2015-02-14, 18:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by erneiz_hyde

Yep, when they're Muslim, they're barbarians to be eliminated, otherwise they're just some common 'deranged lone wolves'.

In all seriousness though, I understand that freedom of speech is important and nobody deserved to be killed for it. But shouldn't what some of those cartoonists were doing count as slander, defamation, hate-mongering etc? Aren't there laws for that, or are they protected by free speech as well?

No, they shouldn't, and that's the point of freedom of speech.

Now on those barbarians that happen to use another retarded religious interpretation, as an excuse to externalise all their socio-economical issues... the only thing I have to say, is that europeans used a pope's incoherent "teachings" in the middle ages and jews still use the nazi-influenced interpretations of judaism in their state to do similar if not worse. The bottomline is that this is in Europe, where values like freedom used to take precedence over convenience, but unfortunately that has been lost thanks to the neo-liberals and conservatives that succeeded in sending us back to the middle ages.

Quote:

Originally Posted by erneiz_hyde

Fair enough, I also wouldn't think insults should be categorized as hate speech. Everybody should be free to express their dislike towards something.

And thinking of jokes, and even worse criticism as hate speech is even more dangerous to freedom of speech than anything else. Many conservatives countries have adapted this stance for political convenience and have paid dearly with increase in hate crimes, exactly because they have banned any intellectual argument against destructive practices like these and others.

erneiz_hyde · 2015-02-14, 18:43

I have to ask though, what exactly is the message those cartoonists were trying to convey? I don't get the point of criticizing whole religions based on the actions of a few humans.

Anh_Minh · 2015-02-14, 19:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by erneiz_hyde

I have to ask though, what exactly is the message those cartoonists were trying to convey? I don't get the point of criticizing whole religions based on the actions of a few humans.

There doesn't have to be one. That's how freedom works.

That said... I don't know. The usual for caricatures? "Stop taking yourself so damn seriously"? "Look at what you've become"?

Mentar · 2015-02-14, 19:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmeNoJaku

By Greek statistics "that article" means Goldman-Sachs, unless it comes from Focus again

Strange, I can't remember myself quoting any Focus article (for a good reason, since I really can't stand this rag), but don't let your creative writing be impaired by that. And I was talking about Greek "statistics" about working hours, not the currency swap ploy you're talking about here. But okay, let's talk about that:

Quote:

Also don't forget that the governments working with those bankers were supported by the German conservatives, undermining the official statistics,

I'm sure you have credible sources for that. Strange that you didn't quote them. They sure weren't in your URLs below. More creative writing, I presume?

Quote:

and the "troika" demanded those public servants that revealed the swaps... fired!
Replaced by eurostat, who were complicit in that deal.

Okay, so what did _really_ happen?

Greece wanted to fudge an improvement in debt per GDP to meet Mastricht criterias. So when Goldman-Sachs approached them with a bogus currency swap scheme which was still legal with Eurostat rules, but effectively a sucker play, they decided to go for it. Up to here, your story is correct.

Your lie (and I chose this word very consciously, based on your truthiness history on this issue) is that the "German conservatives" would be in any way complicit with this ridiculous ploy. The exact opposite is true: German conservatives and German bankers were highly critical of Greece entering the Eurozone in the first place. Former German finance minister Weigel (CSU, conservative) openly criticized Greek's entry. German state central bank president Hans Reckers (CDU, conservative) was so explicitly critical that German finance minister Eichel (SPD, social democrat) wrote a letter to Bundesbank president Welteke to censure Reckers and stop him from continuing the attacks. If anything, it was left-leaning social democrats who decided to be "good europeans" and let Greece in.

German conservatives have been tolerating this game with a fist in their pocket and gnashing teeth. The anti-Euro/anti-Greece movement in Germany, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), is a _conservative_ movement right of the CDU/CSU. Your continued attempt to insinuate that it was German conservatives who in _any_ way supported Greece into the Eurozone to subsequently exploit them hand in hand with "banksters" is utter and complete hogwash. The opposite is true. For German conservatives, Greece is a bottomless hole that suddenly became Germany's problem when they entered, even though in their opinion Greece shouldn't have been in the Eurozone in the first place.

Even nowadays, it took and still takes Merkel's full authority for German conservatives to tolerate her bailout course, and she's been bleeding voters to the AfD.

So. If you can't live without the immature fairy tale that no matter the issue Germany is responsible for Greece's mistakes and misery, keep it up. Freedom of opinion, freedom of speech. But please stop inventing BS like "German conservatives helped Greece fudge their budget". The opposite is true. As a German conservative, it doesn't help me one bit that we've been correct right from the start when it came to Greece. I recognize that it may have been a political necessity for Eichel to avert his eyes and let Greece slip in, so I'm not going to whack him hard for it. But when leftist fairy tale tellers start to rewrite history by shaping the warning voices against Greece into "Bankster accomplices", this is making me lose my lunch.

Bah.

erneiz_hyde · 2015-02-14, 19:37

[QUOTE=Anh_Minh;5439188]There doesn't have to be one. That's how freedom works.[QUOTE]
how does freedom differs from anarchy then?

Vallen Chaos Valiant · 2015-02-14, 20:08

[QUOTE=erneiz_hyde;5439228][QUOTE=Anh_Minh;5439188]There doesn't have to be one. That's how freedom works.

Quote:

how does freedom differs from anarchy then?

Anarchy is when you have no freedom at all, you are only allowed to do what your own power allow you to force onto others. You have no rights in an anarchy, you take what you can steal and keep only what you can defend.

Here, Freedom means you don't get lynched just because you offend someone.

Urzu 7 · 2015-02-14, 22:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by erneiz_hyde

Yep, when they're Muslim, they're barbarians to be eliminated, otherwise they're just some common 'deranged lone wolves'.

In all seriousness though, I understand that freedom of speech is important and nobody deserved to be killed for it. But shouldn't what some of those cartoonists were doing count as slander, defamation, hate-mongering etc? Aren't there laws for that, or are they protected by free speech as well?

I think a lot of people don't take Muslims, collectively, and call them barbaric monsters, etc. It is just the Muslim terrorists and jihadist that a lot of people sling insults at. And it is so deserving. Really, these IS guys, and suicide bombers, and trained terrorists, jihadists, and lone wolf terrorists; they are barbaric, they are delusional (so very delusional), they are terrible, they are scum...I'd even say the IS people are monsters. They all deserve harsh scorn. And I won't blame anyone for hating any of them. I try not to hate anyone, but these kinds of people...really challenge me a lot.

erneiz_hyde · 2015-02-14, 22:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urzu 7

I think a lot of people don't take Muslims, collectively, and call them barbaric monsters, etc. It is just the Muslim terrorists and jihadist that a lot of people sling insults at. And it is so deserving. Really, these IS guys, and suicide bombers, and trained terrorists, jihadists, and lone wolf terrorists; they are barbaric, they are delusional (so very delusional), they are terrible, they are scum...I'd even say the IS people are monsters. They all deserve harsh scorn. And I won't blame anyone for hating any of them. I try not to hate anyone, but these kinds of people...really challenge me a lot.

Agree on all accounts. As long as people doesn't lump the rest of us with those freaks, then all is well, sadly though that's not the general nuance I felt.

SaintessHeart · 2015-02-15, 01:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by erneiz_hyde

Agree on all accounts. As long as people doesn't lump the rest of us with those freaks, then all is well, sadly though that's not the general nuance I felt.

That is because the Muslim population generally think it is wrong to cariacture their prophet.

That is hypocrisy. I have seen pics with Buddhist statues being wrecked with the caption "Where is your god now?" from "Muslim" users on social media. Even the moderates and the "pious" share it. And there is the one in which "Muslims" claim that their "prophet" outlawed pork and "saved" them from the fate a man in China had begotten.

The worst one is still this. The best money spinning scheme ever made; who the fuck gave him a state award?

Personally I am fine with it as there is absolutely nothing wrong with criticising a faith through satire. I criticise my more "pious" relatives when they burn talismen and drink them, and satirising them is a way of creating discussion while showing that there is no intention to draw offence. Those who respond violently are those who fear losing their faith as they do not understand it at all.

Modern layman Islam has morphed into some dictatorial ideology, similar to how modern layman Christianity has devolved into some money grubbing idea where you "pay to go to heaven". And there is Taoist sorcery, new religions; fear has never been a better tool at managing followers.

monster · 2015-02-15, 02:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

satirising them is a way of creating discussion while showing that there is no intention to draw offence.

Unless the satire itself is what draws offense.

SaintessHeart · 2015-02-15, 02:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by monster

Unless the satire itself is what draws offense.

Actually that is a debate technique. Drawing attention by making a point look glaring through dressing up examples.

A late technical consultant once told me at a toastmasters' club that when offended by a statement, do an emotional check on yourself. Your counterparty is attempting to draw attention to something that s/he deems that is left out due to minelaying. Then decide if it is worthy of attention to discuss that issue in depth.

2015-02-13, 10:27	Link #35742
ganbaru books-eater youkai Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Betweem wisdom and insanity	Greece promises to do 'whatever we can' as debt talks cheer markets http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0LH1I920150213 Apple $1 trillion stock market value could be years away http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0LH05E20150213 Majority of New Jersey voters view Christie unfavorably: poll http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0LH0BR20150213 __________________

2015-02-14, 11:39	Link #35744
ganbaru books-eater youkai Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Betweem wisdom and insanity	Palestinians want role in probing 'terrorist' killings of Chapel Hill Muslims http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0LI0I720150214 Oregon governor resigns amid ethics scandal involving fiancée http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0LH29C20150214 U.S. moving to resupply Jordan's military with munitions: officials http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0LH2GP20150214 __________________

2015-02-14, 14:59	Link #35745
SaintessHeart NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~ Join Date: Nov 2007 Age: 35	One Dead in Copenhagen Shooting That May Have Targeted Cartoonist __________________ When three puppygirls named after pastries are on top of each other, it is called Eclair a'la menthe et Biscotti aux fraises avec beaucoup de Ricotta sur le dessus. Most of all, you have to be disciplined and you have to save, even if you hate our current financial system. Because if you don't save, then you're guaranteed to end up with nothing.

2015-02-14, 17:49	Link #35747
erneiz_hyde 18782+18782=37564 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: InterWebs	Yep, when they're Muslim, they're barbarians to be eliminated, otherwise they're just some common 'deranged lone wolves'. In all seriousness though, I understand that freedom of speech is important and nobody deserved to be killed for it. But shouldn't what some of those cartoonists were doing count as slander, defamation, hate-mongering etc? Aren't there laws for that, or are they protected by free speech as well? __________________

2015-02-14, 18:30	Link #35749
erneiz_hyde 18782+18782=37564 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: InterWebs	Fair enough, I also wouldn't think insults should be categorized as hate speech. Everybody should be free to express their dislike towards something. __________________

2015-02-14, 18:43	Link #35751
erneiz_hyde 18782+18782=37564 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: InterWebs	I have to ask though, what exactly is the message those cartoonists were trying to convey? I don't get the point of criticizing whole religions based on the actions of a few humans. __________________

2015-02-14, 19:37	Link #35754
erneiz_hyde 18782+18782=37564 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: InterWebs	[QUOTE=Anh_Minh;5439188]There doesn't have to be one. That's how freedom works.[QUOTE] how does freedom differs from anarchy then? __________________