Are the Days of free speech on count down?

Although South Korea is now considered to a democracy, a young one, it can never be considered to be a true democracy until the very evil National Security Law is abolished, in the early days of the Korea War, the government of the day used it to execute more than 500,000 of its own citizens. People they just preferred not to have around claiming they were communists or North Korean spies but most were just ordinary people mainly with low education. Those executed included men, women and children. The America military did nothing to prevent these mass executions and kept the fact secret until last year.

Paschen, your post was about Korea and not other countries, so I was only commenting on the current situation in Korea. By the way, in North Korea, today is the birthday of their 'Dear Leader'. In South Korea, people are not free to assemble, demonstrate, strike, criticize the government. All of these, and more, are considered to be offenses under the National Security Law which the various military governments used to control the people. 

There is a current truth commission investigating the mass executions which happened over 50 years ago. It may not be important to you but its very important to koreans. Here in Kobe City is one of the largest Korean communities and some are friends or art clients. When we speak about South Korea I ask them if they would live there and all express more or less the same answer, that in Korea there is no freedoms and in fact they have more freedoms here in Japan.

The current issue of bloggers being arrested is connected to the National Security Law which as a history of 50 years. For Koreans to have the individual freedoms enjoyed by those living in Japan, Europe and America this law would have to be abolished. In the UK or America there have been no cases of people being arrested for criticizing their governments.

Thank you so much, i feel honored to have my photo on display!

The United States is at very high risk of becoming like Nazi Germany, attempts are already underway to censor the internet and popular sites like youtube purge any dissident material. The first amendment states our God given right is not to be censored because evil triumphs when good people do nothing. The fairness doctrine will shut down any opposition to Obama's regime but it won't keep people from speaking out as millions awaken to the new world order and their insidious plan. The patriot act alone can get anyone jailed for dissenting but i will resist until the day they knock on the door!

Resist tyranny, speak out stay vocal they will lose!

Nazi Germany?

More like Argentina under Peron.

 But that doesn't explain how there is a picture of Uncle Sam's sleeve with his hand on the throat of somebody when the problem is Korea's.

All countries have censorship problems, but what YouTube censors is different than what the gov't censors.

Good point, there, about the UN- Fairness Doctrine, a "doctrinal" approach if there ever was one and good points about the Patriot Act.

In fact, I have to salute you for transcending the right-left divide. Very, very  good.

I don't like hate crimes. I hate hate crimes, but I intensely dislike hate crimes legislation, as if beating me up because I stepped on your toes on the bus is, at bottom, any different that beating me up because you object to my sexual orientation, my religion, or my race.

There is a kind of left- and right-wing politico that wants censorship and there are people on the right and the left who oppose it unless national security is at risk or the person is simply lying about someone else, in which case a nice fat lawsuit would be good.

Think about what it is that makes a politician crave the power to censor, and that this exists regardless of orientation about capitalism, communism, religion or any other -ism. Who in the hell do they think that they are?  And why do they think that way?

The power to censor is the power to end debate.

Nice post, but its abit alarmist for me. I figure free speech needs someone who is dedicated and fearless to mount the podium and speak (whether by voice, letter, email etc.) and someone who will stop and listen (or read) and react. As long as there are those that are fearless and there are those that listen, how can free speech die?? Even in a closed controlled environment like Tiananmen Square China, June 5 1989 the "Tank Man" physically "spoke" and the world listened and reacted. You just have to have a cause and guts. Thats where Free Speech will always live.

My concerns are that hype did do a lot of damage and made the problem twice as bad as it was. The media should police it self to stop hype concerning finacial issues. But that is up to them and it pretty stupid of arresting a guy for a prediction that was right and put blame on him for the cause of hype ridden media problem that is the actual cause of under valuation of currencies.

freedom of speech should only be culled on decency issues of which many countries make laws some that make sense and some that do not. However there does have to be a line drawn but south Korea has certainly place that line in the wrong place. It is their line and really does not effect the freedom of speech else where.

The line normally in nations that put a value on freedom of speech is deflamatury remarks, slander, UK has a law to protect all religions and races against inciting hatred.

As I say lines that value common decency and the legal rights of all citizens are the only lines in a civilized society should be allowed in my opinion to restrict the rights of a citizens freedom of speech.

Media hype around a mole hill of truth that builds a mountain of problems is the medias own responsibility to solve. I expect to see a lot of pressure at a later date placed on the media to do just that. Hopefully not to restrict news for political sake.

In the case of the headlines of the article I would say no not while freedom of speech gives the rights to many world citizens to stick up and fight for their freedom of speech.    

I hope that our freedom of speech isn't coming to an end, let this image show you, hopefully, that even if there are those who tell you to keep your mouth shut, ignore them and speak up! The only way they can take away our freedoms is if we let them.

Samantha Nandez Photography has contributed a photo to this story.

I have watched your writing get better and better.  Thank You for this story

We  are in serious trouble around the world with the limiting of freedom of speech.

I have been a big supporter in Israel of the right to publicly share ones views regardless how detestable they may be. So far in Israel it is still alive and well. Even though some have at times crossed over some red-lines. But the supreme court has taken the side of freedom of speech over prosecution. 

Paschen, why do you use an illustration with that indicates the censor in the US, when the US has nothing to do with this?

Is that an attempt make it seem as if we were next?

South Korea has only been a democracy for a couple of decades, and I don't see any connection to the US in this story whatsoever.

Fascinating post you just wrote there Paschen, and it raises pertinent questions about the internet. This has to be closely surveilled if the net is to remain a place of freedom of expression.

That said, I'd like to clarify one point you raised here if I may..

What happened in the 1930's had less to do with free speech and democracy as we understand them today, (except in abstract and analytical terms), than with Hitler's desire to overcome and avenge the terms of the amnesty imposed on his country after the first world war and what he saw as being its humiliation of Germany. "Free speech" and "democracy" were not terms that were considered in the same way then as they are now, and they were certainly less employed, including in other countries.

On the other hand, as witnessed by the incident you relate, as well as certain events seen in China, Pakistan and certain other South east Asian countries, a shift in economic power to that region, which I accept as being a reality, may mean restrictions being put on the net which do not exist in the West, and this due to the "collective" way of seeing social cohesion in that part of the world.

Thanks for posting...

Thanks for the news, Paschen.

I have found that free speech depends largely on what one has to say.

Oh so right jhazell.

Many of us here on the net go on and on about free speech, but, at the end of the day, nobody's ever stopped us from saying what we like on the net, and, more importantly, few of us have ever risked our lives for the right to free speech, me included.

Sometimes I think we just kinda wish we had a real challenge.....

Sometimes I think we just kinda wouldn't like a real challenge for real.......

Correct Paschen, the French in particular..

Other thing, We need to write positive proposals on how to act against what is happening...I understand that exactly that is what Minerva did.....I hope the government understands and free him....My prays with him......

I am not so  sure about the net, but the democrats are showing their true colors of being basically communists.  The so called "fairness" doctrine will destroy Rush Limbaugh and any other conservative viewpoint.

Free speech is only free if it is pro socialist, against tradition and family values. It is a sad time for America. We can only pray that the people will wake up soon.

Anyone who dares speak out is considered a racist, bigot or homofobe.  I hate the way they try and force their immoral views on middle America.  What a joke.

Hear hear. nancy pelosi is a Nazi for certain.  Just instead of conservative, she is left wing fascist.

Free Speech has always been Alive and Well, it what you say depends if you Live to repeat it another Day!

In reading through these comments it is difficult to know where to begin to add my own comment. Censorship on the web is a reality. Videos have been removed from Youtube due to Prolife groups' responses to them. Religious comments are censored on the web and at schools, and across the country it is politically incorrect to speak of another race or religion. Children in schools are learning that they may not speak of religion. Anti-gay speech is not tolerated. In 2006 Michael Marcavage was arrested near the LIBERTY BELL(!) for preaching the gospel. He was told he needed to go to the "free speech" zone. This is in America! According to Jeff Johnson in a OneNewsNow article, Marcavage was actually convicted of two federal crimes for preaching the gospel there, outside Independence Hall. In many other instances in other states there have been arrests for speaking unpopularly, but most of these individuals have won their cases. Still, the arrests are being made-in the USA.

What freedom of speech?!

Today I got told point blank by manager that I have no right to the freedom of speech what so ever. He even threatened me by saying and I quote “Have you ever heard of litigation?!” I told him that I had and bit my tongue because I wanted to scream at him that it works both ways but didnt.

I have no real recourse but to leave this dump of a place.

Mind I live in Australia!!!

Thanks for this, Paschen!

Great article! Thanks for sharing it with us!

Roy C, I agree.

This post demonstrates the risks to the net, already demonstrated, posed by countries in that part of the world, but not here where I live. (Paranoiac 1984-type comments shall not be responded to lol!)

Oh Tikun my friend, I do not believe for an instant that you really believe that freedom of speech is in serious trouble, at least if you are old enough to be aware of the world as it was fifty years ago.

Everything in these comments, this post, this site, the entire internet, would not have been possible or permitted then. Communication between individuals at that time was limited to the phone, letters, personal contact.

Should we be vigilant? sure. But is freedom of speech  "In serious trouble"?

lol! Sorry, I'm not buying.......

Let's keep things in perspective here...

Have fun!

Thanks for posting such an interesting post, it gives me a new ample perspective.

This is certainly the end of free speech as we know it.

Nazi Germany/Soviet Russia people it is going to happen here wake up! Youtube does purges of many 911 truth activists videos and suppress view counts as goes Google video but somehow the videos still get to the top, i fear when photography will become illegal since photos speak louder than words any day! Just from the RNC/DNC we see a police state slowly forming and with the stroke of a pen our voice can be lost and never be heard again, hence why it is imperitive to keep fighting any form of censorship on political dissent. When an oligarchy of phychopaths rule the world thats more reason enough to fight it. China is the role model for what is to come. It is not a matter of left or right it's right and wrong, louder than words!

Just my 000000002 cents=)

Thanks for displaying one of my photos on such an interesting site and article.

DominoIsland has contributed a photo to this story.