Aye! One of the few American politicians that I have any time for, Benjamin Franklin: They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

Except, a commercial organisation could possibly decide to not want those images, those opinions being associate with by respect to their customers.

Of course, if the commercial organisation's only purpose is to gain money without any other concerns, you get the answer the OP got. Thankfully enough many commercial organisations do have respect for their customer and won't associate with offending campain.

Now if the only concern here is only one poster and it is about stopping the mass immigration, I can't say much.

DB told me once it was better to know what they are thinking and what are their strategies. I agree with this. Which goes in contradiction with my belief that not everything is good to say.

Yeah, not an easy debate. Let's say I hate it, I don't want them but I have to accept it for the sake of knowing their intentions.

This is the price of freedom of speech.

You say what you want to say, but be aware of consequences from nutters.

We could just ban the most offensive political parties, one at a time.

Then there would be just the one that could dictate do exactly what the public wanted. There'd be no complaints then.

Yeah, let's do that! You have Mubarak's number perhaps? I heard he was not busy these days...

As far as I understand, SBB is a nationally owned (by all of the cantons) and thus will not and cannot play any one party against each other. Imagine if they banned SVP posters but allowed other political parties to advertise? Holly shit, SBB are playing politics!!!

If a political party as big as the SVP wants to advertise there and a minority group want to protest that, honestly, who do you think that the organisation should side with? The correct answer is neither.

SBB are not responsible or accountable for the content of posters that are put up within their stations as long as they are not illegal.

As much as people like you and me may not like these posters, they represent the mouth peice of a not insignificant group of people in the country that do have their right to freedom or expression.

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Living it up in Gersau.

Only the station is owned by SBB, which is owned by the state. Should state-owned organisations exert political bias?

Or cave in to the demands of the mob? That is erosion of democracy.

Voltaire said "I don't agree with what you say, but I am prepared to die in defence of your right to say it".

Maybe his modern day equivalent would retort "I don't actually mind what you say, but some people are making a noise so I'll abolish your right to say it".l

Don't be so naive, Nil. That has nothing to do with freedom of speech. But has everything to do with 2 drunken scumbags, who happen to be Kosovars (as all the papers are so desperate to inform us).

Never, hence lies to the road (railway) to corruption!!!

Ok, call me naive on this one. But how often freedom of speech was the reason of physical attack of some nutters? Too often.

And how should I know the reason they attack the guy? You didn't put a link of your affirmation.

And how often were supressed issues or things that people couldn't or weren't allowed to talk about the cause of violence?

And even if you're right. Is peace really more valuable than freedom?

The people who tore down the Berlin Wall didn't think so.

I know, I know....

Look I started being completely against the whole thing and with this discussion, I began to change my mind and see your point of view.

Now, I am going to take a break, enjoy a good sunbathing and think about this whole thing.

Adios

I would not imagine very often actually but if you have proof in some other way I am happy to have a look at it.

Plus, look at it this way. The more freedom we have, the easier it is for all of the idiots to get themselves killed which means a higher proportion of more intelligent people in the world.

Nil, none of us disagree with you that the SVP posters are distasteful and that SVP are generally known for this sort of tactic.

I think the point that most of us are trying to get across is that:
Commercial, especially state owned, organisations should not get involved in politics or have a political bias.
Freedom of speech is a key part of the constitution and eroding it in any way at all is a very dangerous slippery slope to take. (Look at what the terrorism and patriot acts have done to civil liberties in the UK and the US, all for the desire for political correctness and security).

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Living it up in Gersau.

And lead to stupid laws where we are banned from hearing somebody's voice unless it is dubbed by an actor. Do we really want that for Switzerland too?

Now see, being stuck in an office, I find that offensive.

I understand that too. Look, being a member of the minority they too often bash is playing on my emotional response to this particular topic. It annoyes me no end.

But I got your point of view. I kind of agree with it but it crash with my opinion that not everything is good to say.

Maybe it's just that emotions and politics don't mix.

It is THAT fine line again - between rights and responsibilities- a very fine line between having the right to express yourself, and inciting hatred. Don't forget that very influencable kids and teenagers also see those posters. Some will be indifferent, some will see it as a good excuse to bully those who are different, and some will be so embarrassed that they will bend over backwards to be friendly to foreigners (as I did as a child when confronted with so much racism against the italians and Spanish immigrants who arrived here).

I don't agree! Emotions and passion are what make men and women do great things! Even in Politic.

Ghandi - Hitler
Mandela - Saloth Sar

I don't know, both great good and great bad. I honestly prefer this bunch:


About as unemotional as they get and a stable government for over 160 years!!!

Honestly, passion and emotion are two different things for me. I can be emotional about something (rasist posters and how much I hate them) and passionate about something else (freedom of speech) and not let the two of them cross over. Passion in government is okay but emotion, nope.

By the way, are you not supposed to be lying in the sun?

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Living it up in Gersau.