DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Palus Politicus Criminalise politicians who lie?

What a phenomenal idea.

https://www.bangor.ac.uk/news/2024-...untry-to-criminalise-politicians-who-lie

Under the proposals it would be a criminal offence for a member of the Senedd, or a candidate for election to the Senedd, to wilfully, or with intent to mislead, make or publish a statement that is known to be false or deceptive. Proceedings would have to be brought within six months from the date on which the statement was made.

It would be considered a defence if it could be “reasonably inferred” to be a statement of opinion, or if it were retracted with an apology within 14 days. Being prosecuted for such a law would disqualify a person from being a Senedd member.

"But this is Murica and we have freedumb of speech and all that!"

lol….we’ve read this book before. They all lie. But only the democrats would be prosecuted for it.

A stupid idea. In the end it would become your guy lied, mine didn't.

It's an extremely stupid idea that essentially taps the government as the "Ministry of Truth". Any law targeting "politicians who lie" would require someone to adjudicate:

- Whether a statement was a verifiable fact or an opinion/interpretation
- Whether the speaker knew it was false
- Whether it was material
- Whether it was "deceptive" versus spin, exaggeration, or a bad prediction

Those are not technical questions. They are political ones. The party that controls prosecutors and judges will apply the standard to its enemies and ignore it for its allies. Politicians would have to treat every sentence as potential evidence. Hyperbole, slogans, contested stats, and forecasts would all become legally risky.

Elections, political opponents, journalists, and fact-checkers exist to punish liars. They do it imperfectly (mores than ever before), but they do it without giving the state a veto over political argument. Criminal law already covers actual fraud, perjury, false statements to the government, and defamation. Expanding it to cover campaign rhetoric, policy claims, or whatever it is to be claimed a lie is not "accountability".....it is using the criminal process as a continuation of politics by other means. That path has a well-documented record of damaging democracies. The solution is not to let the people politicians already fight with decide, under threat of jail, which statements are allowed. That trades one form of untrustworthiness for a more dangerous one.

Absolutely stupid but not surprised people on here want to control speech in this way.

No surprise who especially wouldn't want this.

The party of "Flood the zone with [censored]" .... there is only ONE reason to flood the media with false information and lies ... and that is what the Party that is Trump and MAGA wants to do. The party that has a pathological liar as President.

Yes it wouldn't be easy - but then something being challenging shouldn't be a reason to dismiss it. ""make or publish a statement that is known to be false or deceptive."" is pretty cut and dry. It would be like proving deformation ....

Say like claiming $50 million is earmarked for condoms for Hamas . . Like claiming endlessly that the election was stolen and that Dominion were somehow compromised ....

And no one is trying to control what you say or your language ... You sir are free to continue lying and free to keep spreading [censored] and reposting the lies you see from social media. You are not a politician.