No speaking

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As a gag order is called "the (temporary) ban to hold public (political) speech 'or to say the prohibition on a specific case in general. Colloquially, the term “muzzle” is also used.

The term is not precisely delimited and is mainly used for interference with freedom of expression . But it also describes the commandment to rest in churches and libraries.

Legal situation in Germany

The state has the right to restrict individual basic rights in order to deprive opponents of the freedom-democratic basic order of the freedom of action. This also includes the restriction of freedom of expression, for example at events and in public media. Issuing a ban on speaking violates Article 5, Paragraph 1 of the Basic Law and therefore such a restriction of fundamental rights can only take place on the basis of a law that is lawful within the framework of proportionality . This remedy already existed in the Weimar Republic .

Legal situation in the USA

A National Security Letter (NSL) under US law also includes a gag order .

Ban on speaking as a means of censorship

Ban on speaking against a pastor during the Nazi era

Internally, with the instrument of the ban on speaking, the discussion of certain topics or conditions (for example, how to deal with works councils in a company) can be forbidden and so to a certain extent internal negative discussions and the resulting undesirable actions can be reduced and bad publicity suppressed . Outwardly, the notification of undesired positions can be prevented.

Political ban on speaking means excluding unpleasant positions from current political opinion-forming. Deviants are either forced “back into the ranks” or excluded from certain discussions in advance by a preventive ban on speaking on certain topics. In this way, their opinion is effectively removed from the public eye and is not or barely noticed by larger parts of society. Outwardly, this creates the impression that there is a general consensus in politics on certain issues that does not actually exist.

Demonstration against the “muzzle decree” by the Ministry of Culture in Kiel, 1975

Bans on speaking against journalists are particularly worrying, as in this case journalistic activity, which should not actually be hindered, can be restricted without legal consequences and so the “fourth power” in democratic systems can only fulfill its function of forming opinions to a limited extent. An example of this is the so-called “muzzle decree” by the Berlin School Senator, Klaus Bögner, which banned teachers from the city of Berlin from talking to journalists about the grievances in their schools.

In repressive, non-democratic regimes, the ban on speaking is often used to generally silence political opponents who are too well known or otherwise unassailable, as in the example of Aung San Suu Kyi . If a system possesses sufficient international power, it can prevent undesirable opinions or reports from outside its own borders through hidden or open expressions of displeasure.

Ban on speaking as part of bullying

According to Heinz Leymann , a ban on speaking is also a component of bullying : the bullied is forced to remain silent (usually under threat of further reprisals).

See also

Web links

Wiktionary: No speech  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The digital dictionary of the German language
  2. Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt Foundation: Public speaking ban for Hitler (March 1925)
  3. ^ Christian Esser, Franziska Hofmann, Reinhard Laska: Page no longer available , search in web archives: Frontal 21, manuscript for the article: Fear at the workplace - The lousy methods at H&M ; Broadcast on March 21, 2006 (PDF, 51 kB)@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / berlinhennig.de
  4. Holocaust Denier: No speech for Williamson ; Zeit-Online, notification from April 15, 2010.
  5. ^ Rita Flubacher: No speaking for the former chief economist at UBS ; News from May 8, 2009
  6. ↑ The planned muzzle in the Bundestag causes outrage ; SPIEGEL Online, notification from April 15, 2012
  7. Florentine Anders: Teachers are not allowed to speak to journalists ; Berliner Morgenpost, report from June 10, 2008.
  8. ^ Frankfurter Buchmesse: No speaking for Dai Qing. Ling was also banned from speaking ; topnews.de, news from October 19, 2009.
  9. Amnesty International criticizes the ban on speaking at the Frankfurt Book Fair ; topnews.de, news from October 20, 2009.
  10. F.Graf: The 45 bullying acts to Leymann , Section 1 ; psychokrieg.de
  11. ^ Jula Müller (Institute for Educational Coaching): Mobbing in Labor Law ( Memento from March 25, 2012 in the Internet Archive );