– Blogger “Mish” is Fined 8,000 Euros by France for Freedom of Speech (Liberty Blitzkrieg, Nov 20, 2013):
Well if this isn’t one of the more ridiculous things I have read in a while, I don’t know what is. Many of my readers are probably familiar with Mike “Mish” Shedlock, who writes a very popular economics/finance blog. He has a habit of doing what I like best, challenging propaganda, engaging in critical thought and a fearlessness when it comes to saying what he believes. It appears that such behavior is frowned upon by French banksters and their minions in government.
Incredibly, Mish was fined 8,000 euros for quoting a French blogger’s analysis of Societe Generale’s leverage ratio. He was also summoned to appear in front of a tribunal in France.
Expect more of this sort of thing as the status quo loses more and more credibility and struggles to censor alternative narratives of what is actually happening. We have even seen similar calls here in the U.S., such as when Eric Posner, a Professor at the University of Chicago Law School, bashed the First Amendment in a Slate article.
For more on the Mish story, here are some excerpts from his blog:
A few days ago I learned, via a French blog, that I was fined 8,000 euros for quoting a French blogger. I would have known earlier, but the letter notifying me of the fine was sent in French.
In an earlier express letter packet, I could make out a few of the words, in particular noting a summons to appear before a tribunal in France. Needless to say, I did not go.
The Witch hunt is now over and I was fined nearly as much as Chevallier. It’s absurd enough to fine someone for a quote, and even more so when the facts are accurate.
The AFM has no jurisdiction over me, so they won’t collect. As a US citizen living in the US, I am not subject to the absurdities of French laws, or French witch hunts. All they get from me is a vow to never go to France.
To read about the entire saga, go here.
In Liberty,
Mike