Denmark pays the dane-geld

Which is more important: the freedom of speech of Danish citizens or the desire to stop the outrage from abroad caused by the burning of the Quran? This was the dilemma the Danish government was facing just a few weeks ago—until it decided to go with the latter and move to weaken free speech laws in Denmark. …

Historically, the Danish government has been an ardent defender of the nation’s free speech laws. The most prominent example of this was in 2005 when Denmark received foreign backlash after a Danish newspaper published satirical drawings of the Prophet Muhammed. Back then, the Liberal government, which many current ministers were part of, held firm against the backlash. The former prime minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, is quoted as saying: “This has been about freedom of speech all along. Freedom of speech is under threat.” (Translated from Danish)

This is in sharp contrast to the current government’s approach, which, in a statement released to the press, stated that they will explore the possibility of intervening in situations where “other countries, cultures, and religions are being insulted, and where this could have significant negative consequences for Denmark.”

[Rudyard Kipling’s poem is always relevant, although usually not quite as explicitly aimed at the Danes. The fourth stanza is particularly apt. — Ed]

And that is called paying the Dane-geld;
But we’ve proved it again and again,
That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
You never get rid of the Dane.