Desacato crimes are highly recognized in many countries. It consists of the criminal punishments of insults to public officials in the performance of their duties. These laws literally mean that anyone who criticizes any public office is liable to some punishment. Looking at these laws and article thirteen of the American Convention on Human Rights, clearly there is a contradiction (Florini, 2007). Everyone has the right to Freedom of thought and expression and moreover liability ought to be based on defined pre existing laws. Lack of clarity on such laws suppress public opinions and deter people from actively participating in democratic discussions. Talking of democracy, how can it be achieved if public offices cannot be subjected to public scrutiny?
Alexandra Rose writes that democracy is a comical political system, the inventors of the modern day democracy; the British spent a considerable deal of time mocking their leaders and all over America comedians have come up with funny nicknames, cartoons and many other political jokes. Many occasions citizens do not dare laugh; many political systems in the hemisphere have come up with a means to stop all the ridicule.
Many examples can be given in Latin America, look at Cuba during its 30 years of dictatorship, many jokes told in whispers about its leadership. In his report, political satire in Cuba’, Luis E. Aguilar records some of these jokes they are funny, but someone should not to be heard telling them. That was dictatorship at its worst levels. In the current world system, this is democracy, controlling internet content, revoking licenses for television and radio stations and magazines and censoring what gets to the public. Furthermore, not to mention protection of public officers from publics’ honest scrutiny with such desacato laws, criminal defamation offences and offences against honor without clear indication of the line that should not be crossed. Examples can be witnessed in most countries Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina most countries in America.
Political humor is one way in which democracy can be expressed. Humor is a well recognized part of the political process even in parliamentary proceedings humor is used. Allowing the satire, the humor and the sharp criticism, constitutes a democratic system. Desacato laws give public officials protection which is non existence to the majority of the society and inverts the democratic principle, which requires that government and key officials are subjected to public vetting in order to control abuse of power. These laws subsequently should be axed.
Humor can be a diplomacy tool when used as a means of positive persuasion. It is different from ridicule which uses humor at someone else’s expense. Ridicules are a destructive game and a dangerous weapon, while it can be an essential part of a democracy, like a gun, it should be handled with immense caution.
Florini, A. (2007). The right to know: Transparency for an open world. New York: Columbia Univ. Press.
Prof. Tracy Devine-Guzmán, PowerPoint & Audio Lecture by (Univ. of Miami, Dept. of Modern Lang/Lit), political humor under Brazil’s military dictatorship, 1964-85.
