'Pick-up artist' Blanc banned from Singapore

HA, HA ! ( Simpson's Character voice ). Dorkster.

They can ban this guy but can't ban religion's that do much the same to woman?

You are in favor of governments banning religious belief? Seriously?

Repulsive idea. Worse idea than a dinner date with Julien Blanc.

Ban him... show him that his 'skills' aren't welcome anywhere.

If ever there were apt scare quotes "'pick-up artist' Blanc" would be them.

Gogogo:

Exactly. If RDS re-invented themselves as a religion, they would be OK. How ironic.

I'm disappointed at this news; for once, I would have agreed with a very stern caning.

The sad part is that I've no doubt the guy is using the sensationlism over him to promote sales and somehow twisting things so that it is 'proof' of his skills or that others are afraid of his success, or what have you -- and no doubt people desperate enough to listen to him in the first place will lap it up.

If he has in fact assaulted women in the past, then ban him so long as it is in accordance with the law. If not, let him in if he comes and watch him like a hawk; I'd almost rather he tried something dodgy and was put in prison in the nation he caused the offense in, kept there for a while, then deported at his expense and permanently blacklisted. Or, just kept in prison.

I think the guy is an absolute moron, but banning him for the "crime" of moronic speech is worse. This is a horrible precedent. Free speech includes offensive speech, otherwise it is not free. I wonder what these petition signers are thinking. From my perspective, they are worse than the loser who pay money to listen to Blancs "seminars".

“Blanc has been involved in seminars in various countries that advised men to use highly abusive techniques when dating women,”

The guy must be an arrogant jerk. He is titled as "Pickup Artist" What women would go for a guy with such behavior is in my mind.

I'm disappointed at this news; for once, I would have agreed with a very stern caning.

He might have liked that ;)

I agree with will. How can you ban someone for something they say? Even those idiot. Christians from Oklahoma who protest funerals should be allowed to spew their idiocy. The only thing worse than them are the idiots who try to ban them.

Nobody is "banning" anybody, nobody is opposing freedom of speech. The UK and Singapore have simply decided that they would prefer not to have him in their country.

As a Swiss-American, he's free to say whatever he wants in either country, but other nations are equally free not to grant him a visa. Freedom works both ways.

Every country has a right to decide who they do or don't want to let into their country. Keeping out undesirables is their right. It has nothing to do with freedom of speech - that's in relation to their own citizens.

lubracasi, strangerland:

It IS a free speech issue, since his audience is domestic. You are advocating there that the government should decide what the citizens of the country are allowed to hear and what not. Seriously? By the same token, should Japan refuse visas to whaling critics or historians with unpleasant opinions?

I think it's right to ban someone who appears to be inciting violence against women from entering Japan or elsewhere. Freedom of speech doesn't usually include the right to call for certain groups to be attacked. Blanc can keep his sordid activities in the USA.

Scrote:

So, no rap music artists and islamic shariah preachers any more? Just to name a few candidates for your new criterion.

@ willib, rap artists do what they do for "entertainment" in their lyrics, not as a way of life. Imams do preach it as a way of life, and same with this Blanc character.