...country's historical narrative.

France has experienced fascism in a way the United States can't really comprehend.

My sense is that as a country, it perceives society as susceptible to certain forms of speech, and that perception of vulnerability has woven itself into the political culture, so the laws in place are intended to stop it before it grows.

The United States (arguably) hasn't experienced the same kind of totalitarian political and social collapse France has.

So we're less suspicious of inflammatory speech, and feel that it's unhealthy to exclude it from the national dialog.

Individual rights are much more enshrined in America's culture and law than France's.

For better or worse.

From my perspective, Dieudonné is a piece of shit, but you don't censor him.

But I never had to live under the Vichy regime, so I don't know how fair it is to level criticism.