Im back arguing bout free speech

Mostly I just think free speech doesn’t mean what most people think it does. The freedom to say whatever you want whenever you want without consequences has never existed.

Free speech as a right in the US was meant to prevent situations of political prisoners that were common in other countries at the time (and still are in some). For much of US history it was normal to censor books, have obscenity laws, and blacklist people who expressing the wrong ideas. There was never a golden age of free speech. I’d say we have something close to it now but some people will never be happy. They think they have a right to an audience and a right not to be offended.

What these right wing idiots don't realise is that freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences. It also doesn't mean freedom to be listened to. No one owes you a platform. With Nazis and bigots, we already heard what they had to say in the 1930s. That led to the death of six million Jewish people.

Never again.

I am quite cynical about "rights" in practice and in the west we abuse them to the point I kinda feel like we need a wake up call. Rights are not inherent.

Maybe if you weren’t sometimes trying to antagonise people there would no need for all of this.

You have to draw the line somewhere with everything. That doesn't mean free speech is a bullshit concept.