@ezraklein There's prestige in defending free speech, but less power, because free speech means people who disagree with you are also free to speak.
The power is in suppressing free speech, because then you can prevent people who disagree with you from speaking.
The power is in suppressing free speech, because then you can prevent people who disagree with you from speaking.
@ezraklein Obtaining such power is often, though of course not always, the explicit goal of those who seek to suppress speech.
It's always true of authoritarian regimes, but it's also often true of efforts to suppress speech on a smaller scale, in political controversies for example.
It's always true of authoritarian regimes, but it's also often true of efforts to suppress speech on a smaller scale, in political controversies for example.
@ezraklein There's one universal rule though: when people try to gain power by suppressing speech, they never acknowledge that this is their goal.
The stated goal is always to protect some thing, or some group, from the malign influence of their opponents' ideas.
The stated goal is always to protect some thing, or some group, from the malign influence of their opponents' ideas.
