1/
Free speech is about which of these to thoughts comes to mind first when someone says something you hate:
"It's a free country"
Or
"let's find out where he works."
The first is the impulse of freedom, the second is the impulse of an authoritarian.
Free speech is about which of these to thoughts comes to mind first when someone says something you hate:
"It's a free country"
Or
"let's find out where he works."
The first is the impulse of freedom, the second is the impulse of an authoritarian.
2/
If your first impulse when someone says something horrible is to think "I must shut them up" instead of "they can say what they want" then you are already adopting the mindset of an authoritarian.
Do you want freedom for all or freedom only for people who agree with you?
If your first impulse when someone says something horrible is to think "I must shut them up" instead of "they can say what they want" then you are already adopting the mindset of an authoritarian.
Do you want freedom for all or freedom only for people who agree with you?
3/
It doesn't matter if they use social power instead of government regulations to shut people up.
"I'm not using the government to punish him for what he said, I'm using social power and clout to get him fired from his job so he can't pay his mortgage."
Still authoritarian
It doesn't matter if they use social power instead of government regulations to shut people up.
"I'm not using the government to punish him for what he said, I'm using social power and clout to get him fired from his job so he can't pay his mortgage."
Still authoritarian
4/
I recognize that governments have guns and police and that people on facebook do not, so I know thw difference between social and legal authoritarianism.
And both are bad.
I recognize the difference and I am against both. It's that simple.
I recognize that governments have guns and police and that people on facebook do not, so I know thw difference between social and legal authoritarianism.
And both are bad.
I recognize the difference and I am against both. It's that simple.
5/
Free speech exists so we can speak openly debate ideas and look for truth using rules of evidence and logic.That allows us to consider all possibilities using reason and debate.
Silencing people with social power defeats the purpose of that as much as goverment silencing does.
Free speech exists so we can speak openly debate ideas and look for truth using rules of evidence and logic.That allows us to consider all possibilities using reason and debate.
Silencing people with social power defeats the purpose of that as much as goverment silencing does.
6/
So again, the question you must answer is simple; when someone says something you hate, that hurts you, that offends your deepest principles, that makes you angry....what comes to mind first:
"It's a free country, let him speak"
or
"Let's find out where he works"
/fin
So again, the question you must answer is simple; when someone says something you hate, that hurts you, that offends your deepest principles, that makes you angry....what comes to mind first:
"It's a free country, let him speak"
or
"Let's find out where he works"
/fin
PS/
Of course I spelled "two" as "to" in the first tweet.
I'll try to do better 🙂
Of course I spelled "two" as "to" in the first tweet.
I'll try to do better 🙂
