There is not a single country on this planet that has no legal consequences for free speech and it would be ridiculous to claim that should be the standard. For one, and I feel kind of pedantic for pointing this out, but that kind of policy would preclude any obviously consequential statements made in court proceedings, for example pleading “guilty”, lying under oath, and confessing. Less pedantically, even in a version of the US where their so-far mythical conception of free speech was actually achieved, legal consequences are assigned to direct, material threats and attempts to cause panic. You’d be pretty hard pressed to claim these exceptions are unreasonable, and I’d go further to say that malicious attempts to incite hatred against a group should be included in unprotected forms of speech. It already is in many countries.
Maybe The Economist thinks these kinds of exceptions are ineffective but, personally, I enjoy living in a nation where people can’t legally spew hatred at my face because the bible told them my life is wrong. I feel safer knowing that people throwing Nazi salutes during national holidays are prosecuted. I think it’s quite interesting that the Economist feels the need to point the finger at Europe and call for “noisy disagreement” where “people should tolerate one another’s views” when the United States has pursued this exact policy and it has lead to little more than them being one of the leading contemporary examples of how an advanced democracy and economy falls into fascism and mass disenfranchisement.
There is not a single country on this planet that has no legal consequences for free speech
Yes.
it would be ridiculous to claim that should be the standard.
I mean, that’s what freedom of speech is. Otherwise its entirely meaningless.
For one, and I feel kind of pedantic for pointing this out, but that kind of policy would preclude any obviously consequential statements made in court proceedings, for example pleading “guilty”, lying under oath,
The consequence there would be essentially signing a contract for honesty, and breaking it. Similar to how you can choose to give up an organ, but you can’t force someone to give up an organ. You chose to sign away your freedom of speech in that instance. Now subpoenas I think there is a compelling argument they are a violation of freedom of speech.
Less pedantically, even in a version of the US where their so-far mythical conception of free speech was actually achieved, legal consequences are assigned to direct, material threats and attempts to cause panic.
The US does not and has never had freedom of speech. This was blatant from at least 1798. I do think the US is marginally closer than most other countries.
You’d be pretty hard pressed to claim these exceptions are unreasonable,
Its not about whether it is reasonable. It is whether it is factually true to call a regime in which speech is controlled as having freedom of speech.
the United States has pursued this exact policy and it has lead to little more than them being one of the leading contemporary examples of how an advanced democracy and economy falls into fascism and mass disenfranchisement.
There is not a single country on this planet that has no legal consequences for free speech and it would be ridiculous to claim that should be the standard. For one, and I feel kind of pedantic for pointing this out, but that kind of policy would preclude any obviously consequential statements made in court proceedings, for example pleading “guilty”, lying under oath, and confessing. Less pedantically, even in a version of the US where their so-far mythical conception of free speech was actually achieved, legal consequences are assigned to direct, material threats and attempts to cause panic. You’d be pretty hard pressed to claim these exceptions are unreasonable, and I’d go further to say that malicious attempts to incite hatred against a group should be included in unprotected forms of speech. It already is in many countries.
Maybe The Economist thinks these kinds of exceptions are ineffective but, personally, I enjoy living in a nation where people can’t legally spew hatred at my face because the bible told them my life is wrong. I feel safer knowing that people throwing Nazi salutes during national holidays are prosecuted. I think it’s quite interesting that the Economist feels the need to point the finger at Europe and call for “noisy disagreement” where “people should tolerate one another’s views” when the United States has pursued this exact policy and it has lead to little more than them being one of the leading contemporary examples of how an advanced democracy and economy falls into fascism and mass disenfranchisement.
Yes.
I mean, that’s what freedom of speech is. Otherwise its entirely meaningless.
The consequence there would be essentially signing a contract for honesty, and breaking it. Similar to how you can choose to give up an organ, but you can’t force someone to give up an organ. You chose to sign away your freedom of speech in that instance. Now subpoenas I think there is a compelling argument they are a violation of freedom of speech.
The US does not and has never had freedom of speech. This was blatant from at least 1798. I do think the US is marginally closer than most other countries.
Its not about whether it is reasonable. It is whether it is factually true to call a regime in which speech is controlled as having freedom of speech.
That is not at all a clear cause and effect.