There are so many claims out there that we are losing our freedom of speech. It is one of those things though that, because there are so many people cautioning about suppressed speech, I don’t think it is going to be a serious issue.
I know many conservatives and libertarians are up in arms over Google and Facebook censoring certain content, especially if it tends to go against the left and/ or the establishment.
By the way, the left and the establishment are not the same thing, although there is overlap. There are hardcore leftists that are quite critical of the establishment in certain areas, especially when it comes to foreign policy. Google and Facebook will censor leftists too if they are opposing the establishment line too much.
I don’t mind that social media companies are called out for their biased actions, but I cringe when I hear people – libertarians in particular – suggesting government action to correct the situation. This is wrong and naïve.
If you are a libertarian, and you think that social media companies are in bed with the government, then the solution isn’t to call for that same exact government to more heavily regulate the social media companies. The solution is to remove the partnership between government and business. And the best way to do this is to defund agencies and thus remove their power.
When I hear complaints about how our 1stAmendment rights are being taken away, I want to laugh and cry at the same time. I usually hate the term “rights” anyway because rights are only as good as what people around you are willing to respect.
Anyway, the 1stAmendment isn’t really a right. I know it is part of the Bill of Rights, but it is really a prohibition against the federal government. It says that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech.
To say that our freedom of speech is going away is ridiculous though. I know there are threats of it all around us, but it is nothing new. If anything, we just hear about it more. I know there is this fight against leftists for free speech on college campuses, but I think it is overblown. The issue is one of property rights. The problem, as is so often the case, is that colleges and universities are often owned or funded by government.
I would actually make the case that freedom of speech today in the United States of America is perhaps the greatest in history.
If you think about, we are free to say almost anything, as long as it isn’t threatening violence. This isn’t the case in much of Europe and even Canada, but in the U.S., almost anything goes. Sure, if the federal government really wants to target you for something, then you are in trouble. They can make up crimes. But they can only do that to a very select few people. When there are millions of us talking (and writing), they aren’t going to shut us up.
Those Revolutionary Founders
If you read/ listen to conservatives and libertarians, it is common to hear that the Founding Fathers of the United States would be rolling over in their graves if they saw what has happened here. I think this is correct in some respects. It would be true with foreign policy. It would be true with federal government spending and taxation.
I don’t think the same case can be made in regards to free speech. The ink was barely dry on the Bill of Rights when John Adams signed the Alien and Sedition Acts into law in 1798.
Could you imagine if Barack Obama or Donald Trump proposed something like this? The outcry would be unbelievable, and justifiably so.
The Sedition Act of 1798 essentially outlawed freedom of speech. Sure, you could still speak, as long as you weren’t critical of the government. It was really supposed to criminalize false and malicious statements that were critical of the federal government, but the part about false statements is meaningless when it is the federal government itself making the determination. See, fake news was an issue then, too.
What if we had the Sedition Act in effect today? If you don’t believe in man-made global warming (excuse me, climate change), then you are a denier. If you speak out about this issue, you could be fined and sent to prison because you are supposedly spreading fake news and criticizing politicians.
This is such an egregious thing that happened in 1798, it is hard to talk about the liberty-minded revolutionaries with a straight face. They could be more openly critical of the British crown 25 years ago than they could be of John Adams in 1798. Is that what the Revolutionary War was fought for?
We live in an incredible world today. I know there is tyranny and injustice. I know there are certain groups trying to suppress speech. But overall, our ability to speak without retribution is as great today as it likely ever has been. And with the internet, our means of communication is better than ever.
I know people tend to hate the divisiveness of our politics. Trump and his critics have brought this out to a great degree. But I think it is actually reason to celebrate. When everything is quiet around you with little criticism, that is when you should worry. Think of the most totalitarian societies in history. If you walked in to one of those countries without knowing anything, you might think it is a really peaceful place where nobody argues. But nobody argues because nobody wants to get shot.
Trump will take to Twitter and call out fake news and bash the latest celebrity who has bashed him. Millions of people post things on Facebook and Twitter calling Trump every name in the book. Yet, for the most part, it is done peacefully. You can call the president whatever you want, and there is virtually no fear of retaliation in the sense of getting in trouble with the law.
So when you see people arguing on Facebook or see stories about the division of the American people, just look on the bright side and realize that there is plenty of free speech to go around. If you had criticized the president in 1798, you would have risked being thrown in jail.