The slow death of free speech

[Eddie Teach]

Seems to me that should be up to the university and not the government.

[Ideologue]

I agree with the article.

Also I really hate multiculturalism.  Some cultures are different and equal.  Some are different and better.  Some are different and much, much worse.  And we can't have any evolution toward the ideal human culture if debate on which is which is silenced.

[Monoriu]

My way both sides can speak, in the original only one side can speak. How is that not an improvement?

If the debate takes place in, say, a university, and the event organisers want to maintain order, sure.  But I think it is very dangerous for the government to regulate these things.

[Jacob]

I agree with the article.

Also I really hate multiculturalism.  Some cultures are different and equal.  Some are different and better.  Some are different and much, much worse.  And we can't have any evolution toward the ideal human culture if debate on which is which is silenced.

[MadImmortalMan]

come a distant second to the new tribalism of identity-group rights

And here it is.  Groups do not have rights.  Individuals have rights.  Any system that gives groups rights is anti-individual.

Yes.

Corporations are not people. Groups do not have rights.

[The Brain]

Has it been established that "free speech" (in the way the word is used in the article) is declining? Seems to me that there is an ongoing shift in what is thought acceptable and not, which can give the impression of massive change, but is this actually so? These days you have to be careful speaking against gay marriage, not long ago it was the other way around.

The POTUS is a cripple??! Sshhh!!!

[Razgovory]

"Big Climate enforcers"?

Steyn is a joke.

And Tim is an idiot for posting this drivel.

[The Brain]

"Big Climate enforcers"?

Steyn is a joke.

And Tim is an idiot for posting this drivel.

No.

[MadImmortalMan]

The POTUS is a cripple??! Sshhh!!!

I don't think that kind of secrecy is technologically possible now. Roosevelt's driver would tweet it eventually.

Public record keeping does need to be updated to take this stuff into account though. Modern tech is beating the snot out of original intent on many fronts.

[Ideologue]

I agree with the article.

Also I really hate multiculturalism.  Some cultures are different and equal.  Some are different and better.  Some are different and much, much worse.  And we can't have any evolution toward the ideal human culture if debate on which is which is silenced.

Relax.  Your culture wins on both counts.

[celedhring]

Can't see how free speech is declining in a day and age where internet allows such a wild and unrestricted dissemination of thoughts.

People too often confuse freedom of speech with freedom of saying what they want without consequences.

[grumbler]

Isn't this solution yet another infringement on free speech?  And who is going to enforce this?

"They" will.  The same unicorns that will make sure that sexual predators will stop being sexual predators if we put their name on a list.

[grumbler]

"Big Climate enforcers"?

Steyn is a joke.

Yes.  This is just a few anecdotes compiled into a "trend" for the sake of a bullshit argument that wouldn't have a single person paying attention if it couldn't cite a sophomoric comment by a college sophomore.

[Admiral Yi]

This example strikes me as different people exercising their free speech rights at the same time.  Free speech to me means that the government will not prevent these people from speaking their minds.  But that doesn't mean that individuals can't shout down each other.

Shouting down a speaker is as much an exercise of free speech as me deleting your posts.

[Jacob]

Relax.  Your culture wins on both counts.

Yet I embrace multiculturalism.

I don't care where "my culture" ranks in your league tables (and which culture is that?). What I care about is that you have signed on with the grallonites; I had thought better of you.