How endangered is free speech in the USA?

[Eternal Summeria]

I think we have all heard the arguments from many different quarters that free speech is in danger in American society. Certain groups are being prevented from getting their message out by biased institutions that use coercive force against anyone they disagree with. In theory everyone has a right to their own opinion but the reality is that measures ranging from social pressure with damage to career and reputation to naked brute force will be used against anyone who does not toe the line that our self appointed betters have drawn for us. Many believe that it has gotten so bad that if the First Ammendment is not already outright farce, it is in grave danger. Media, government, academia, and other biased institutions work to squash ideas just because they don't agree.

People who are casualties of this include Occupy Wallstreet, Black Lives Matter, pro-trans-rights activists, Native-American activists, feminists, the NAACP, and people who dare protest Donald Trump. Try any kind of activism and the media will demonise you and then ignore you and thegovernment will often use force to violate your rights while they defend the KKK. While everyone was busy talking about Charlie Hedbo, white supremacists burned down a NAACP office, and nobody was allowed to talk about that.

And of course Trump is a huge threat to free speech, encouraging violence against people because of the views they express.

Do you agree? Or are you fine with the status quo of American "free speech"?

[Mike the Progressive]

There is no such thing as absolutes, especially when it comes to the first amendment.

[Mushet]

*sees name*

*does not take seriously*

[United Slavians]

Free speach doesn't actualy exist anywhere on the planet. It never even did. Even today when we talk about USA, any opinion contradicting the mainstreem is shoved into a pile of "lizard aliens ruling the world" pile like it's impossible. When you can't fight it, label it a conspiracy theory and pretty much everyone will dissmis it without consideration. Those who don't will be called conspiracy theorists.

That's just the most obvious and general form of it. But today you can't call someone who stole something a thief because it's not "politicaly correct". If he fits the typical stereotype of a thief, even more so.

[Blitz Epidemic]

Trump 2016! USA, USA, USA!

[Liriena]

Endangered enough to be a concern, imho.

[The Chinese Peoples]

Free speech is not an absolute freedom; indeed, it can be said that there are no absolute freedoms. This is a necessary constraint in an organized, civilized society.

Freedom of speech is only guaranteed insofar as a law does not prohibit it. Beyond that, a person remains responsible for his actions; thus, if you spread misinformation causing damage, but which does not constitute a criminal offence, you're still liable to those damages in a civil context in monetary terms. Indeed, you remain free to spread misinformation, just that you should be ready to pay up when your plaintiff sues.

Other people's rights (such as the right not to live in infamy, the right not to sustain damages, the right to be compensated for damages sustained, the right to restitution, &c.) would trump your freedom, if you forgive the pun.

[Liriena]

Trump 2016! USA, USA, USA!

Yeah, Trump 2016! It's about time the United States got a taste of all that insane right-wing tyranny the promoted in other countries.

[The balkens]

College campuses aside, not very.

[Kubra]

the majestic freedom of speech's natural habitat, the lush rainforests of Nebraska, have been slowly eroded over time.

[Jolet]

the majestic freedom of speech's natural habitat, the lush rainforests of Nebraska, have been slowly eroded over time.

I have to ask- why Nebraska? You have fifty states in the union, and you pick the one that nobody can seem to remember.

[Kubra]

the majestic freedom of speech's natural habitat, the lush rainforests of Nebraska, have been slowly eroded over time.

I have to ask- why Nebraska? You have fifty states in the union, and you pick the one that nobody can seem to remember.

They don't want us to remember it so they can cut down the nebraskan rainforests to make room for executive orders and strip malls.

[Liriena]

College campuses aside, not very.

College campuses are the least of the United States' problems when it comes to freedom of the press. No-platforming and the occasional safe space have nothing on the mass media oligopoly, for one. And journalists not having their sources protected, including whistleblowers. Plus a major presidential candidate wanting to reform laws against defamation so he can sue all those who write negative stories about him.

[Uxupox]

Endangered enough to be a concern, imho.

Whistleblowers really? The epitome of blue falconry?

[Liriena]

Free speach doesn't actualy exist anywhere on the planet. It never even did. Even today when we talk about USA, any opinion contradicting the mainstreem is shoved into a pile of "lizard aliens ruling the world" pile like it's impossible. When you can't fight it, label it a conspiracy theory and pretty much everyone will dissmis it without consideration. Those who don't will be called conspiracy theorists.

That's just the most obvious and general form of it. But today you can't call someone who stole something a thief because it's not "politicaly correct". If he fits the typical stereotype of a thief, even more so.

Sorry, but your sayings being subjected to criticism is not a threat to your freedom of expression.

[Kubra]

Endangered enough to be a concern, imho.

Whistleblowers really? The epitome of blue falconry?

wut

[United Slavians]

Trump 2016! USA, USA, USA!

He's the best example of how to treat someone who doesn't speak what you want everyone to speak. The problem they have is that they can neither ignore him nor silence him.

[Adriatic Microplate]

The very idea of free speech under capitalism is an absurdity. This is particularly highlighted in the US by Supreme Court decisions affirming that money is speech- i.e. that the bourgeois has vast amounts of speech and the proletariat very little. More to the point, it is nonsensical to talk about, to fetishize, free speech in the abstract, rather the concrete mechanisms of speech most be examined: Who owns the newspapers, radio stations, television channels, and so on? Freedom of speech exists for the wealthy few, for the hegemonic ideas promoted by capitalist society, not for the masses of people and counter-hegemonic ideas. Sure, it is possible to post on social media, have individual discussions and so on, but that hardly measures up to the tremendous material support given to certain ideas and individuals. Free speech appears as a meaningless abstraction when the means of communicating and amplifying ideas are controlled by the ruling class.

[Jolet]

I have to ask- why Nebraska? You have fifty states in the union, and you pick the one that nobody can seem to remember.

They don't want us to remember it so they can cut down the nebraskan rainforests to make room for executive orders and strip malls.

But... How much room does an executive order take up, anyway? Do they really need to cut down all those rainforests to make room for it?

[Kubra]

They don't want us to remember it so they can cut down the nebraskan rainforests to make room for executive orders and strip malls.

But... How much room does an executive order take up, anyway? Do they really need to cut down all those rainforests to make room for it?

It takes up about half a food court.
They could always have less executive orders, but they don't want that, man.

[Liriena]

Endangered enough to be a concern, imho.

Whistleblowers really? The epitome of blue falconry?

You do realize we don't mean just Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, right? This includes people like Cheryl D. Eckard, who denounced GSK for their adultering of pharmaceutical products.

[Transoxthraxia]

And of course Trump is a huge threat to free speech, encouraging violence against people because of the views they express.

Funniest thing I've read all day.

I do think free speech is becoming increasingly endangered in the West, though it's not from the right, but from the left.

[Liriena]

Trump 2016! USA, USA, USA!

He's the best example of how to treat someone who doesn't speak what you want everyone to speak. The problem they have is that they can neither ignore him nor silence him. a man who thinks anyone who protests him deserves to be physically assaulted or, at the very least, subjected to a non-stop defamation campaign, and also thinks he should have the right to sue any journalist that criticises him.

Fixed.

[Uxupox]

Whistleblowers really? The epitome of blue falconry?

wut

A very well known whistleblower known as Manning fucked informants over at Iraq. Hence the term blue falcon.

[The balkens]

wut

A very well known whistleblower known as Manning fucked informants over at Iraq. Hence the term blue falcon.

Buddy fucker?