Freedom of speech should be agreed on by all

This article from the Guardian of all places says it well. Freedom of speech is essential no matter where on the political spectrum you sit!

It’s been disturbing and disappointing to watch hippies, progressives, and liberals (in the US sense of the expression) who have demanded freedom of speech and expression in various forms since the 60s when they felt they were a minority, turn on their heels and try to deny the same freedom of speech to others now that they feel they have the upper hand.

I have to conclude that many, if not most, people who demanded ‘equal rights’ of various forms over the last few decades were not interested in equality at all, but in having things their way. Now that the power base has shifted they are more than happy to use the heavy hand of regulation and lawfare to silence dissenters from the new orthodoxy, to stifle debates which they in their infinite wisdom have declared to be ‘over’.

Sadly we’re seeing C.S. Lewis’ warning come to life:

…those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

Those attempting to stifle debate today do so out of a view that we’ve moved ‘beyond’ that debate, that we’re better than that now, and that by allowing said debate to continue then they’re allowing us to risk a step backwards. In other words, they are convinced that the world will be a better place if the debate simply is not allowed to happen and dissent is outlawed. Their own conscience approves of their efforts to silence all ‘others’ and instead of being troubled by the way they oppress others, they convince themselves that their oppression is ‘for the greater good’.

I’m coming to the conclusion that being called names by such people is actually a badge of honour. That setting them off to shriek and howl, and then refusing to be silenced by their whingeing, is in and of itself a service to society. If overbearing nanny states require civil disobedience to remind them of their place, then perhaps oversensitive offence takers need to be given the offence they crave, in spades, and then reminded that their whingeing really isn’t the weapon they think it is…

At the very least, I can be sure I’ll find out who is really committed to the principles of free expression and the contest of ideas, and who just pays lip-service to it while they await the day they can silence their opponents…

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Categories: Free Speech, Politics
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One thought on “Freedom of speech should be agreed on by all”

  1. This is so true, not just of the climate debate, but in other areas, e.g. ‘Safe spaces’ in Universities (if they can’t argue their corner and need a safe space to retreat to, lest they be offended, then they shouldn’t be there at all!), and even the current EU referendum where the EU apparatchiks try to use every device they can to force their dictatorial view onto us.

    It’s true for believing Christians too, with the state using legal tools to force those who dissent from their perceived narrow secular view out of their jobs, and threaten them with arrest.

    Indeed, every ‘consensus’ position in history, enshrined as ‘politically correct’ thinking by strong factions, has suffered the same fate, and no doubt will continue to do so unless brave souls stand up and refuse to be badgered into submission.

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