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No country has free speech. But in choosing a country, you can choose which types of speech you want to be allowed to make freely and which types you want to be
by Hondor 11y ago
No country has free speech. But in choosing a country, you can choose which types of speech you want to be allowed to make freely and which types you want to be protected from other people making.
America gets its free speech by defining the word to mean any communication that's permitted to be free. If the law disallows something then by definition it's not speech anymore, or it's an exception that's so obvious nobody mentions it. Examples: Flag burning, copyright infringement, libel, slander, threats, incitement to violence, child pornography, false advertising, revealing state secrets and trade secrets, violating NDAs, sharing insider information about listed companies. Wow, there's quite a lot of things you're not allowed to say in America!
It's a bit like Athenian democracy where everyone could vote. Of course women, children, slaves and foreigners obviously weren't part of "everyone" so there's no need to mention them.
- JoeAltmaier 11y agoThat's pretty cynical. Its disingenuous to suggest 'free speech' ever meant free to lie and hurt other people. The freedom is intended to mean 'free to criticize the government', as that was called sedition in past ages.
- Kristine1975 11y ago>he freedom is intended to mean 'free to criticize the government', as that was called sedition in past ages. And then the US has these: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_speech_zone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_speech_zone Also sedition seems to still be illegal in the US: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedition#United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedition#United_States
- bruceb 11y agoflag burning isn't illegal. Most of what you listed is not allowed most countries + more restrictions. Compared to most other countries America has fewest restrictions.
- Hondor 11y agoThat's good news for freedom. It seems flag burning was illegal before 1990, and very nearly became illegal again a couple of years ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_Protection_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_Protection_Act It's true most other countries have even less freedom of speech, but my point was that it's not black and white. Each country is different and none are very free at all. It should be called "fairly free political speech as long as you aren't too specific in calling for overthrow of the government" or a briefer form of that.