In modern Western thought voices aren't suppressed Well, "incorrect" voices are still suppressed. There are still things you can't say [1]. The first question

In modern Western thought voices aren't suppressed Well, "incorrect" voices are still suppressed. There are still things you can't say [1]. The first question is whether the number of things you can't say is greater today in the West than it is elsewhere or it was in the past. The second question is whether that number is increasing or decreasing over time. In fact, the assertion that we don't punish speech is a pernicious one, because it puts the burden on the other person to prove you wrong... at which point you can punish them! [1]: http://www.paulgraham.com/say.html http://www.paulgraham.com/say.html