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I hate many things about what the US is becoming--or has always been--but it does have some of the strongest free-speech rights in the world (though less so in

I hate many things about what the US is becoming--or has always been--but it does have some of the strongest free-speech rights in the world (though less so in recent decades as other nations catch up), and the world's highest public support for freedom of speech. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/11/freedom-of-speech-country-comparison/ https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/11/freedom-of-speech-cou...

omegaworks 8y ago
The Trump administration has stumbled backwards very publicly with regard to the people that the framers intended for free speech rights to protect: journalists. From overt anti-journalist rhetoric[1], to possible collusion in the murder of US national Jamal Khashoggi[2], a journalist critical of the Saudi regime. "Free speech" has been co-opted so effectively by the far-right movement that the same people who wave it around to defend debate of genocide simultaneously advocate for the prosecution of journalists. 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35EWlJMmO4s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35EWlJMmO4s 2. https://twitter.com/RVAwonk/status/1064718127903268864 https://twitter.com/RVAwonk/status/1064718127903268864
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  > possible collusion in the murder of US national Jamal Khashoggi Not central to the point, but Kashoggi was not a US national. He was a US-resident Saudi citizen. It's possible to be a US national but not a citizen, but Kashoggi wasn't one: https://www.immihelp.com/immigration/us-national.html https://www.immihelp.com/immigration/us-national.html
  - omegaworks 8y ago
    Quibbling over status is an interesting fallout of the same right-wing nationalist rhetoric. You're right though. He was a Saudi citizen, US resident on an O Visa with US citizen children on his way to a green card[1]. Should we not care about his murder as much then? 1. https://qz.com/1428499/jamal-khashoggi-what-trump-owes-khashoggi-under-us-law-and-constitution/ https://qz.com/1428499/jamal-khashoggi-what-trump-owes-khash...
    - dragonwriter 8y ago
      > Should we not care about his murder as much then? Actually, the correction was so that people wouldn't continue making the mistake, not because his citizenship status is a critical point. The error is a distraction from the main point that is avoidable in the future.
      - omegaworks 8y ago
        >The error is a distraction from the main point that is avoidable in the future. Point taken. The intricacies of status continue to wonder and delight. :)

omegaworks 8y ago

The Trump administration has stumbled backwards very publicly with regard to the people that the framers intended for free speech rights to protect: journalists. From overt anti-journalist rhetoric[1], to possible collusion in the murder of US national Jamal Khashoggi[2], a journalist critical of the Saudi regime. "Free speech" has been co-opted so effectively by the far-right movement that the same people who wave it around to defend debate of genocide simultaneously advocate for the prosecution of journalists. 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35EWlJMmO4s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35EWlJMmO4s 2. https://twitter.com/RVAwonk/status/1064718127903268864 https://twitter.com/RVAwonk/status/1064718127903268864

dragonwriter 8y ago
> possible collusion in the murder of US national Jamal Khashoggi Not central to the point, but Kashoggi was not a US national. He was a US-resident Saudi citizen. It's possible to be a US national but not a citizen, but Kashoggi wasn't one: https://www.immihelp.com/immigration/us-national.html https://www.immihelp.com/immigration/us-national.html
- omegaworks 8y ago
  Quibbling over status is an interesting fallout of the same right-wing nationalist rhetoric. You're right though. He was a Saudi citizen, US resident on an O Visa with US citizen children on his way to a green card[1]. Should we not care about his murder as much then? 1. https://qz.com/1428499/jamal-khashoggi-what-trump-owes-khashoggi-under-us-law-and-constitution/ https://qz.com/1428499/jamal-khashoggi-what-trump-owes-khash...
  - dragonwriter 8y ago
    > Should we not care about his murder as much then? Actually, the correction was so that people wouldn't continue making the mistake, not because his citizenship status is a critical point. The error is a distraction from the main point that is avoidable in the future.
    - omegaworks 8y ago
      >The error is a distraction from the main point that is avoidable in the future. Point taken. The intricacies of status continue to wonder and delight. :)