Well also there's the notion of freedom of speech, which is a relatively new development in the West. We tolerate speech today that would have resulted in grues

Well also there's the notion of freedom of speech, which is a relatively new development in the West. We tolerate speech today that would have resulted in gruesome execution in the reign of, say, the Tudor Kings of England. [1] These were not democracies. (Or perhaps I'm misunderstanding your point.) [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason_Act_1351 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason_Act_1351