That’s a bit of a thought terminating clique, imo. If the only consequence for saying something reasonable but contentious is unpopularity then you have free s

That’s a bit of a thought terminating clique, imo. If the only consequence for saying something reasonable but contentious is unpopularity then you have free speech, but if you can be punished (banned from a public platform, or fired from a job) then you don’t. Freedom doesn’t mean “the right to” (that’s “liberty”) - freedom has to be “effectively exercisable”, and that requires limitation on any unjust consequences.