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Over the years, I've come to the strong view that America's free speech protections - more or less unique in the world - are by far the best model. Plenty of o
by TillE 3y ago
Over the years, I've come to the strong view that America's free speech protections - more or less unique in the world - are by far the best model.
Plenty of other countries gesture at the idea of free expression, even in their constitutions, but in practice it doesn't exist. It becomes illegal to "defame" (or even just "insult") someone by merely expressing an opinion, not making a factually defamatory claim. It's an awful way to run a democratic society.
I mean, I could name a bunch of American political podcasts which would have been sued out of existence by the powerful people they joke about in any other country.
- hot_gril 3y agoYes, and this is especially relevant recently. Free speech laws can't be simply bolted on when needed. Also: "British libel law retains something of its aristocratic origins: the person claiming to have been defamed is the one presumed to be telling the truth, unlike in the legal traditions of continental Europe and America." I wonder how true this is about the UK, sounds messed up.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- thsksbd 3y agoBy far the best in the world. Chomsky is quite open that the US is the only country in the world where he can be as critical of the sovereign as he is. Frankly it's a big reason I finally decided to become American.