4 ms·
In particular, "anonymous speech is required if you want to have free speech" is actually a very niche position, not a mainstream one. It just happens to be wid
by o11c 3y ago
In particular, "anonymous speech is required if you want to have free speech" is actually a very niche position, not a mainstream one. It just happens to be widely spammed in certain online cultures.
- paulddraper 3y agoCorrect. I am staunch believer in the moral and societal good of free speech. Anonymous speech is far more dubious. Like, protests seem valuable. Protests while wearing robes and masks however...
- TillE 3y ago> Protests while wearing robes and masks however This is absolutely permitted in America. It is illegal in countries like Germany which have no strong free speech protections.
- jonathankoren 3y agoNo. It is not "absolutely permitted in America". They're Klan Acts, because a bunch of guys in masks and robes marching through is obviously a threat of violence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-mask_law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-mask_law
- chasd00 3y agoThere’s no issue protesting in masks. Antifa did it all the time with no repercussions.
- jcranmer 3y agoThose laws are frequently overturned as unconstitutional, but may still remain on the books because we don't do a good job of clearing out laws that were ruled unconstitutional. As a general rule of thumb, almost every time someone brings an edge case about whether or not speech is First Amendment-privileged before SCOTUS, SCOTUS rules in favor of the speech. (The main exception is speech of students in school.) SCOTUS hasn't specifically ruled on anti-mask laws to my knowledge, but I strongly doubt it would uphold those laws.
- jonathankoren 3y agoThe last court case was 2004, and the New York anti-mask was upheld. You don’t have to pontificate. The link was right there.
- whiddershins 3y agoRandom aside, I haven’t seen NY enforce the anti mask legislation during the Halloween parade, various protests, or Covid. So I bet a new constitutional challenge could be erected.
- jonathankoren 3y agoYou're trolling right?
- protocolture 3y agoProtests while wearing robes and masks protect the protester from followup action, and it also protects their families. If you assume a just government that doesnt demand revenge for every petty slight, you are living in a fantasy land.
- harimau777 3y agoThere are places where it wouldn't be safe to protest without masks. In that case people effectively would be losing their freedom of speech if it isn't anonymous.
- TillE 3y agoAmerica has a very long tradition of anonymity being part of free speech, going back to the Federalist Papers. This is not some new online issue.
- unethical_ban 3y agoWealthy, politically connected men with the ability to read and write about political philosophy and get it distributed is a bit different situation than a thousand Russian AI trollbots posting bad-faith "opinions" on American current events.