The catalog of events near the beginning of the post is very valuable. The false dichotomy that runs through the post ("what if the real threat to free speech

The catalog of events near the beginning of the post is very valuable. The false dichotomy that runs through the post ("what if the real threat to free speech was the reactionary despot we made along the way?") is not; it is counterproductive. In the US, neither the left wing nor the right supports freedom of speech. That's how we got into this situation.