5 ms·

There is an absolute need for people to mature and perpetuate a peaceful society. Maturity implies that, while I might retain a right to be a dickhead, everyon

There is an absolute need for people to mature and perpetuate a peaceful society. Maturity implies that, while I might retain a right to be a dickhead, everyone (including me) would be better off if I put on my big-people pants. Beside just repackaging your point, though, there is tremendous power to be had in setting oneself up as a gatekeeper. The power to regulate where the line is drawn on just how free speech can be is a gateway drug to tyranny. Thus, the concern is less the speech itself than the tyranny begotten from regulating the speech.

surgical_fire 1y ago
> Thus, the concern is less the speech itself than the tyranny begotten from regulating the speech. Absolute freedom devolves into tyranny super fast. If a democratically elected government cannot regulate how society operates on a base level, my only resourcento you retaining your right to be a dickhead is me retaining my right to have you swallow my fist in retribution. I really don't want to live in such a society. Better to have some regulated basic civility.
- smitty1e 1y ago
  The question is less the regulation than the feedback loops maintaining the regulation at that "goldilocks" point of balance.
  - surgical_fire 1y ago
    > feedback loops maintaining the regulation at that "goldilocks" point of balance. That is why a democracy with well functioning institutions is important. Power is fractured so that there are many checks and balances. It's important that we have the right to criticize the government, and to keep those in power in check. We don't need to ensure every dickhead can deny the Holocaust, or call black people monkeys, or claim that 5G technology is a conspiracy to kill those that take vaccines to ensure we have proper rights to speech in that 'goldilocks" zone.
    - smitty1e 1y ago
      > Power is fractured so that there are many checks and balances. Except that power has been centralized: see the national debt.

surgical_fire 1y ago

> Thus, the concern is less the speech itself than the tyranny begotten from regulating the speech. Absolute freedom devolves into tyranny super fast. If a democratically elected government cannot regulate how society operates on a base level, my only resourcento you retaining your right to be a dickhead is me retaining my right to have you swallow my fist in retribution. I really don't want to live in such a society. Better to have some regulated basic civility.

smitty1e 1y ago
The question is less the regulation than the feedback loops maintaining the regulation at that "goldilocks" point of balance.
- surgical_fire 1y ago
  > feedback loops maintaining the regulation at that "goldilocks" point of balance. That is why a democracy with well functioning institutions is important. Power is fractured so that there are many checks and balances. It's important that we have the right to criticize the government, and to keep those in power in check. We don't need to ensure every dickhead can deny the Holocaust, or call black people monkeys, or claim that 5G technology is a conspiracy to kill those that take vaccines to ensure we have proper rights to speech in that 'goldilocks" zone.
  - smitty1e 1y ago
    > Power is fractured so that there are many checks and balances. Except that power has been centralized: see the national debt.