Thursday 26 January 2023

"The leaders of any political system—no matter how enlightened—inevitably convince themselves that *now* freedom of speech has gone too far.”



"In recent years, a growing chorus of voices has become increasingly hostile to free speech. Certain people, ideas, and narratives, we are told, must be suppressed in order to combat 'hate speech,' stop misinformation, and 'protect democracy.' As Jacob Mchangama explains in his book, Free Speech: A Global History from Socrates to Social Media, these arguments are not new. The 'justifications for limiting free speech in the twenty-first century,' he observes, 'have more in common with those used many centuries past than perhaps we would like to admit'....
    "One reason for this, Mchangama writes, is that 'the introduction of free speech sets in motion a process of entropy. The leaders of any political system—no matter how enlightened—inevitably convince themselves that now freedom of speech has gone too far'.”
 from his review of Free Speech: A Global History from Socrates to Social Media by Jacob Mchangama

2 comments:

Duncan Bayne said...

I've heard a similar thing said of immigration - that it was just fine for my grandparents, but really ought to be stopped *now*.

Peter Cresswell said...

... and of the environment: the conservationist is one who already has their bush cabin.