There's an interesting debate going on (possibly closed by now) in the comments section after a Guardian opinion piece ("The Guardian view on Twitter: when free speech costs a bomb"). Here are two of the comments with which I agree.


‘Free speech’ would be great if anybody actually used it.

Racists, sexists, homophobes, and the rest only express their racist, sexist, homophobic comments directly in their safe spaces. Unable to articulate a rational argument or analysis for grossly oppressive politics, ‘free speech’ is the lie they tell themselves.

What a turnaround from the idealism of the ‘free speech’ movement to its current proponents advocating book-banning, curriculum-regulation and no-platforming alternative outlooks.

Populism has really messed up the free speech debate.......


.......Like so many principles, Free Speech has been turned from its original intent to become one to enable abuse and retain dominant positions of the powerful and wealthy.
Rather than being able to say what you like, the idea free speech was intended to allow free debate and discussion without interference.
All we have now is people who feel enabled to say the worst things they can, and who then will not engage in discussion (not that most people are willing to change their mind, or have been given the educational opportunities to learn critical thinking skills).

Its even more laughable that we have such people defending 'free speech' whilst banning books, and preventing people from talking about racism, sexism, transphobia, gay rights, or anything else which threatens the straight white man's grasp on power.

As always, its one rule for the powerful, another for those they oppress.

Plenty to chew over there. So free speech untrammelled is great down the pub, or in your cosy circle, or expressed under the shield of internet anonymity. But go large and you may be trampling on the rights of free speech of those you regard as not in your personal mainstream (so not straight white men then...?). Not only that, I can't imagine many advertisers wanting to see their copy next to Holocaust-denying, gay and trans-bashing, racist or anti-vax polemic...