"What you don't have is Constitutionally guaranteed free speech. Nor does France. Defamation is much easier to prove in Europe. Saying some things in Europe is a crime. You may be aware of the problems and controversy of true free speech but you do not feel it alive in your soul in the way Americans can."

You may well try bravely to add clarity to this, Maggie, but it's just nonsense. In this country, and as far as I know in most EU countries, you may freely say what you like as long as it's not hate speech, speech that puts people in danger or speech that's intended to inflame riots, etc. King Charles is a bloody idiot who cheated on his wife with the woman who is now to be our queen, Boris Johnson is a complete buffoon, our Home Secretary is a racist thug. I can say all those things without fear of reprisal, because I've said nothing illegal. It does not mean that they are all true, but they are not illegal. I would imagine that a lot of Brits would wish I hadn't said one or two of those things. I can't really go much further, but I wouldn't want to, and I believe that most Brits would be with me on that. We've had Holocaust deniers here who have been silenced for going public. Only a fool or a fascist would quarrel with that, and we do get such people. No, they are not within their rights to spout that hateful stuff and, if unfettered free speech would allow them to spout it, then I for one don't want unfettered free speech.

I'm afraid that attempts by Americans to laud their right to free speech impresses me just about as much as does their right to carry guns in the street. It's nothing to be particularly proud of, is it?