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Comment by Barrin92

9 years ago

>Open, civil, and logical debate of ideas is your recourse. If your ideas cannot win over the majority, maybe you (and possibly that society) deserve to lose

Why should anybody deserve to lose because they fall victim to the masses? How is that in any way justifiable? This is tyranny of the masses, nothing else.

And I would suggest to you that there are numerous countries on this planet that have not elevated free speech to the status of religion, yet guarantee civil rights for much longer than the United States do.

>To deny free speech is to oppress.

And how does this constitute an argument? We oppress the Marburg virus, why are we supposed to turn the other cheek when our society and our values are threatened by destructive forces?

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Barrin92

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davemp  9 years ago

> This is tyranny of the masses, nothing else.

It is called democracy. It has brought more success/improved living conditions than any other model (tyranny of the elite) in history.

> And I would suggest to you that there are numerous countries on this planet that have not elevated free speech to the status of religion, yet guarantee civil rights for much longer than the United States do.

Let's see some citations. Who are these beacons of civil rights? China? India? Colonel England?

It is also worth noting that free speech is considered a human right by the UN. [1]

> And how does this constitute an argument?

It's a circular arguement. I oppress you, you oppress me, we are all one big opressive family.

[1]: https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/043/8...

> Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

  • Barrin92  9 years ago

    >Let's see some citations. Who are these beacons of civil rights? China? India? Colonel England?

    The United Kingdom and France for starters, two countries that were relatively egalitarian while the US was still busy enslaving its African-American population. Of course while free speech was already a thing in the United States.