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Comment by lightgreen

5 years ago

Even if the constitution allows free speech, but practically if free speech is not possible, it is not freedom.

Note in the authoritarian totalitarian states there are no laws against free speech. And usually it is not government actors how punish you for expressing dissenting opinions, it is often mob and your employer. These states are not free.

So to some degree SV is not a free place, even if it there are no laws prohibiting free expression.

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lightgreen

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renewiltord  5 years ago

Interesting, so you want to restrict people from saying things because you think they're saying things you don't like.

And you use this stance to claim you're advocating for freedom without seeing the inherent contradiction.

  • lightgreen  5 years ago

    > you want to restrict people from saying things because you think they're saying things you don't like

    Of course not. How did you get that from my comment?

    • renewiltord  5 years ago

      Well, let's get to the bottom of it, shall we?

      I will describe a sequence of events. You tell me which acts of speech you want to proscribe and which ones you want to permit.

      1. Person A says "I don't like people whose name starts with R. They are disgusting and ugly"

      2. Person B says "That's bigoted"

      3. Person B tells Person C "A is bigoted because he hates people whose name starts with R"

      4. Person C says "That's horrible. We should boycott any business that A is employed at"

      5. Person B says "You are right. I will tell everyone"

      6. Person A says "This is not fair. I have a right to being employed despite these opinions of mine"

      7. Person B says "That's right. And I have a right to not use your employer's services unless you are fired"

      8. Person D, overhearing this, finds a big soap box "Everyone! A is bigoted! He hates people whose name starts with R! Join me in boycotting his employer until they fire him"

      9. Person E says "If he is fired, I will stop using the product. I'm going to tell everyone about this boycott campaign"

      10. Person F says "If he is fired, I will hire him. My company has a lot of R-haters and we get along fine"

      Tell me which of these things you will proscribe and which of these things you will permit. I, because I believe in the freedom of speech and association, would permit all of these. In SV, all of these are permissible.

      So let's hear what you will do. Name the numbers. That will do.

      And if you want to offer more examples to narrow the scope of my belief, please do.

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