Comment by stinkbeetle
13 days ago
I don't understand what you're getting at.
You're saying some "dynamic" of people you have noticed do not really support free speech in some cases?
Lots of people don't support free speech. My original post bemoaned exactly that.
I am saying that "I support free speech" ended up associated with "I am pro far right, but do not want to openly admit so, but I will gladly accept suppression of left, progressives, liberals and anyone who criticizes right".
And that eventually we realized that "old school free speech groups" just wanted to shut up opposition to far right.
It ended up associated with the far right, by people on the left who are against free speech I suppose, yes.
> And that eventually we realized that "old school free speech groups" just wanted to shut up opposition to far right.
That's untrue.
It ended up associated with the far right, because poster child for "defending speech" was only and exclusively far right. Really.
It was never "I strongly disagree with an annoying progressive, but I will defend their right to say it". It was always "how dare you criticize far right or call someone far right, you are preventing their speech by opposing them".
> people on the left who are against free speech I suppose, yes.
Funny enough, far right and conservatives were openly against free speech again and again and again. Including in very practical ways. And we see that right now with Trump, Thiel, Musk, Vance and the rest.
People "on the right" nor self styled free speech advocates never minded that. There was never any fascist movement for freedom, the openly stated goal was always to remove the freedom. But if you are not one of them say so and mean it as a criticism, you are somehow supposedly preventing their free speech.
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