Free Speech? What Free Speech?!

Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.): “One look at these documents shows the government and these organizations working hand-in-glove to suppress the speech of Americans.”
AP

More evidence coming to light of this absolutely horrific censorship apparatus that was established a little over 5 years ago. This is fascistic in the true sense of the word - public and private actors working in concert to deprive citizens of their rights (in this case the right to free speech and freedom of expression). Please help your family members and friends and colleagues wake up.


Detailed Twitter thread:

Video explainer:

The riots in Dublin were by opportunist scumbags who don't represent the majority (or anywhere close)

There are many legitimate problems and grievances that people have here because our political class are a bunch of sellouts basically. But that doesn't excuse the violence, arson and looting that happened. Some people just saw an opportunity to be violent and act out in response to a genuinely horrific knife attack on children (and adults) outside a school. It was an attack that truly shocked the conscience. Thankfully order was restored relatively quickly.

Like many other countries, there is a lot of political turbulence and dissatisfaction with the political class. Our government is preoccupied with drafting Draconian hate speech laws (which can easily be abused by punishing people simply for POSSESSING material that the government deems offensive or hateful). There will probably be a political revolution at some stage in Ireland. At present we are little more than a Proxy State of Brussels, with a cost of living and housing crisis, and people are becoming increasingly resentful of government.

Freedom of speech means freedom from interference, suppression or punitive action by the government—and nothing else. It does not mean the right to demand the financial support or the material means to express your views at the expense of other men who may not wish to support you. Freedom of speech includes the freedom not to agree, not to listen and not to support one’s own antagonists. A “right” does not include the material implementation of that right by other men; it includes only the freedom to earn that implementation by one’s own effort. Private citizens cannot use physical force or coercion; they cannot censor or suppress anyone’s views or publications. Only the government can do so. And censorship is a concept that pertains only to governmental action.

“The Fascist New Frontier,”
The Ayn Rand Column, 106

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While people are clamoring about “economic rights,” the concept of political rights is vanishing. It is forgotten that the right of free speech means the freedom to advocate one’s views and to bear the possible consequences, including disagreement with others, opposition, unpopularity and lack of support. The political function of “the right of free speech” is to protect dissenters and unpopular minorities from forcible suppression—not to guarantee them the support, advantages and rewards of a popularity they have not gained.

The Bill of Rights reads: “Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press . . . .” It does not demand that private citizens provide a microphone for the man who advocates their destruction, or a passkey for the burglar who seeks to rob them, or a knife for the murderer who wants to cut their throats.

“Man’s Rights,”
The Virtue of Selfishness, 99