Benjamin Franklin once said "Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech." (Actually a quote by an unknown author B.F. copied). George Washington commented, "If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter." Clearly the founding fathers held the concept of free speech in high regard and a pinnacle right of the people in developing the country. Which is why they made it the very first amendment in the bill of rights. They understood that no authority could wield the power to suppress speech without existential consequences. This is as true today as it ever was.
I like how this article exposes the paradoxical nature of government and equality. The idea that the system that offers protection from domination can only do so through further domination. I find it odd that so many people conflate equality under the eyes of the law with equal outcomes in general. Between equality and fairness. People are inherently not equal, in intelligence, work ethic, physical strength, etc. There can be no equality of outcomes without any form of suppression. If the government assists certain groups, it affects as negative assistance to others. If the government empowers certain speech, it affects as suppression of other speech. This would essentially create inequality in the eyes of the government and end up treating certain people unfairly. It is not within human capacity to correct inequalities bound in our nature, the best we can hope for is to eliminate inequalities in government treatment.
Benjamin Franklin once said "Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech." (Actually a quote by an unknown author B.F. copied). George Washington commented, "If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter." Clearly the founding fathers held the concept of free speech in high regard and a pinnacle right of the people in developing the country. Which is why they made it the very first amendment in the bill of rights. They understood that no authority could wield the power to suppress speech without existential consequences. This is as true today as it ever was.
I like how this article exposes the paradoxical nature of government and equality. The idea that the system that offers protection from domination can only do so through further domination. I find it odd that so many people conflate equality under the eyes of the law with equal outcomes in general. Between equality and fairness. People are inherently not equal, in intelligence, work ethic, physical strength, etc. There can be no equality of outcomes without any form of suppression. If the government assists certain groups, it affects as negative assistance to others. If the government empowers certain speech, it affects as suppression of other speech. This would essentially create inequality in the eyes of the government and end up treating certain people unfairly. It is not within human capacity to correct inequalities bound in our nature, the best we can hope for is to eliminate inequalities in government treatment.