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That so many leftists are against free speech is the strongest proof that they firmly believe that we not only have complete cultural hegemony & power over all the speech-producing institutions—academe, the media, publishing, the entertainment industry—but always will. 1/
I'm not so sanguine. I think the right could wrest control at any moment, in the west, & the worst of the right (right-wing authoritarians) already do have control in much of the world. But even if it were true, it would quickly turn us into what we most hate: reactionaries. 2/
Without free speech, all you can say & write is what conforms closely to the status quo. Progress is impossible because to progress you have to think new thoughts & be able to express those thoughts publicly (so you can hone them through feedback). 3/
That, in the US, hard power (government, police, military etc.) & soft power (unis, the media, Hollywood etc.) are separate is an anomaly resulting from the First Amendment: i.e. the left only have any influence at all during a right-wing administration because of free speech. 4/
Whenever free speech protections are weak, those in power in central government can control what is permitted to be said & therefore hinder social change. Change, in itself, is neutral, but I'm a Pinkerian on this: the wider arc, over the longer term, tends towards the good. 5/
I'm a small c conservative about many things. I enjoy freely chosen traditions: but the free choice element is crucial. Tradition enforced through threat of violence or legal repercussions is a prison & is completely inhumane, because traditional roles never suit everyone. 6/
By definition, if you have to force people to do something, that means a significant minority of them, at the very least, would not otherwise do so. Forcing people to conform to stereotypes reduces human happiness. That is what an embargo on free speech entails. 7/
Without some degree of free speech, there can be no science (younger scientists couldn't challenge the authority of older ones), there can be no art (craftsmanship, sure, but art requires originality), there can be no social progress (we'd still be living in feudal societies). 8/
Yes, free speech has the worst trade offs of any fundamental human right. Speech can do real harm by spreading bad ideas. I'm not just talking about hurt feelings here: ISIS recruits through speech, so do the RSS. So did every fascist org in history. 9/
But without free speech, our lives would be completely controlled by the powerful. You may think that's good because—despite right-wing parliamentary majorities, the good guys (us) hold the media, unis, Silicon Valley, etc. They're bastards, but they're *our* bastards. 10/
But you forget that power corrupts & absolute power corrupts absolutely. Every time the left has turned authoritarian, it's been hellish from Stalinist Russia to North Korea. Look at China! Anyone who *wants* to control speech & therefore quash dissent cannot be trusted. 11/
Our freedom of speech is already heavily curtailed by that other good thing with nevertheless enormous negative trade offs: capitalism. This is one of the reasons I favour UBI or some other guaranteed income system: it would free people to speak their minds. 12/
Even if the left retains soft power hegemony, are you sure we will control all businesses, forever? Do you really want employers to be able to police your free time activities, as well as your office time? This is authoritarianism, too, though less centralised. 13/
Don't believe me? Imagine if your parents or spouse could dictate what you were allowed to read, listen to, write & say. (For women, through much of history, this was the case.) Control doesn't only come from government. 14/
A lot of people say, well, I don't mind if Jack Dorsey or Mark Zuckerberg are authoritarian dads who decide what I'm allowed to say: that's OK. Social media is only part of my life, I can have my speech quashed here. And then at work, yes, of course. And among friends yes. 15/
If this is you: what freedom of speech do you have left? You relinquish the freedom to choose what ideas you explore, what you discover about the world, what you are able to express of your own thoughts & feelings. That's not leftist. It's abject bootlicking masochism. 16/
Can't speak for you, but being able to read, hear, speak & read what I wish is important to me & no one should have the right to control that: not Boris Johnson, not the police, not Jack Dorsey, not someone who is wealthier than me. My voice is who I am. I'll fight for it. 17/
"But what if you use your freedom of speech to say the N-word?" one of you already asked. If you're childish enough to use your free speech that way, have at it. I won't be silenced because of someone else's idiocy. NEVER relinquish your basic rights without a fight. 18/
"But the definition of free speech is the First Amendment: I know because I read that xkcd cartoon!" That's your definition. It's absurdly narrow & narrow minded. It's not mine. 19/
