free speech & internet

JKSCHW at aol.com JKSCHW at aol.com
Fri Feb 11 19:41:02 PST 2000


In a message dated 2/11/00 9:04:44 PM Eastern Standard Time, seamus at accessone.com writes:

<< >>Leaving aside

the obvious problem of its applicability outside the geographical United

States, the essential weakness of the Amendment at the dawn of the 21st

century is that it only prohibits governmental interference in speech; it

says nothing about commercial interference in speech.

========

Yet another reason the parchment's gotta go. Just where does the Gov. get

the right to dispense/delegate a power that it itself does not have? Along

similar lines isn't this what the Myanmar/MA purchasing law case is about,

namely, a state government should have the same rights a corporation has?

Justin, can you help?

>>

I am a little bit puzzled. Yeah, the 1st Amendment only prohibits government regulation of speech, with certain exceptions, and not commercial limitations on speech, but why is that a reason to get rid of the 1A and the rest of the "parchment"? Should we get rid of antibiotics because they don't stop viruses?

The 1A does reach outside US borders: it would be pretty clearly unconstitutional for Congress or any governmental body to criminalize speech critical of the US if made in other countries.

I don't know what the last two sentences you write mean.

--jks



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list