Freedom of speech ( EU)

Charles Brown CharlesB at CNCL.ci.detroit.mi.us
Thu Aug 16 12:25:04 PDT 2001



>>> furuhashi.1 at osu.edu 08/15/01 06:59PM >>>
> >>> furuhashi.1 at osu.edu 08/15/01 04:28PM >>>
> >CB: Right on , J.C. I'm with you on that. The person dying for
>>fascists' free of speech, would be dying do that fascists could
>>speak for destroying freedom of speech.
>
>I doubt that any non- & anti-fascists have _literally died_ to defend
>fascists' right to freedom of speech & ever will.
>((((((((
>
>CB: The overdramatizing of one's willingess to sacrifice by
>reference to willingness to die, of course, comes from the speaker
>mentioned, and is part of the historical American rhetoric on this
>issue. I think Paine said, I may disagree with what you say but will
>defend to the death your right to say it. I merely repeat their
>exact phrase.
>
>Substitute for "the person dying" , " the person militantly
>defending". In fact , ACLUers literally go to pretty active lengths
>to defend fascists rights to speak, as you know, so the substance of
>this speaker's enthusiasm, if not quite the full extent, is actual
>not theatre.

Expending time, money, energy, and/or expertise to do the necessary legal & public relations work may be sacrifice of sorts, but it's not in the same league as risking one's job, life, family, etc. How many ACLUers actually would defend freedom of speech if doing so meant the latter, not the former?

(((((((((

CB: Maybe I missed something implied in your first post, Yoshie. Are you noting a gap between word and deed in these pronouncements on freedom of speech ? Materialists support freedom of speech, we just want freedom from material want placed on a par with freedom of speech and ideas.



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