[lbo-talk] Re: "Freedom" of fascist speech is an absurdity

Carrol Cox cbcox at ilstu.edu
Tue Feb 7 06:31:39 PST 2006


Marvin Gandall wrote:
>
> In a nutshell, 1) I don't believe in "free speech for fascists" 2) I don't
> support state intervention to proscribe them,

This guarantees misunderstanding. If you don't support state intervention, _then_ you DO believe in free speech for fascists. You are fighting the language, and fights against language are always losing fights, leading to the kind of confusion you describe. And this error in diction leads to confused political debate, because there ceases to be shared understanding when we turn to the question of leftists orgaizing to disrupt racist speeches and so forth. That discussion has to do with left tactics and their efficacy or inefficacy in given contexts, NOT with the question of free speech.

Free speech _means_ no state interference. It has no other meaning. Do not use it in any other sense because if you do you will cause confusion.

Carrol



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