We’re reminded of a number of posts we did early on in the Trump administration, where academics and even journalists were rethinking the whole First Amendment, and suddenly it wasn’t so easy to be a “free speech absolutist” anymore, what with alt-right crazies like Ben Shapiro and Ann Coulter being invited to speak on college campuses.
Here’s the Washington Post in 2017:
At least they're finally admitting to being against free speech pic.twitter.com/qrfm2lSknt
— Ben McDonald (@Bmac0507) August 22, 2017
Here’s the New York Times in 2019:
Move over, Climate Change. pic.twitter.com/eJvhzoAhfK
— trick-or-treater (@neontaster) October 4, 2019
And here’s the New York Times in 2021:
NYT op-Ed putting it plainly. “I used to believe that the remedy for bad speech is more speech. Now that seems archaic.”https://t.co/qFQW9nHNlx pic.twitter.com/3s409t4MO4
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) April 2, 2021
Timothy Egan writes that just as the founders could never have envisioned the AR-15 while writing the Second Amendment, they also “could not have foreseen speech so twisted to malevolent intent as it is now.” “Toxic misinformation, like AR-15-style weapons in the hands of men bent on murder,” Egan writes, “is just something we’re supposed to live with in a free society.” Well, yeah.
He proposes three solutions: media literacy classes for high schoolers, lawsuits, and legislation:
Republicans may resist most of the above. Lies help them stay in power, and a misinformed public is good for their legislative agenda. They’re currently pushing a wave of voter suppression laws to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.
I still believe the truth may set us free. But it has little chance of surviving amid the babble of orchestrated mendacity.
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Egan obviously doesn’t see the irony in saying the government should regulate “toxic misinformation” while accusing Republicans of “pushing a wave of voter suppression laws” in the nation’s largest newspaper.
The New York Times. pic.twitter.com/rpfkZWyXSf
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) April 2, 2021
This is the second major op-ed published by the NYT in the last several months arguing against free speech.
The US is plagued by the most bizarre spectacle that *journalists* are the leading activists for censorship and speech controls. https://t.co/qE6Ws2stN9 pic.twitter.com/g8MQt1bIMc
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 2, 2021
They know that their speech is not at risk.
Since the web, the free market has been building against the legacy media outlets while they responded with a limp "join 'em, eventually" strategy.
Reclaiming the 4th estate is their only chance to live their agenda-first fantasy
— Dan Farfan (@DanFarfan) April 3, 2021
I used to think the remedy for bad journalism was more journalism. Not anymore.
— Alastair (@_AlastairX_) April 3, 2021
who would've thought that journalists and liberals would be the ones calling for censorship? strange times.
— Hec (@hlrjr2) April 2, 2021
Right? But it’s a kick they’ve been on since 2017 — right around the time they were pushing the Steele dossier and Russian collusion at every opportunity.
“We need to silence everyone who disagrees with me!”
— Jack in the East (@talkradio200) April 2, 2021
In other words: "I used to believe in freedom of speech. Not anymore."
— Rabindra ®️ (@ccRabindra) April 2, 2021
The founders never could’ve possibly envisioned bad speech!
— marc flombone (@MFlombone) April 2, 2021
Presumably the @nytimes gets to keep speaking though. We only want to shut down people we disagree with. All echo chamber all the time!
— Joshua Oster-Morris (@craftyc0der) April 2, 2021
Tim Egan, you are a confused man.
— Rawhide (@Rawhide87317236) April 3, 2021
Why is it so difficult for them to realize any and all speech will eventually be censored?
— TrueWest (@Trestresjolie) April 3, 2021
This guy would be fired from his job for saying the N-word in public, but thinks society doesn't police speech enough. ?
— InTheRightColumn (@TheRightColumn) April 3, 2021
Those who cannot argue their position try to gain the upper hand by silencing their opponents. When will you realize that you are fascist?
— Kat's Yell (@Katyellig) April 3, 2021
This from the paper that launched a month of hang wringing over their completely fake, now retracted Sicknick story. The gall of this
— K245 (@AJHodgeIV) April 2, 2021
Yeah, they quietly corrected that one a month later.
False content produced by journalists is the administrative class preferred method of propaganda
— Live Free or Die (@thorvest_peter) April 3, 2021
Timothy Egan is correct; he should shut up.
— Captain Kahuna ?? (@Captain_Kahuna) April 2, 2021
He believed in it right up to the point his opposition got a voice.
— 9bod1strtroll. (@bakedandblitzed) April 3, 2021
He used to believe in freedom. Now he's a fascist authoritarian.
— David H. (@libertytrader17) April 2, 2021
We’ve barely survived though the last 200 years of free speech. Barely.
— Vilified Ostracized (@brakinggnus) April 2, 2021
I used to think the remedy for the NYT was coding classes.
Now I see a bright future in solar panels.
— ? and not quite ⚫️ yet (@Omar73237561) April 3, 2021
Speaking of kids and lawsuits, how about that Nick Sandmann story?
Related:
YIKES: ‘Free Speech is Killing Us’ hot take in the NY Times is SO scorching that it’s melting irony detectors https://t.co/Sh81od3FVZ
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) October 4, 2019
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