The Globe and the Mail have decided that in order to protect democracy they need to silence us! “Free Speech needs rigid regulation” apparently. “If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter,” said George Washington. The mainstream media obviously think we are all dumb enough to believe that silence helps in any way with democracy, but as George Washington has captured, without the ability to voice our dissent or even opinions we are merely passive, easily manipulated, obedient followers. This is not conducive to a democratic society.

Freedom of expression is our right and is crucial in maintaining a functioning democracy and helping to ensure protection against despotic dictatorships. Through freedom of speech we have the ability to critique our governance and to speak up against the policies that are found to be unjust and the right empowers individuals to advocate for change.

Writer Homer from the Socratic Method asks us to consider for a moment the idea of philosophical skepticism: “Skepticism, in its simplest form, challenges our ability to know anything with absolute certainty. It invites us to question the very foundations of our beliefs and assumptions, creating a fertile ground for the exploration of different perspectives.Now, let’s compare and contrast Washington’s quote about the freedom of speech with the lens of skepticism.

“While his statement aligns with the notion that the absence of free speech can lead to a loss of autonomy and individual thought, skepticism prompts us to question the nature of truth itself. It urges us to critically examine the information presented to us, recognizing that verbal expressions, in their very essence, carry subjective biases.”

Skepticism acts as a safeguard against blind acceptance and encourages us to seek truth, through critical thinking, and open dialogue and together with freedom of speech, we are equipped with the tools necessary to discern fact from fiction, to challenge misinformation, and to continuously refine our understanding of the world.

“Washington’s quote warns us against the perils of the absence of the ability to express our opinions freely’ which according to Homer enables us to guard against the dangers of blind conformity and maintain the autonomy that is essential for progress and societal well-being” and by embracing both freedom of speech and skepticism, “we can create a more robust intellectual environment that fosters dialogue, critical thinking, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge.”

Clearly this is what the powers that ought not to be are afraid of.

Igor Chudov has the story:

“Excessive Free Speech” Threatens Our Democracy, The Globe and Mail Explains

Free Speech needs rigid regulation. Our democracy is in grave danger! We already know that it is threatened by humor, the Supreme Court, and white rural voters. WEF and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s adviser, Wharton Prof. Adam Grant, also explained that elections are bad for our democracy.

That is not all; a grave new threat emerged: excessive free speech.

Globe and Mail is Canada’s most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, so we better take it seriously. Its public affairs columnist, Washington-based Lawrence Martin, looks like a slimmed-down Donald Trump, whom Lawrence dislikes intensely despite close visual resemblance. (I wonder if Mr Martin’s mom cavorted with Fred Trump in the Fall of 1946)

Mr. Martin is very upset that the Internet empowered the masses against establishment forces:

The business model of the newspaper industry Mr Martin represents is threatened by the Internet, which he laments:

Lawrence Martin forgets that the media itself contributes to polarization:

Looking in the mirror, which is never the strong suit of most people, is something that Lawrence Martin should practice occasionally.

In any case, Globe and Mail has a prescription on how to save democracy: rigid regulation of speech. Such a get-tough-on-speech approach will certainly protect democracy and safeguard our most basic freedoms:

The dangerous anti-democratic free-speech lobby, Globe and Mail implies, is just as bad as the baby-killing gun lobby.

I hope, my friends, we all see that our democracy is under threat: it is being simultaneously attacked by white voters, free speech, elections, and the U.S. Constitution.

Do you know any other threats to democracy? Let us know what you think!

Sources

Igor Chudov

Socratic-Method