16.6.1. "What freedom of speech is becoming." + An increased willingness to limit speech, by attaching restrictions based on it being "commercial" or "hate speech." + advertising laws being the obvious example: smoking, alcohol, etc. - doctors, lawyers, etc. - sex, nudity - even laws that say billboards can't show guns - A chilling but all too common sentiment on the Net is shown by this quote: "Is it freedom of speech to spew racism , and steriotypes, just because you lack the intellectual capacity to comprehend that , perhaps, somewhere, there is a different way of life, which is not congruent with your pre-conceived notions?" [Andrew Beckwith, soc.culture.usa] 16.6.2. We don't really have free speech - election laws - advertising laws + "slander" and "libel" - thankfully, anonymous systems will make this moot + permission needed...licensing, approval, certification - "qualifications" - granted, Supremes have made it clear that political comments cannot be restricted, but many other areas have - often the distinction involves 'for pay" - Perhaps you are thinking that these are not really examples of government censorship, just of _other crimes_ and _other rights_ taking precedence. Thus, advertisers can't make false or misleading claims, and can't advertise dangerous or otherwise unapproved items. And I can't make medical diagnoses, or give structural and geological advice, and so on...a dozen good examples. But these restrictions emasculate free speech, leaving only banal expression of appropriately-hedged "personal opinions" as the free speech that is allowed...and even that is ofen subject to crazy lawsuits and threats of legal action.
By Tim May, see README
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