'When George Orwell wrote 1984, he meant it as a warning, not as a guide book.' (Adam Smith-Connor) In 1922, in his article, ‘Let the People Know the Truth’, Henry E. Jackson warned: ‘If you deny to anyone the right to say what you think is wrong, it will not be long before you will lose the right to say what you think is right. Defence of the freedom of others is self-defence. To quote Voltaire: ‘I wholly disagree with what you say – and I will contend to the death for your right to say it.’’ I struggle to remember a period in my own lifetime when freedom of expression has felt so under threat. It’s not just the ever-shrinking legal space and room for manoeuvre in the public domain, although that alone should be sufficient cause for alarm in any democratic society. It’s the gradual, subtle erosion of what is deemed acceptable or permissible to think, say or do. Those players who favour the suppression of expression are helped greatly in their cause by gross misuses of freedom, whether by an ex-President who calls lies truth and truth lies, or by those who promote violence and hate from the safety of a dark room, lit only by the dim glare of a computer screen. The extremes provide a pretext to justify a policy of broader censorship. I understand a safeguarding impulse to protect vulnerable people from harm. I’m with Martin Luther King on his view that legal provisions are needed to defend human rights: ‘It may be true that the law cannot change the heart, but it can restrain the heartless.’ But the insidious silencing of authentic critique, the pressure to conform with a prevailing norm, is a step too far. What do you think? Do you find yourself self-editing before you speak? Be careful how you respond. (See also: Free Speech and Why it Matters; The Free Speech Union)
24 Comments
Dave Barker
19/10/2024 09:27:12 pm
That's a great quote from Smith-Connor. Thanks for sharing it!
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Nick Wright
21/10/2024 10:34:24 am
Thanks Dave. I thought so too. The dark irony made me smile and feel pain, both at the same time.
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Alan Shields
19/10/2024 09:30:51 pm
Interesting article Nick and good points. To be honest, I'm less worried about curtailments of free speech and more about how extremists are abusing free speech to promote hate. Look what happened after the Southport stabbings. Misinformation spread by far right activists online led to real life riots all over the UK.
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Nick Wright
21/10/2024 11:00:54 am
Thanks Alan. Yes, that's a fair challenge. I too wonder how we can counter the abuse of freedom of expression by extremists or others who are motivated to create confusion by misleading or untrue claims, especially now with the advent of deep fake. I believe it means we need to open up forums for discussion and debate, so that such untruths and dangerous propaganda can be challenged in a public forum. Closing down freedom of expression as a means of protection simply forces such views and activities underground.
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Malcolm Friedland
19/10/2024 09:36:37 pm
Hi Nick. You're absolutely right. Call someone something "phobic" and it tries to shut down all debate. It's like allegation of "phobic" trumps any other opinions or rights. People are getting sick and tired of it. Where will it end?
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Nick Wright
21/10/2024 10:55:02 am
Hi Malcolm. Yes, I too have noticed '-phobic' being used increasingly to shut down discussion or debate.
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Helen West
19/10/2024 09:40:56 pm
Hello Nick Wright. A very timely article. Thank you for writing it. At my university we have to walk on eggshells the whole time. Scared in case we hurt someone's feelings. The Tory government was hopeless but at least they tried to legislate for free speech in unis. How can we do education without it? This Labour govt scrapped it! Glad you've spoken up. Thanks.
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Nick Wright
21/10/2024 11:23:06 am
Thanks Helen. I'm not a legal expert and, to be honest, I don't understand why the Labour government would have scrapped the proposed legislation. However, I found this short article on that topic interesting: https://care.org.uk/news/2024/08/legal-challenge-over-university-free-speech-law
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Jonas Wagner
19/10/2024 09:42:51 pm
Hey Nic. Same here in Germany. Do we ban AfD or not.
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Nick Wright
21/10/2024 11:05:30 am
Hi Jonas. Yes, I'm in Germany at the moment and have been following that dilemma and debate on the news. A friend whom I respect greatly here argues passionately that the AfD should be banned, not because everyone in the AfD is a neo-Nazi, but because those in the AfD who are are able to exert disproportionate influence in the party and on society as a whole. I feel more cautious about a ban, partly owing to concerns of freedom of expression and partly because banned parties can appear persecuted by the state and, therefore, attract more followers who agree with the party's stance.
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Anna Wilder
19/10/2024 09:57:03 pm
We have these laws Nick because there is too much freedom of expression. Look on social media, X. Its like a war zone. People think they can hide because they're online. They think they're unaccountable for their actions. They think they can be hurtful and abusive and threatening to other people and get away with it. That's why we need these new laws to protect us.
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Nick Wright
21/10/2024 11:34:29 am
Hi Anna. That's a fair challenge. I deleted my own X account, when it was Twitter, because I felt exhausted and dismayed by the hostile tone of so much debate there. (I wish I knew what the answer is). Sometimes I felt attacked there for my own opinions and stance in the world. Sometimes I felt hurt by others' unfairness and aggression towards me or towards people or issues that matter deeply to me.
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Mike L
19/10/2024 09:59:48 pm
2-tier Keir. What have we done??
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Nick Wright
21/10/2024 11:10:43 am
Hi Mike. I ask myself that same question...although Keir is only one (albeit influential) part of a wider system of silencing. The government and mainstream media's handling of recent street protests in the UK, some of which turned into violent riots was, in my view, misguided and dangerous. They continually labelled all protestors as "far right", thereby polarising complex and multi-faceted issues and grievances even further. I say more about that here: https://www.nick-wright.com/blog/riots
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Allison Henderson
21/10/2024 10:08:17 am
It's getting worse every day Nick. We can say less and less in the UK. Ridiculous!
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Nick Wright
21/10/2024 10:42:05 am
Hi Allison. It feels that way to me too. In case of interest, Andrew Doyle's book, Free Speech and Why it Matters, is well worth a glance:
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Sean Furman
21/10/2024 10:14:55 am
Hi Nick. You were brave to post this. Great Britain, historically the seat of democracy - how ironic! is feeling more and more like a police state. If the government keeps going in that direction, Elon Musk was right: civil war in the UK is inevitable. We can say what we like about Christianity (no offence, Nick, I know you're a Christian). We can say what we like about Hinduism. We can say what we like about Sikhism. We can even say what we like about the far Right. But say anything to criticise Islam: you can expect abuse, imprisonment or death.
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Nick Wright
21/10/2024 10:53:11 am
Thanks Sean. Even as I write in response, I feel cautious about what to say. I think that's the point. We are increasingly caught up in self-censoring, often to avoid punishment more than to show care and concern for others who may be hurt or harmed by what we say, write or do. It's driven by fear more than by love.
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Amanda
21/10/2024 10:18:02 am
Hey Nick. With people like Trump around, we need more control over what lies and hate people can spread in the media, not less. I know it can feel constricting for libertarians but it's now necessary to protect people and democratic values, right?
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Nick Wright
21/10/2024 11:47:45 am
Hi Amanda. Yes, Trump (and others on the geopolitical stage) have raised the stakes considerably on this issue, especially when we see people like Musk financially incentivising people to support Trump's election campaign.
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Pete
21/10/2024 10:06:29 pm
J.K. Rowling calls it “The Age of Endarkenment”. She’s right. The UK has gone nuts. 🤷
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Nick Wright
22/10/2024 09:18:32 am
Hi Pete. Although I don't always agree with the way in which J.K. Rowling expresses her views, that's certainly a very clever and graphic description of much of what I too believe is happening in the UK (and not only in the UK) currently.
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Del Wagner
1/11/2024 09:06:46 am
Well-timed article Nick. The Guardian published an article this week that states: "More than 1,000 figures from the literary and entertainment industry – including several Nobel laureates, Pulitzer prize, and Booker prize winners – have signed an open letter against “illiberal and dangerous” cultural boycotts...
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Nick Wright
1/11/2024 09:12:00 am
Hi Del. Thank you for sharing those extracts and the link.
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Nick WrightI'm a psychological coach, trainer and OD consultant. Curious to discover how can I help you? Get in touch! Like what you read? Simply enter your email address below to receive regular blog updates!
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