Free speech: is it an illusion?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1717441,00.html
James Harkin
Saturday February 25, 2006
The Guardian
Is there really such a thing as free speech, or is it all just an
illusion? David Irving, languishing in a Viennese cell with only his
prison library copy of Hitler's War for company, might well be thinking
that very thought. The idea of free speech sits rather uneasily with
his political tradition, but he will have plenty of time to read up.
For most of us, the benefits of free speech have long been clear.
According to the tenets of classical, 19th-century liberalism, an
atmosphere in which we are all free to speak is better for society, as
it is more likely to lead to the progress of truth. An alternative,
more modern justification for freedom of expression is that it is
better for us as individuals, as it helps us to express ourselves. The
freedom to speak, however, was never absolute, and is forever being
nudged away with caveats.
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