Episode 88: The Mythical Bygone Glory Days of "Free Speech"
Citations Needed25 Sep 2019

Episode 88: The Mythical Bygone Glory Days of "Free Speech"

We are often warned by conservatives, liberals and even some on the Left that we live in a time where "free speech" is under threat from far-left forces. "Political correctness" and "snowflakes" have shut down free inquiry, specifically on college campuses, and led to a crisis threatening the very foundation of our democracy.

But the origins of the label "free speech" — as it's currently practiced — paint a much messier picture. Rather than appealing to the Vietnam-era Berkeley protest glory days, what one sees when examining the history of the concept is a temporary tactic used by the Left in the mid-to-late 1960s that has, since that late 1980s, become a far-right wedge designed to open up space for racism, eugenics, genocide denial, trans and homophobia and anti-feminist backlash. Defense of the right to keep open this space as an appeal to a universal value hides a well-funded, coordinated far-right attempt to maintain a conservative, largely male and cishet version of political correctness.

On this episode, we discuss where the contemporary concept of "free speech" comes from, what its uses and misuses have been and how a rose-tinted time of pristine, perfectly free" speech never really existed.

We are joined by journalist and author P.E. Moskowitz and Chair of Princeton University's Department of Anthropology Carolyn Rouse.

Avsnitt(367)

News Brief: How Decades of Media Distortions and Lies about "Iran's Nuclear Program" Lead to War

News Brief: How Decades of Media Distortions and Lies about "Iran's Nuclear Program" Lead to War

In this News Brief, we discuss a recent poll showing 70% of Americans are fundamentally wrong about the nature of Iran's "nuclear program"—including 1 in 4 who think Iran currently possesses a nuclear...

25 Mars 34min

"Shadow Fleets," Sanctions & Western Media's International Law-ification of Arbitrary US Dictates

"Shadow Fleets," Sanctions & Western Media's International Law-ification of Arbitrary US Dictates

In this episode, we explore how arbitrary—often unilateral—sanctions against Enemy States are given the halo of international legal legitimacy with a combination of lies, slippery language and brainle...

11 Mars 1h 22min

News Brief: As Trump Crushes Academia, the NYT and Atlantic Still Fight 'Woke' Wars from 5 Years Ago

News Brief: As Trump Crushes Academia, the NYT and Atlantic Still Fight 'Woke' Wars from 5 Years Ago

In this News Brief, we are joined by Chenjerai Kumanyika and Todd Wolfson of the American Association of University Professors to discuss Trump's gutting of higher education, its expansion on previous...

18 Feb 45min

Ep 234: TikTok, Gen Z's Move to Social Media and Elite Panic Over Unsanctioned News

Ep 234: TikTok, Gen Z's Move to Social Media and Elite Panic Over Unsanctioned News

In this episode, we examine our political class' TikTok neurosis, how Gaza fueled its sell to US and Israeli military contractors, and the long history of elite panics around unsanctioned information ...

4 Feb 1h 13min

News Brief: ICE, Senate Dems' Counterinsurgency PR, and the Limits of Body Cam Liberalism

News Brief: ICE, Senate Dems' Counterinsurgency PR, and the Limits of Body Cam Liberalism

In this News Brief, we detail the fundamental problems with Senate Democrats' cosmetic reforms, the strategy of letting outrage blow over and the conspicuous absence of any proposal that touches ICE's...

30 Jan 39min

Ep 233: How US Media Naturalizes Capital Strikes and Helps the Rich Undermine Democracy

Ep 233: How US Media Naturalizes Capital Strikes and Helps the Rich Undermine Democracy

In this episode, we examine how billionaires and corporations threatening capital strikes and capital flight to discipline populist politicians and movements is treated as normal, obvious, and healthy...

28 Jan 1h 24min

News Brief: As Dem Leadership Waffles—Labor, Organizers, Immigrants Fight Back in Minneapolis

News Brief: As Dem Leadership Waffles—Labor, Organizers, Immigrants Fight Back in Minneapolis

In this News Brief, we break down Dem leadership's fatuous "body cam" and "training" response to ICE brutality, and how organizers in the Twin Cities are not settling for cosmetic reform. With guest J...

22 Jan 43min

News Brief: For Media Reporting on Iran, Trump Suddenly Morphs into Pro-Democracy Humanitarian

News Brief: For Media Reporting on Iran, Trump Suddenly Morphs into Pro-Democracy Humanitarian

In this News Brief, we discuss mainstream media coverage of ongoing protests across Iran and how nearly every major Western outlet has been uncritically framing any potential regime change plans by th...

17 Jan 25min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

svenska-fall
p3-krim
aftonbladet-krim
rss-krimstad
spar
flashback-forever
fordomspodden
rss-sanning-konsekvens
rss-vad-fan-hande
motiv
aftonbladet-daily
rss-krimreportrarna
krimmagasinet
rss-frandfors-horna
politiken
sydsvenskan-dok
grans
rss-flodet
rss-aftonbladet-krim
kungligt