In the Barnum & Bailey circus of American politics, where every side claims to be the crusader of free speech, there’s a spectacular hypocrisy unfolding. The so-called champions of liberty are busy eroding the very rights they profess to defend. It’s a slick bit of sleight-of-hand where those who tout themselves as the guardians of expression are, in reality, doing everything they can to clamp down on it—while pointing fingers at their opponents for allegedly stifling debate.
Take the current uproar where conservatives are quick to accuse liberals of stifling free speech…
They whine about “wokeness” and “political correctness” and cry foul over social media moderation, painting a picture of a dystopian world where only one viewpoint is allowed to breathe. They make it sound like liberals are on a mission to quash any dissenting opinion. But here’s the twist: while conservatives are busy screaming about free speech, they’re simultaneously drafting legislation to bulldoze discussions on race, gender, and sexuality. They call it protecting kids from indoctrination, but let’s be real—it’s just another attempt to sanitize the conversation and enforce their own narrow view of the world.
And then there’s the outrage over “cancel culture.” Conservatives love to rant about this phenomenon, portraying it as a vicious attack on free speech. They argue that shaming or boycotting controversial figures is a form of censorship. But guess what? These same conservatives often engage in their own version of censorship, policing speech and pushing for laws that align with their beliefs. They’ve got a knack for defending free speech in theory while practicing their own brand of ideological enforcement in reality.
The digital age adds another layer to this hypocrisy. Conservatives are up in arms about social media companies supposedly targeting right-wing views with their content moderation. (Meanwhile Elon Musk floods X feeds with pro-Trump rhetoric, despite Trump’s own, competing conservative platform, Truth Social.) While there are legitimate concerns about the power of these tech giants, the conservative response often involves calls for more government intervention (but only if it’s anti-liberal, anti-woke, or anti-whatever doesn’t float their boat)—potentially tightening the screws on free speech rather than protecting it.
Both sides are guilty of selective free speech advocacy. (Yes, I said both sides.) They’re all about defending free expression when it suits their agenda, but they’re quick to throw it under the bus when it doesn’t. This selective approach not only dilutes the principle of free speech but also turns public discourse into a playground for partisan gamesmanship. It’s a grand display of hypocrisy: both liberals and conservatives use free speech as a weapon while undermining it when it doesn’t fit their narrative.
So here’s the deal: it’s not about dissecting the other side’s stance on free speech. It’s about owning up to our own inconsistencies and truly committing to protecting this fundamental right. Free speech isn’t a partisan football; it’s a core principle that deserves real, unwavering support. Defending it means standing up for all viewpoints, even those we find inconvenient or offensive.
It’s high time to cut through the bullshit and the rhetoric and embrace the real complexities of free expression. Let’s stop the hypocrisy and genuinely uphold the right to speak freely in a diverse and contentious society. Because until we do, we’re all just the suckers born every minute to the circus shit shows, er, sideshows of partisan politics.
—P
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