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> labelling speech/media one disagrees with as a threat to democracy is in itself a threat to democracy

Doesn't mean it's incorrect, though. Doing something is tricky, for sure, but doing nothing is fatal.




There have always been and always will be misinformed and poorly educated people who believe all kinds of ridiculous things with no factual basis. A healthy democracy doesn't deal with these people by declaring their opinions illegal.

Once you have the state deciding and enforcing what is and isn't true, any hope for a liberal democracy is gone.


There's a line between having an opinion and spreading verifiable lies, and maybe we could do something about the latter category. But yeah, the core of it will probably have to be grassroots, not a government intervention.


Sure there's a line, but it's extremely fuzzy and subjective. Everyone sees it in a different place.

Once you give the state the power to arrest people for spreading "verifiable lies", you now have to determine what "verifiable" means and who does the verifying. It's inevitably going to change a lot depending on the political beliefs of those in power.

It's the halting problem, "who watches the watchers?", etc. There's no way to have the state determining what's true and what's a lie, even in the most seemingly obvious cases, while maintaining freedom of speech and a free society more generally.


You're projecting a lot more specifics into my ideas than are actually there. I haven't proposed arresting anyone.


No, but it's usually the unsaid implication when stating that certain opinions, ideas, or media outlets are threats to democracy and "we need to do something". Perhaps instead of arresting, it's fining, or silencing, or some other method of enforcement. Regardless, the counter-argument remains the same.


Maybe these conversations would be more productive if we didn't make so many unwarranted presumptions of malice on the parts of our opponents.


I don't presume any malice, fwiw. I understand why people hold these positions and am sympathetic to the reasoning. I just disagree.

Apologies though if you feel I've misrepresented your position.


Fair, I suppose you didn't specifically accuse me any more than I specifically proposed arresting wrongthinkers. :)




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