Free speech in America’s greatest foe: Free speech

Among the most enduring cornerstones of America’s prosperity is the people’s right to free, uncensored speech. When our forefathers devised our Bill of Rights, they anticipated the chilling impact that outlawing speech would have on free and prosperous democracy. They saw the incarceration, execution and torture of millions who had dared to oppose their government and religious institutions in the thousand years prior. In an age of technology, where new ideas and new ways of thinking can touch the ends of the earth in an instant, the issue of whether a free and unfiltered dialogue can survive in our modern technological era remains open.

Unrestricted speech may be the principal marker of a free nation. After all, the marketplace of ideas is hypothesized to operate far more effectively than the rule of law on speech-related issues by eliminating the outlandish, absurd and dangerous, while elevating the rational — at least, that was the case in the past.

One of the core principles behind certain First Amendment protections is the notion that once a particular statement is made, there must be time for discourse to allow for the flourishing of ideas, otherwise known as “counterspeech.” For instance, as in the traditional Oliver Wendell Holmes scenario — don’t yell “fire” in

a crowded theater — the panic that would ensue would leave little opportunity for people to consider whether there is indeed a fire, resulting in mass hysteria and a high probability of death and injury. Nowadays, this colloquial expression is readily applicable to social media, as one can proclaim any falsehood and instantly have it received and reacted to by someone on the other side of the world, without any time for counterspeech — nearly as fast as those patrons in the crowded theater.

Of course, while counterspeech is an effective method to encourage free expression, it is not without its faults, as those with more money or influence can effortlessly shut down opposing viewpoints. For example, social media “fact-checkers” and those with deep pockets and significant influence may easily influence the dialogue. However, though these parties may often be viewed as the main offenders to free speech, free speech has a more pernicious and destructive adversary: rapid information transmission.

With the rapid transmission of knowledge, the winner in the marketplace of ideas becomes the first mover or the most influential; whoever speaks first or has the loudest voice wins. It is far easier to share, retweet or like something with a few clicks than it is to make a reasoned response that can effectively paralyze the other person’s viewpoint. This is especially true when considering the reach that some individuals have online, since millions of people who are already predisposed to agreeing with speakers are also the first to see and adopt their viewpoints.

Knowing this, it becomes clear that with the rapid advancement of technology, our nation’s adversaries may use our country’s free speech ideals to propagate misinformation and heinous notions that benefit them at the cost of our democracy . ...

There is no easy solution. Can we rely on unfettered free speech to eventually bring us to the ultimate truth? Or will the very ability to freely express ourselves on the internet enable bad actors to deceive us and steer us to our end? Whatever the solution, we have seen how swiftly the narrative can shift and how quickly harmful ideas can spread. We may never discover the answer, but the consequences are clear. Something must be done to save our republic.