We’ve noticed that the Runs is carrying an excellent video of a speech by Rowan Atkinson regarding the Freedom of speech. It reminded me of Zizek’s concept of tolerance as a pseudo-principle. Freedom of speech is really a thorny issue in today’s world because of the censorious instincts that are being bred by our modern idea of “tolerance”. Political correctness, tolerance and the relativism of values – there’s much more than immediate political points to be won by discussing them.
I dare add that within the legal community the tendency to over-regulate is a curse that is on the increase. It is an easy “solution” that takes advantage of the manifest weakness in the democratic power-equilibrium. Law making was never meant to be a populist, vote-winning exercise. Freedom of speech (and not the right to insult) is yet another victim of this systemic weakness that has been exaggerated by the onslaught of conspiracy theorists and end-of-days doomsayers who still revel in fantasies about the iron fist of the law.
