Free speech

 Free speech isn't free, never has been. "Free" speech was purchased at the cost of lost jobs, social ostracization, and even ruined lives. 

When I was a liberal back in the '70s, we were enamored with the concept of unrestricted speech. This was a product of the Cold War era's censorship—the Hayes act on TV and movies. Lenny Bruce, a comedian in the  '60s, was banned from saying "shit" in Las Vegas. He created a whole act of being banned for saying "shit" in a Las Vegas where "craps" is the biggest game. 

The outrage at the Vietnam War and the protests made free speech a battle cry. The music industry protest songs, movies, and entertainment pushed the limits of free speech. The type of films like "Blazing Saddles" made political correctness look like a foolish notion. Woodstock popularized profanity and political outrage into an art form. 

But that was then, and this is now. Major social media outlets and college campuses have turned into the biggest censors since the Hayes commission. Anything other than the "correct" speech sanctioned by the elites who determine what is permitted. Who are the elites? Progressives of all types: educators, technocrats, progressive politicians, and so-called left-wing journalists. 

They have become the self-appointed moderators of what speech will be permissible under their own perceived authority to do so.  Communist China, Russia, and North Korea are laughing at The USA's hypocrisy in pretending to have a first amendment to its constitution. Of course, that applies to congress passing laws, but we all thought it was an American right by virtue of our citizenship. We assume that social media tech companies, college campuses, and the like would champion the notion of free speech. Alas, no. They are the politically correct, cancel culture censors. They make Nazi book burners look like amateurs. 

Blogs like this may get banned in the near future. 

What is your take?