Etiqueta: freedom of expression

  • Power’s Tolerance of Dissent in Open Societies

    The text explores the historical relationship between power, dissent, and tolerance, encapsulated in the equation P = d.t. It emphasizes that as dissent increases, tolerance decreases unless power also rises proportionately. The analysis includes examples from history illustrating these dynamics, particularly in oppressive regimes that permit free speech when unchallenged.

  • Freedom of speech ends where true power begins

    On January 1, 1831, The Liberator, the country’s first abolitionist newspaper and, later, a defender of women’s suffrage, appeared in Massachusetts. At that time, Georgia slavers offered a reward of $5,000 (more than $160,000 in 2024 value) for the capture of its founder, William Lloyd Garrison. Naturally, this is how power reacts to freedom and…