SINE QUA NON
..is Latin and it means without which not, an essential condition, a thing that is absolutely necessary.
For me, free speech is that essential condition that we need, that we absolutely cannot do without, if we want to live in anything resembling a free society.
Without free speech, there is no creativity, there is no prosperity or growth, there is only the state and its minions, enforcing sameness and decay.
THE FOUNDING FATHERS HAD THE RIGHT IDEA
It always amazes me just how much the Founding Fathers of America were ahead of their time. They knew what the essentials of a free republic were, even if some of them trampled on those same ideas as soon as things got tough (looking at you, John Adams!!). There is a reason why freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the freedom of religion were included in the very first amendment of the U.S. Constitution - they were sine qua non.
My Personal Perspective
It's unsettling to see people censored and silenced, even if they are spewing hate or blatantly ignorant things, but when platforms like Youtube, LinkedIn, Vimeo and others censor a person like Brian Rose of London Real, then you know we are all in a lot of trouble.
His 5G/Coronavirus livestream with David Icke was primed to be one of the most watched podcasts ever, signaling that there were many people out there hungry for that information. What Youtube signaled by banning that episode is that there is room only for the official party line and everything else is BLASPHEMY, HERESY and a CRIME!
Ominous example: Thomas Delauer, a keto/fasting expert I follow on Youtube, produces videos of the highest standards, quoting scientific journals, comparing studies and always taking the broader view, trying to avoid generalization and over-simplifications...made a virus-related video the other day, without ever mentioning Covid-19 for fear of de-monetization or outright banning from Youtube.
He has some potentially life-saving advice (prolonged fasting is excellent for fighting off bacterial infections, but possibly very dangerous when it comes to viruses) that he cannot express or share freely for fear of punishment by the "Don't Be Evil" crowd.
When people's livelihoods are threatened, their creativity is stifled and conformity sets in. Censorship builds on censorship and soon enough, it's too late too turn around. Things get real bad and when a new problem emerges, society figures out that it has silenced all those who might have been able to help.
There Is A Solution
There are platforms in existence already that offer a sanctuary for those who are being censored (Hive, 3speak are two examples near and dear to us), so my fear is not that we will have no place for our non-conformist voices. My concern is what happens with the rest of society if this trend of hostility toward free speech continues.
We need a proliferation of platforms and technologies that are antifragile when it comes to pressure from big government, big tech companies and from the society at large. This is the only way we can move forward even as we enter the greatest period of turmoil in modern history.
What is happening on Hive is a wonderful example of a parallel currency as an outlet for expression. When people find a way to make part of their livelihood separate from the mainstream, they regain part of their power and a bit more freedom to speak and act freely.
For my part, I will do what I can to further the cause of freedom and I think Hive is a wonderful place to start.
Here's to all of the wonderful developers and entrepreneurs on Hive that are giving all of us a voice and a safe haven in which to use it.
Love ya all,
Joe
P.S. This post was written as an answer to @TheyCallMeDan 's #FreeSpeech initiative post