It might be useful to look at the opposite of free speech — "unfree speech" or repression.
Catholic priest Martin Luther was excommunicated for questioning the Pope's authority.
Galileo was, um, investigated by the Inquisition.
Nevertheless, these two lit a spark that became the European Enlightenment.
It is said that Russia's failure to defeat Ukraine is a consequence of unfree speech: Russians with first-hand awareness being afraid to report the unsavoury truth to their superiors (right up to Putin himself).
Open societies — those that are tolerant of differing views and differing ethnicities — tend to outperform repressive ones with innovation and economically, especially in uplifting the poor.
It also needs saying that with freedom comes responsibility: "freedom of speech does not mean being able to shout 'fire' in a crowded theatre". There is also the metaphor of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, an abuse of freedom of speech. Where freedom of speech becomes freedom to not speak is when one's spouse if a particular garment makes him/her look fat.
I do not think free speech is something that still exists in Europe. Say anything the "Queen" van der Leyen does not like you get sanctions against you. Ask Jack Baud. For the record Russia is winning the war.
It might be useful to look at the opposite of free speech — "unfree speech" or repression.
Catholic priest Martin Luther was excommunicated for questioning the Pope's authority.
Galileo was, um, investigated by the Inquisition.
Nevertheless, these two lit a spark that became the European Enlightenment.
It is said that Russia's failure to defeat Ukraine is a consequence of unfree speech: Russians with first-hand awareness being afraid to report the unsavoury truth to their superiors (right up to Putin himself).
Open societies — those that are tolerant of differing views and differing ethnicities — tend to outperform repressive ones with innovation and economically, especially in uplifting the poor.
It also needs saying that with freedom comes responsibility: "freedom of speech does not mean being able to shout 'fire' in a crowded theatre". There is also the metaphor of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, an abuse of freedom of speech. Where freedom of speech becomes freedom to not speak is when one's spouse if a particular garment makes him/her look fat.
I do not think free speech is something that still exists in Europe. Say anything the "Queen" van der Leyen does not like you get sanctions against you. Ask Jack Baud. For the record Russia is winning the war.