USA land of the free (speech?)

[davidc4430]

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange facing 18 charges of receiving and publishing classified information

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-24/julian-assange-hit-with-new-charges-from-us-justice-departmen...

The USA, a country who has built its reputation as a country with an all covering 'constitution' spelling out its beliefs in detail are now trying to stiffle those freedoms even in other countries.

if they are unable to keep their secrets secret isnt that their problem?

had mr assange broken into a USA instillation and stolen this stuff himself maybe they would have a case.

but he didnt, he just did what editors of news papers have done forever, printed a story with public interest.

if our govt is telling us lies we have a right to know about it.

they have a right to try to stop us knowing about it. i guess.

but once its 'out' then its out.

[whiznumber6]

There's no such thing as absolute "freedom of speech", even in the US. If there was, they wouldn't have laws against libel, defamation, slander, etc. There are limits.

Journalists have certain extra protections. But, as mentioned in the article, Assange isn't a journalist, and those protections therefore don't extend to him.

[davidc4430]

who decides who is and who isnt something?

[kopenhagen5]

There's no such thing as absolute "freedom of speech", even in the US.

That's right, you can do and say as you please as long as you don't affect others.

Freedom of speech is mostly used in the case of a suppression however you can't just go up to a person and say what ever you like claiming freedom of speech. You can say anything you like but only if no one hears you.

And of course there is certain classified material you are not permitted to divulge. 

[whiznumber6]

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@kopenhagen5 wrote:

Freedom of speech is mostly used in the case of a suppression...

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These days - especially on the Internet, and particularly "social media" sites like Twitter and Facebook - "freedom of speech" aka "I'm entitled to express my opinion" are used as the cover-all excuse for all manner of hideous conduct. Someone will pop up calling someone horrifying and baseless things - as soon as you tackle them on it, out pops "freedom of speech".

It's also a sign of the exact moment in time that someone's realised that they're losing an argument and are in the wrong. The facts don't support what they're saying - bang, out comes "I'm Entitled To Express My Opinion!". 

Ironically, most of these people see the Internet as the last great bastion of free speech, when it's anything but - your "rights" on any web-page pretty much extend to what the people running that page allow you to have.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

I found Elon Musk’s attempted defence of some damaging comments a sign of the times with twitter/Facebook/Snapchat being the medium of choice for a lot of people.

Elon Musk's lawyers have asked a judge to dismiss a defamation lawsuit by a British diver who the Tesla chief executive had labelled a "pedo guy", arguing the comments were "just imaginative attacks" protected by the US constitution's first amendment.

In a filing with the US District Court in Los Angeles, the lawyers also defended their client by saying Mr Musk posted the comments on Twitter, where participants "expect to read opinions, not facts".

Mr Musk's "over-the-top" comments came amid a "schoolyard spat on social media" and no-one could have reasonably believed they were truthful, they said.

(From: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-28/elon-musk-says-cave-rescuer-defamation-case-should-be-dismiss... )

What he seems to be arguing is that people can say anything they want on twitter as nobody believes what they read on twitter is truth.

[twyngwyn]

Free Speech:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtZpyj4vpnM

[davidc4430]

of course there are boundaries to 'free speech'

i cant say 'all indians are criminals' because some indians call me on the phone several times a day trying to remove money from me.

but i can say 'indians who operate call centers who phone people up and lie to get money are criminals.'

its how you word your speech.

but this subject is about just how far the USA can reach out to take peoples lives into their control over the 'printing and distributing' what they claim are their 'secrets'

news papers have been printing 'leaked' information forever.

this action isnt going to stop that happening, in fact in my view its going to make it worse.

those who witness wrong doing by govt, particularly employees of said govts, will allways 'leak' information.

and with todays internet being an uncontrolled outlet, that 'leaked' information will be distrubuted.

maybe not by wikileaks but another outlet.

have they stopped music file sharing? or the distribution of movies?

i dont download movies as i like to own the DVD copy.

but if i hear a song and want it, i usually can find it within 2 minutes and download it free. if i want to.

much quicker that the days of 'napster'

[kopenhagen5]

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@twyngwyn wrote:

Free Speech:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtZpyj4vpnM

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[martinw-48]

When you expose the crimes of the war crime state you are asking to have the war criminal perpetrate more criminal acts upon yourself.

I would have done the same.

They can kill you but once the truth is revealed it can't be re hidden