> When the government does act against "individual freedom", it is usually for the good of larger society.
This line of thinking can be used to justify anything. That’s why it’s important to protect the individual and their rights, even in face of what a majority - who can be unjust - wants. And speech in particular, is so fundamental to the idea of freedom, that it should be almost absolutely protected. A constitutional guarantee of free speech and privacy is critical.
You're posting that reply on a message board that, strictly speaking, does not have free speech. If I started flaming you my post would get removed pretty quickly. This forum is heavily moderated. Does that make it a better, or worse, place for discussion?
It’s one among a large number of forums you can choose from, not a monopoly, with no restriction by the government, who has a monopoly on violence and the ability to take away your time or money.
By that line of thinking, Canada is just one country you can choose to live in. Certainly people here have the choice to move to other countries that they think has more freedom. I have a hard time thinking of any other countries that entirely fit that criteria at the moment.
You are arguing in bad faith. People as individuals, including Canadians, deserve freedom of speech, without threat of fines or jail time. Most people can’t just move to another country. They can however move to another website as an alternative to HN.
I have never once received threats of fines or jail time for their speech, nor have any of the Canadians I know. Are you aware that freedom of opinion and expression is very clearly spelled out in the Canadian charter of rights?
Canadians have Freedom of Expression, which is a stronger protection than Freedom of Speech, but the Canadian legal interpretation of that freedom allows for constraints based on hate, obscenity, and a few legal constraints that are common across most "Free Speech" jurisdictions (libel, defamation, etc).
There are cases where people have been charged, fined, and even jailed for "expression", but those are largely limited to cases where folks are promoting violence against specific groups (including hate speech, for example, teaching holocaust denialism, promoting anti-semitism or pro-racist ideologies calling for violence).
There are certainly cases where there has been government over-reach, but that is why we have courts, and in general, the courts in Canada tend towards a more broad interpretation of Freedom of Expression. Are there specific cases in Canada that you can cite where people haven't enjoyed Freedom of Expression (including freedom of speech, which is protected under the broader umbrella of Expression).
This line of thinking can be used to justify anything. That’s why it’s important to protect the individual and their rights, even in face of what a majority - who can be unjust - wants. And speech in particular, is so fundamental to the idea of freedom, that it should be almost absolutely protected. A constitutional guarantee of free speech and privacy is critical.