Police state and free speech

[12ea56]

I'm currently using police state and free speech civics in combination and that got me thinking. Aren't those two conflicting each other?

There is no free speech in police state, as government is controlling everything you do, say, think, etc.

What do you think about that? It feels kinda off using those two together.

 

[Bostock]

You can say anything you want, and we will kill you for your right to say it.

 

[Alrin Kharr]

In theory, it's possible for such a state to exist. That is, one in which freedom of expression is allowed to a certain degree by the government's choice, they just reserve the right to decide on a whim if they think someone is actually going to do something, and whisk you away without any of that pesky stuff like arrest warrants or fair trials. Kind of like the United States during the Bush administration when it came to terrorism, I guess. Or, if you've ever seen Minority Report, imagine something like that and that's probably pretty close.

In practice though, most of the people who establish police state-type governments tend to be tyrannical dictators obsessed with quashing anything that might be perceived as even the slightest resistance against their power. It's more or less the same reason true communism just doesn't work on a large scale; the concept itself has some merit, but little problems like human nature tend to get in the way.

 

[Lucky The Fox]

Reminds me of an old joke.

American and Russian and talking. American says: "We have this thing called free speech in America. It means that anyone can go in front of the White House and shout that the president of the United States is a moron." The Russian answers: "So do we! Anyone can go to the Red Square and shout that the president of the United States is a moron."

 

[CHEESE!]

@joke

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Although egos don't typically allow for it, you could in theory have a dictatorship where people say anything they want, and the dictator just ignores them.

 

[Joecoolyo]

Although egos don't typically allow for it, you could in theory have a dictatorship where people say anything they want, and the dictator just ignores them.

And then kills them with their secret police

 

[QuixotesGhost]

You let people say whatever the hell they want about the transgressions of your regime, but use your crazy good PR machine to convince the populace that things like torture or suspension of Habeus Corpus are in everyone's best interests. No need to silence your opposition when you can just throw down more appealing rhetoric.

Christ. That sounds familiar.

 

[Anexus]

You let people say whatever the hell they want about the transgressions of your regime, but use your crazy good PR machine to convince the populace that things like torture or suspension of Habeus Corpus are in everyone's best interests.

Christ. That sounds familiar.

Yeah... Bush's policies regarding the war on terror had police state-ish tendencies, but really didn't go there.

You could have free speech, but use fear and manipulation to discredit your critics, or appeal to nationalism or patriotism. Oh wait, Bush again.