There is a lot of discussion about the state of First Amendment rights and free speech in modern America. Much of this discussion is focused on "cancel culture" and allegations that "the left" is intolerant of divergent views. The New York Times summarized these concerns in a
People need to recognize that the stifling of speech is one of the first steps of authoritarianism. Authoritarianism cannot exist in a marketplace of ideas, therefore when it does find itself in a place of authority one of its first acts is to shut down the marketplace.
Is there a list of Fla. Reps that voted for the bill. They should be added to the American Stazi list, aling withe Texas Reps that voted to allow fellow citizens to rat each other out over abortion.
I want to believe that, but they're winning right now and I wouldn't doubt they re-take the white house. Who are the Democrats going to nominate? If Trump runs again, we're in big trouble. He shouldn't be allowed to run, but his enablers and the people he installed will try and make sure he gets the nomination.
I really don’t buy into this, they’re-going-to-win talk. How are they winning? Elections are in Nov. They only win at putting out propaganda. We shouldn’t use it. You think removing the rights of women to have access to safe abortions and other oppressions will have no results? The only real worry is the cheating by them. But it is very hard to accomplish if we overwhelm the election with Democratic votes. A lot of eyes will be on the election.
Trump is no longer well received except by the ever-shrinking paid audience members and the dangerous militia clowns. The military will have to be called in if elections face that threat.
Look, I hope you're right but the Democrats are always fighting a losing battle. Our messaging sucks and we are never on the same page. Even when we take control, "Dems" like Sinema and Manchin block everything. They aren't getting anything done and we are losing the war on abortion. I hope it has consequences and the left turns out to vote in droves but I'm not convinced the republicans won't cheat like they always do. Republicans have Fox News, OAN, and Newsmax to back up their ridiculous far right positions and people are watching. The left has nothing that compares. We already saw how this bogus messaging works the first time trump won. Never mind all the crap they said about Hillary was false, it still worked! Really hope you're right but all the ads I see on TV are for republicans, not democrats. The right spends a lot more and it shows.
This is sheer authoritarianism. They don’t stifle the right’s “free speech” to lie and put Americans in danger. But now employees must not talk about the truth, i.e., white privilege etc. So many major companies are owned by the far right, but both employees and companies must pressure death- Santis that they will leave the state, we need to push major boycotts until the only speech they respect, money, gets results.
Good point. We have a Climate Crisis, among other major issues, that are sidetracked by this. These are dangerous lunatics. Do the people of this country have to remove him or will the government take steps?
The conservative terrorists want to take our country and ALL of us back to a time that never really did exist! These people are not misguided, although they do have something BAD wrong with them. They know precisely what they are doing and while they may dissemble, they also know exactly WHY they are doing it. If we let them succeed, we shall surely be in hell (Gilead)!
More articles about DeSantis's corruption and authoritarianism please. Stay on him, legacy media is failing on this front and I know plenty of dummies falling for his tough leader nonsense-gross
Thank you for bringing this Florida law to our attention. I had no idea it existed! I wonder how the Walt Disney Company is reacting to this law? Their website has a diversity, equity, & inclusion page - oh no, did they check with DeSantis first? (Sarcasm intended) Doesn’t DeSantis get campaign donations from some of the very businesses/corporations that he’s trying to stifle speech? Or, as Judd has pointed out many times, do they not care as long as they get their tax breaks?
Desantis is a racist, evil, despicable man. He want's slavery to be legal again. I cannot wrap my mind around these white supremacist's who claim they aren't racists. They don't like facts because it doesn't gel with their narrative so they want to pretend like certain things never happened. It's beyond pathetic. Furthermore, this gets to go into effect until August 8th when they have the hearing? It's a blatant attack on the first amendment.
Good piece. It’s relieving there already is a lawsuit before the court. This made me Google to find new info on challenges to the ‘don’t say gay’ law and it appears there are new suits filed to challenge it. The one that caught my attention alleges the law violates the 14th amendment due to its vague language that denies due process. As much as I despise what I believe to be DeSantis’ intent, the only way to challenge these laws is to sue on solid legal ground. Emotion may relieve stress in the moment, but it alone solves nothing.
How interesting that DeSantis is deciding how private companies train their employees, including training on how to treat customers, while the Hobby Lobby decision held that the religious tenets of the owners of a business corporation can let them evade the duties that every other employer has their employees. It’s not about anything but the power to control others lives. The logic is closest to QAnon.
"Still, if people become so fearful of condemnation that they routinely self-censor even mildly controversial opinions, that is a problem." HA! women and people of color, LGBTQ, really any marginalized and disempowered groups, have been doing this since our countries founding due to fear of shunning or, more likely, violence. Whats changed is that we feel a little safer to speak up and act when someone is being a bigot or misogynist and that makes the bigot and misogynists whine about "cancel culture"
I agree with you 100% and thank you for stating the truth. I can only speak as a white woman, but fear of resulting violence against me if I speak my mind, or demonstrate too much intelligence, or simply lose my temper, has tied my tongue up very effectively.
It happens on all levels of society, so any privilege I might enjoy as a white woman vanishes if I cross the line - and I can't even imagine what those who are Black or Brown or Indigenous or LGBTQ or other marginalized groups may experience. If my own threat level has diminished in recent years, it's because I am older and society really no longer gives a crap about what I think or say.
I had to self limit my opinions and beliefs when I lived in Oklahoma. Which is why I now live in the PNW. Oklahoma was almost completely one-sided. Up here - we have many differing opinions.
People need to recognize that the stifling of speech is one of the first steps of authoritarianism. Authoritarianism cannot exist in a marketplace of ideas, therefore when it does find itself in a place of authority one of its first acts is to shut down the marketplace.
Is there a list of Fla. Reps that voted for the bill. They should be added to the American Stazi list, aling withe Texas Reps that voted to allow fellow citizens to rat each other out over abortion.
https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/floorvote.aspx?VoteId=20986&BillId=76555&&
https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/floorvote.aspx?VoteId=21449&BillId=76555&&
Ron DeSantis...I hardly know where to
begin with my feelings about this man.
Imagine him as president in 2024! He's
putting an entirely new spin on
winning the hearts and minds of all.
He's a prime example of history always
being in our rear view mirror.
A democracy is destroyed from within.
All you have to do is look at the
devolution of the Republican party since
the 80s and the vast majority of that
"conservative" party today.
Fascism is alive and doing very well
within its ranks.
THERE ARE MORE OF US! Never lose sight of this. I know they cheat but they cannot control all of us.
I want to believe that, but they're winning right now and I wouldn't doubt they re-take the white house. Who are the Democrats going to nominate? If Trump runs again, we're in big trouble. He shouldn't be allowed to run, but his enablers and the people he installed will try and make sure he gets the nomination.
I really don’t buy into this, they’re-going-to-win talk. How are they winning? Elections are in Nov. They only win at putting out propaganda. We shouldn’t use it. You think removing the rights of women to have access to safe abortions and other oppressions will have no results? The only real worry is the cheating by them. But it is very hard to accomplish if we overwhelm the election with Democratic votes. A lot of eyes will be on the election.
Trump is no longer well received except by the ever-shrinking paid audience members and the dangerous militia clowns. The military will have to be called in if elections face that threat.
Look, I hope you're right but the Democrats are always fighting a losing battle. Our messaging sucks and we are never on the same page. Even when we take control, "Dems" like Sinema and Manchin block everything. They aren't getting anything done and we are losing the war on abortion. I hope it has consequences and the left turns out to vote in droves but I'm not convinced the republicans won't cheat like they always do. Republicans have Fox News, OAN, and Newsmax to back up their ridiculous far right positions and people are watching. The left has nothing that compares. We already saw how this bogus messaging works the first time trump won. Never mind all the crap they said about Hillary was false, it still worked! Really hope you're right but all the ads I see on TV are for republicans, not democrats. The right spends a lot more and it shows.
Thank you for shining a light on totalitarianism in progress in Florida.
This is sheer authoritarianism. They don’t stifle the right’s “free speech” to lie and put Americans in danger. But now employees must not talk about the truth, i.e., white privilege etc. So many major companies are owned by the far right, but both employees and companies must pressure death- Santis that they will leave the state, we need to push major boycotts until the only speech they respect, money, gets results.
And so, groupthink goes with this fascist regime. Any estimates of how much our own Mussolini II costs in annual legal fees?
Good point. We have a Climate Crisis, among other major issues, that are sidetracked by this. These are dangerous lunatics. Do the people of this country have to remove him or will the government take steps?
The conservative terrorists want to take our country and ALL of us back to a time that never really did exist! These people are not misguided, although they do have something BAD wrong with them. They know precisely what they are doing and while they may dissemble, they also know exactly WHY they are doing it. If we let them succeed, we shall surely be in hell (Gilead)!
More articles about DeSantis's corruption and authoritarianism please. Stay on him, legacy media is failing on this front and I know plenty of dummies falling for his tough leader nonsense-gross
Thank you for bringing this Florida law to our attention. I had no idea it existed! I wonder how the Walt Disney Company is reacting to this law? Their website has a diversity, equity, & inclusion page - oh no, did they check with DeSantis first? (Sarcasm intended) Doesn’t DeSantis get campaign donations from some of the very businesses/corporations that he’s trying to stifle speech? Or, as Judd has pointed out many times, do they not care as long as they get their tax breaks?
Desantis is a racist, evil, despicable man. He want's slavery to be legal again. I cannot wrap my mind around these white supremacist's who claim they aren't racists. They don't like facts because it doesn't gel with their narrative so they want to pretend like certain things never happened. It's beyond pathetic. Furthermore, this gets to go into effect until August 8th when they have the hearing? It's a blatant attack on the first amendment.
And he can't bring himself to denounce the Nazis that were waving flags and demonstrating outside the Turning Point convention in Tampa last weekend.
because he's one at heart...
What next on "deStalin's" list to establish a punitive dictatorship? And that the people of
Florida actually voted for and support this is unbelievable. Are these really Americans?
Thank you Judd for bringing this to our attention.
Good piece. It’s relieving there already is a lawsuit before the court. This made me Google to find new info on challenges to the ‘don’t say gay’ law and it appears there are new suits filed to challenge it. The one that caught my attention alleges the law violates the 14th amendment due to its vague language that denies due process. As much as I despise what I believe to be DeSantis’ intent, the only way to challenge these laws is to sue on solid legal ground. Emotion may relieve stress in the moment, but it alone solves nothing.
How interesting that DeSantis is deciding how private companies train their employees, including training on how to treat customers, while the Hobby Lobby decision held that the religious tenets of the owners of a business corporation can let them evade the duties that every other employer has their employees. It’s not about anything but the power to control others lives. The logic is closest to QAnon.
"Still, if people become so fearful of condemnation that they routinely self-censor even mildly controversial opinions, that is a problem." HA! women and people of color, LGBTQ, really any marginalized and disempowered groups, have been doing this since our countries founding due to fear of shunning or, more likely, violence. Whats changed is that we feel a little safer to speak up and act when someone is being a bigot or misogynist and that makes the bigot and misogynists whine about "cancel culture"
I agree with you 100% and thank you for stating the truth. I can only speak as a white woman, but fear of resulting violence against me if I speak my mind, or demonstrate too much intelligence, or simply lose my temper, has tied my tongue up very effectively.
It happens on all levels of society, so any privilege I might enjoy as a white woman vanishes if I cross the line - and I can't even imagine what those who are Black or Brown or Indigenous or LGBTQ or other marginalized groups may experience. If my own threat level has diminished in recent years, it's because I am older and society really no longer gives a crap about what I think or say.
I had to self limit my opinions and beliefs when I lived in Oklahoma. Which is why I now live in the PNW. Oklahoma was almost completely one-sided. Up here - we have many differing opinions.
GO GET ‘EM Honeyfund and Primo Tampa! Another top notch newsletter, Judd. Keep them coming. You help keep me sane.