Is free speech in the west going the same way as free speech in China?

The term "free speech" is a misnomer , though I also use it myself sometimes. The right to speak freely about all manner of subjects has historically waxed and waned in nations all over the world. A degree of freedom of speech existed in ancient Greece and Rome and my history teacher could add many more examples if I had him here now. But this right to speak freely always comes at great cost , soldiers and citizens have fought in the streets or on battlefields against each other or against invading or occupying forces. On a more sinister level individuals have battled against conservatism and bureaucracy and censorship (to name just a few) embedded in their own society in the form of religion for example. Speaking out against the established church could and still can in places have you severely punished . Even a great scientist like Galileo discovered that . So "free speech" comes at a high cost. The lone man in China standing in front of the tank has to be regarded as one of the bravest men of our time. To do that in a western country would possibly get you beaten up by the rednecks , but to do it in China would be a death sentence as all those killed at Tiannamen Square shows , to say nothing of the twenty million killed during Mao's Red Guard revolution. As for the west today defamation type laws make "free speech" very expensive even if you happen to win your case and the ability of security agencies to monitor all electronic forms of communication means that a spur of the moment tirade against the government containing foolish threats will have your name on a watch list for the rest of your life or yes possibly guys in black and carrying M16's kicking your door down. Even right here on this unimportant forum anonymous people can have your questions and answers and your account deleted if they don't like them , I have had six questions deleted in the last couple of days by someone with a grudge. One could go on endlessly about the erosion of "free speech" in the west by different laws and by the pressure of the political correctness brigade but the point I wanted to emphasise is that this this ephemeral freedom of speech does need to be reincarnated daily by the pressure of citizens fighting against the conservative suppression forces that seek to degrade it.

there is no such thing as free speech. under the bush administration there was no concept of free speech and obama's admin has proved that as there has been a definite change in the way information is filtered out to the press and media. there are just more layers in the western world that need to be peeled back.

Freedom of speech is alive and well here in the West. I don't see anyone beating down your door because you're sitting there pounding on your keypad.

"Freedom of speech is alive and well here in the West"

This is not the Jokes & Riddles section handyman.

that's too unfastened, while paper purely like the hot york activities submit labeled counsel worthwhile to our enemy. i ask your self whether they could have steered the Japs we had their code in WWII. they did not have Bush to bash then, nonetheless. they could desire to be tried for treason.