#288 Free Speech in an Era of Conflict: Nadine Strossen
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We are in a stunning moment for our country. A hoard of rioters invaded our nation’s seat of government to try to overturn an election. Many of them appear to have been motivated by false and inflammatory statements by President Trump, and under the sway of wild online conspiracy theories. In response, our leading tech platforms have tried to silence Trump and shut down many of the channels where his most extreme supporters communicate.
Is this the correct approach? Should Congress and the Biden Administration impose new regulations on big tech companies? How should free speech be protected?
We discuss these questions and more with Nadine Strossen, who has written, taught, and advocated extensively in areas of constitutional law and civil liberties. From 1991 to 2008, she was President of the ACLU— the nation's largest and oldest civil liberties organization.
"The First Amendment is only a constraint on the government's censorial power," Nadine tells How Do We Fix It? "Facebook and Twitter are themselves protected by the First Amendment in making editorial decisions."
Recommendation: Jim is reading "Hamilton", the biography of Alexander Hamilton by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow.
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