Comments on: Can freedom of speech exist in nations with strong governments? http://www.svitakfreedomride.com/freedom-speech/can-freedom-of-speech-exist-in-nations-with-strong-governments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:02:59 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: calzrhe http://www.svitakfreedomride.com/freedom-speech/can-freedom-of-speech-exist-in-nations-with-strong-governments/comment-page-1#comment-4511 calzrhe Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:22:59 +0000 http://www.svitakfreedomride.com/freedom-speech/can-freedom-of-speech-exist-in-nations-with-strong-governments#comment-4511 Yes, a government that has been given power by the people to regulate a nation answers to the people first. It's not a matter of how strong the government is, but what type of government it is. Rights should not be "given" by a government, because rights are something all humans have, whether or not a government exists to give them. Instead, a government should protect people's rights.<br><b>References : </b><br> Yes, a government that has been given power by the people to regulate a nation answers to the people first. It’s not a matter of how strong the government is, but what type of government it is. Rights should not be "given" by a government, because rights are something all humans have, whether or not a government exists to give them. Instead, a government should protect people’s rights.
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]]> By: Rob http://www.svitakfreedomride.com/freedom-speech/can-freedom-of-speech-exist-in-nations-with-strong-governments/comment-page-1#comment-4510 Rob Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:33:59 +0000 http://www.svitakfreedomride.com/freedom-speech/can-freedom-of-speech-exist-in-nations-with-strong-governments#comment-4510 You are confusing strong governments with totalitarian and authoritarian governments. And no that is not possible to have free speech with a totalitarian or authoritarian government. Hate crimes are unconstitutional as are thought crimes in the US but are tolerated by the citizens because of some perceived notion that hate crime laws protect people more and promote acceptance of minorities. Most often than not the opposite is the reality.<br><b>References : </b><br> You are confusing strong governments with totalitarian and authoritarian governments. And no that is not possible to have free speech with a totalitarian or authoritarian government. Hate crimes are unconstitutional as are thought crimes in the US but are tolerated by the citizens because of some perceived notion that hate crime laws protect people more and promote acceptance of minorities. Most often than not the opposite is the reality.
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]]> By: "Strawberry" http://www.svitakfreedomride.com/freedom-speech/can-freedom-of-speech-exist-in-nations-with-strong-governments/comment-page-1#comment-4509 "Strawberry" Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:17:59 +0000 http://www.svitakfreedomride.com/freedom-speech/can-freedom-of-speech-exist-in-nations-with-strong-governments#comment-4509 Not usually. Our government is special in that it has the potential for being strong (and was at one point) and has the rights of the citizens (including freedom of expression) written (well rather amended into) our Constitution. All strong governments can do that if they weren't afraid of being overrun with personal opinions, which wouldn't happen very much.<br><b>References : </b><br> Not usually. Our government is special in that it has the potential for being strong (and was at one point) and has the rights of the citizens (including freedom of expression) written (well rather amended into) our Constitution. All strong governments can do that if they weren’t afraid of being overrun with personal opinions, which wouldn’t happen very much.
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]]> By: Buddha http://www.svitakfreedomride.com/freedom-speech/can-freedom-of-speech-exist-in-nations-with-strong-governments/comment-page-1#comment-4508 Buddha Fri, 30 Apr 2010 11:49:59 +0000 http://www.svitakfreedomride.com/freedom-speech/can-freedom-of-speech-exist-in-nations-with-strong-governments#comment-4508 Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. As such, our Founding Fathers chose to expressly limit the powers of the federal gov't in the Constitution. That said, we've allowed our gov't to grow to a point that the Constitution is completely ignored. The vast, vast majority of what Congress votes on every day is unconstitutional under various amendments. When people allow the gov't to grow too powerful, rights are trampled. Thus, when carried to the extreme, the answer to your Q is, "No."<br><b>References : </b><br> Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. As such, our Founding Fathers chose to expressly limit the powers of the federal gov’t in the Constitution. That said, we’ve allowed our gov’t to grow to a point that the Constitution is completely ignored. The vast, vast majority of what Congress votes on every day is unconstitutional under various amendments.

When people allow the gov’t to grow too powerful, rights are trampled. Thus, when carried to the extreme, the answer to your Q is, "No."
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