I agree with your point about freedom of speech but would like to elaborate a little more. Free speech is the domain of government and most speech in the US falls outside that area.
I don’t particularly want the government to regulate speech if it is not absolutely necessary. Instead we should have a very strong culture that prevents and shames things like othering people. Basically a woke culture that the right loves to complain about but much stronger than it is today.
I don’t see eye to eye with with you over sweeping away lying, manipulation, and the fraudulent behavior we see in our countries leaders both private and public sector.
Simply put a doctor cannot lie to you or they would lose their license. Politicians and other leaders should be no different. This is not rocket science, if someone manipulates and lies they have no business in government.
There is a reason they renamed propaganda as public relations. They knew the public didn’t like it, so they obscured it to hide what it really is. Using social science to manipulate people through fear and disgust should be straight up illegal.
When the government looks to regulate speech it should be about protecting the populace from harm. Just like the state would press charges on your abusive partner, even against your will, the government has an obligation to do the same for leadership roles.
This is because of the power in relation to everyone else leaders have. It is not okay for your pastor or teacher to deceive you. Why are we giving a politician, who arguably can cause far more harm, the right to do so? It is a rather bizarre aspect of our society at the moment.
Right now the best of psychological science is being used against our populace as a weapon and that is unacceptable.
