This post is a response post to @ecotrain's Question of the Week (QOTW) that you may found here: @ecotrain/join-us-for-the-ecotrain-question-of-the-week-do-we-still-have-freedom-of-speech.
Free speech is really important to human race since it is an essential welfare of development and innovation. While it comes in many indicator and most often democracy is used as free speech indicator. So, do we still have free speech and democracy?
What do you see is going on?
I would like to answer this question based on what I SEE and what I heard over the news and people around me. We know that the world is shifting and going through a major transition of power and wealth.
With regards to shift and major transition I am pertaining to, it all base on my own experience. For example, unlike my father, I am moving to alternative sources of first hand information in order to find the truth and I feel I am not alone since the mainstream media on the other hand is pushing fear to terrorized us instead of providing the facts.
Try to spend time watching TV and you may think that the world is falling apart causing you to experience anxiety and worry. One is how they deliver only the information they want behind Covid-19 pandemic, current status of economy, climate change, government lies etc., they always tell us lies.
At the time of writing we are in the middle of hardship, chaos and it has to happen we like it or not. However, in my very own perception this time is actually the most exciting times to be alive. We are being played out by our government and big companies on the global stage and our only choice is to lift ourselves out of the drama.
It's easy for me to play being the victim of this global stage played out drama, what can I do I am just one person? The fact is there's a lot that I can do. Like joining with the truth finder, find my purpose and live with it. Step up and join the revolution of the truth finder, I found mine in hive.
Do we still have free speech and democracy?
People like I do believe that the thing they called free speech and democracy still exist if you can freely rant on social media and discourteous anyone without getting punch on the face.
In reality, there is no such freedom of speech and expression in our society, all is lies, even democracy is lies in my opinion. Normal average person didn't recognized that the freedom we see is not absolute. The common limitation of free speech is related to the following like libel, slander, obscenity, perjury, etc.
On the other hand the use of social media in particular to be one of the most important place we believe for having freedom to exchange information, opinions, express ourselves and defined who we want to be was getting censored by the tech giant like Google, Facebook, YouTube, etc. This raises the serious concern about our future in free speech and democracy.
One more issue is the involvement of the government deleting or blocking accounts they believe to be a critical information. This violates the core value of free speech and democracy where anyone has the right to criticize the government. Outcry of government and big corporation censorship abound.
So, do we still have free speech and democracy? In my opinion free speech and democracy is dying. We need to stepped up to save the dying free speech and democracy by using decentralized platform that no one can censored.
Is censorship justified to prevent terrorism or hate speech, or you think those rules are being abused?
Hate speech can be both offensive and discourteous but here in the Philippines and many other countries it's isn't illegal as it protected under free speech and freedom of information but not absolute.
The best example I've seen / read on Facebook is relate to China's hostile take over of Kalayaan Reef in west Philippine sea where they illegally contrast an artificial island using the nine dash-line. The whole world know that the Philippines won against China hostile take over on International court.
With that being said some Filipino post hate speech against China government over the social media but it didn't led to actual violence and hate crimes. The fact is Chinese people from mainland China is freely work and enjoying Philippines safely and unharmed.
Therefore, censorship in my opinion is unjustified to prevent terrorism since at the time of writing hate here in the Philippines has not yet leads to acts of actual violation and hate crimes. Perhaps, because people think and knowing it is only a sole opinion of the writer. Government official and big companies abused censorship for there own self interest.
What do you think we can do to change this?
In some countries, censorship is rampant and it grow like a cancer. But since I didn't leaving from those countries, my only experienced of censorship is inside my company. Where in it is forbidden to raise your own opinion and concerns about your salary, allowances and comment about your job.
Thinking of those situation may only lead to anxiety and depression, so we should have learn how to lose. In our situation we change our company policy and culture about censorship using a series of signed open letter to the management explaining our right as employees. It is I think a example of peaceful protest since we didn't go outside to strike but rather we do our job and keep a normal operations.
Answering the following question "What do you think we can do to change this?" to be honest I am not in position to answer that exact question. However, in my own opinion as a law abiding Earthlings a series of open letter doesn't work with the government official and big corporation since they're only protecting there self-interest.
Sometimes peaceful protest doesn't work when it play on the global level. We need to stepped up a little if we want change. As much as possible avoiding centralized platform is one big step to freedom.
Is protesting even legal anymore?
Protesting is another way to practice free speech and are protected under the law in most democratic countries. While taking it on the street is deemed to be illegal in my country unless the organizer have secure permits of doing it. But at the time of Covid-19 all mass gathering is illegal maybe it will become a new normal.
What is a good way to protest in this digital age?
Without a doubt writing is far more effective at influencing the masses. And blogging is a good way to protest in this digital age since it is easier to organize mass protest.
We can probably use the different social media platform like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. But often they're get being censored. Therefore, the use of decentralized platform is highly recommended but the problem is it often lack of leadership and coalition building skills that can translate collective greivance into real change.
Disclaimer:
This is only my sole opinion and I am not representing any group or organization.
Image Source: @ecotrain/join-us-for-the-ecotrain-question-of-the-week-do-we-still-have-freedom-of-speech