Are the Days of free speech on count down?

Great article! Thanks for sharing it with us!

I think since about 1948 South Korea has had the National Security Law which just about lets the government do anything they want for whatever reason and if you question their motives, you can be arrested. There is no freedom and so in that way isn't much different than the North Korea.

We  are in serious trouble around the world with the limiting of freedom of speech.

I have been a big supporter in Israel of the right to publicly share ones views regardless how detestable they may be. So far in Israel it is still alive and well. Even though some have at times crossed over some red-lines. But the supreme court has taken the side of freedom of speech over prosecution. 

Paschen, why do you use an illustration with that indicates the censor in the US, when the US has nothing to do with this?

Is that an attempt make it seem as if we were next?

South Korea has only been a democracy for a couple of decades, and I don't see any connection to the US in this story whatsoever.

Fascinating post you just wrote there Paschen, and it raises pertinent questions about the internet. This has to be closely surveilled if the net is to remain a place of freedom of expression.

That said, I'd like to clarify one point you raised here if I may..

What happened in the 1930's had less to do with free speech and democracy as we understand them today, (except in abstract and analytical terms), than with Hitler's desire to overcome and avenge the terms of the amnesty imposed on his country after the first world war and what he saw as being its humiliation of Germany. "Free speech" and "democracy" were not terms that were considered in the same way then as they are now, and they were certainly less employed, including in other countries.

On the other hand, as witnessed by the incident you relate, as well as certain events seen in China, Pakistan and certain other South east Asian countries, a shift in economic power to that region, which I accept as being a reality, may mean restrictions being put on the net which do not exist in the West, and this due to the "collective" way of seeing social cohesion in that part of the world.

Thanks for posting...

Thank you so much, i feel honored to have my photo on display!

The United States is at very high risk of becoming like Nazi Germany, attempts are already underway to censor the internet and popular sites like youtube purge any dissident material. The first amendment states our God given right is not to be censored because evil triumphs when good people do nothing. The fairness doctrine will shut down any opposition to Obama's regime but it won't keep people from speaking out as millions awaken to the new world order and their insidious plan. The patriot act alone can get anyone jailed for dissenting but i will resist until the day they knock on the door!

Resist tyranny, speak out stay vocal they will lose!

Nazi Germany?

More like Argentina under Peron.

 But that doesn't explain how there is a picture of Uncle Sam's sleeve with his hand on the throat of somebody when the problem is Korea's.

All countries have censorship problems, but what YouTube censors is different than what the gov't censors.

Good point, there, about the UN- Fairness Doctrine, a "doctrinal" approach if there ever was one and good points about the Patriot Act.

In fact, I have to salute you for transcending the right-left divide. Very, very  good.

Thanks for posting such an interesting post, it gives me a new ample perspective.

I don't like hate crimes. I hate hate crimes, but I intensely dislike hate crimes legislation, as if beating me up because I stepped on your toes on the bus is, at bottom, any different that beating me up because you object to my sexual orientation, my religion, or my race.

There is a kind of left- and right-wing politico that wants censorship and there are people on the right and the left who oppose it unless national security is at risk or the person is simply lying about someone else, in which case a nice fat lawsuit would be good.

Think about what it is that makes a politician crave the power to censor, and that this exists regardless of orientation about capitalism, communism, religion or any other -ism. Who in the hell do they think that they are?  And why do they think that way?

The power to censor is the power to end debate.

Thanks for the news, Paschen.

I have found that free speech depends largely on what one has to say.

Nice post, but its abit alarmist for me. I figure free speech needs someone who is dedicated and fearless to mount the podium and speak (whether by voice, letter, email etc.) and someone who will stop and listen (or read) and react. As long as there are those that are fearless and there are those that listen, how can free speech die?? Even in a closed controlled environment like Tiananmen Square China, June 5 1989 the "Tank Man" physically "spoke" and the world listened and reacted. You just have to have a cause and guts. Thats where Free Speech will always live.

This is certainly the end of free speech as we know it.

Nazi Germany/Soviet Russia people it is going to happen here wake up! Youtube does purges of many 911 truth activists videos and suppress view counts as goes Google video but somehow the videos still get to the top, i fear when photography will become illegal since photos speak louder than words any day! Just from the RNC/DNC we see a police state slowly forming and with the stroke of a pen our voice can be lost and never be heard again, hence why it is imperitive to keep fighting any form of censorship on political dissent. When an oligarchy of phychopaths rule the world thats more reason enough to fight it. China is the role model for what is to come. It is not a matter of left or right it's right and wrong, louder than words!

Just my 000000002 cents=)

Thanks for displaying one of my photos on such an interesting site and article.

DominoIsland has contributed a photo to this story.

Yes Fripouillle,..... I think it does depend on the challenge of what drives one or more individual to form an opinion that they need to see to fruition. Individuality is so much apart of the human condition, I thoroughly doubt with all the tools available that a dedicated individual or group can be completely silenced. This site is a strong cross border, cross faith, cross culture, cross politics, phenomenon that shows what a driven opinionated populace of the planet can do. Our sharing of feelings and opinions and hopes is powerful and that dynamic is addictive and far reaching. If someone wants to argue that point they kinda make my point. Its real, its Free Speech and we are all part of this long term powerful event process.  So "end of the worlders",  sorry but no dice, if you lose free speech its because you gave up your voice or have no belief in your power, your words.

Are you guys Koreans? This happens in south Korea, not the world.

Although South Korea is now considered to a democracy, a young one, it can never be considered to be a true democracy until the very evil National Security Law is abolished, in the early days of the Korea War, the government of the day used it to execute more than 500,000 of its own citizens. People they just preferred not to have around claiming they were communists or North Korean spies but most were just ordinary people mainly with low education. Those executed included men, women and children. The America military did nothing to prevent these mass executions and kept the fact secret until last year.