Was there ever a "golden age of free speech" in the United States?

Cancel culture doesn’t exist. And even those that make a living arguing that it does exist can’t successfully tie this to the concept of “free speech”.

In America? I doubt it was ever so. There have been varying degrees of acceptance of and accountability for unpopular opinions, but nothing I can think of as “golden”. Was it better when people’s speech had less reach but was less able to be attacked? Was it better when civility and journalistic monopolies reigned? Was it better during yellow journalism eras where you could literally say anything and get away with it? Was speech more free when open racism had quarter in the hearts and minds of most Americans?

Perhaps the goldenest time, in terms of reach and tolerance of the averagely wealthy person’s opinion, would be in the early internet era, pre-9/11

Not that people weren’t attacked for their speech all the time back then, it was just that it was fairly easy to find people to talk to online, or someone to host your bizarre website, with little fear of being policed for speaking in those niche places. Reach was increased, economic times were good, so general tolerance was higher, and the techno fears of the 21st century were only hinted at.

If there was then I can’t think of it.

When you say “free speech” do you mean the freedom to disparage and insult women and minorities?

My GenX group believes the 70’s through 2000 were.

@KNOWITALL

I don’t.

I wonder if people are confusing freedom of speech with absence of accountability? Free speech has always been acceptable, when tempered with good judgment. It has never meant anarchy.

”When could you express almost any political opinion and know it wouldn’t affect your employment or social standing?”
Never. Even without social media, unless you spoke only into the void, there have always been consequences.

@Demosthenes I believe there was a golden age of free speech prior to the word and thought police.I have a hard time believing someone can be punished in whatever way for saying a word. It seems that they can determine your thoughts and even intent. Not many of us can pass the test while under a microscope. Maybe especially since technology leaves no room for privacy or individualism.

Everyone is free to say what they want, except for threats of violence. Consequences are inevitable for saying things that are homophobic, racist, sexist etc. Using a more mundane example, if I work for Coca Cola and I use my free speech to post on Facebook how much I love Pepsi, me getting fired is not cancel culture of violating the principles of free speech.

@rockfan

I have a cousin who drove a truck for a regional Pepsi bottler. One day he went in with a bottle of Dasani and got reamed out by his boss. Was told in no uncertain terms that if he ever had a Coke product while on the clock for Pepsi again he’d be fired. Seems a little harsh, considering that in his job he doesn’t deal with the public, just transports product from one location to another, but they take that shit seriously.

America has been one of the most liberal countries regarding speech in modern history. I don’t really understand most of the answers above.

I guess during the Salem witch trials you needed to be careful what you said, but overall America does not fine or jail people for what they say, and Americans have been free to speak out against the government since our founding. Free speech is primarily about being able to speak against the government in my opinion.

In most of the western world you cannot wear a swastika or use Nazi tropes, but in America you can. It’s only recently that seems to be changing, but it is still protected under our constitution for now. If it is something that incites violence then that crosses into another part of the law.

We do have rules to try to protect children from what they see and hear, but I don’t see that as a free speech issue.