Is there freedom of speech in America about the Iraq war.?

Question

" its nice to be able to talk about it ( the Iraq war ) the US media wont let you ?" . This is what an American women said this morning on BBC Radio Ulster...
So where is freedom of speech ?

Answer 1

[Deleted at the request of the U.S. Government.]

Answer 2

This is ridiculous and comes from many Americans having a gross understanding of what "freedom of speech" means.

Yes, you DO have freedom of speech. Ask anyone who stood outside a polling place yesterday holding up signs or staffing displays about the Iraq War. No one came along and made them move or gave them grief.

Freedom of speech DOES NOT mean that the newspapers have to print everything everyone says, feels. etc. The papers are all for-profit companies, folks. They report on what they feel will get the most attention, hence the most viewers for their advertisers. If that is Brit Spears, then that is what they focus on.

Now are the media conspiring together? Nope. Not intentionally.

Can one big media mogul control all the information an American gets? Nope. In fact there are rules in place to prevent any one company from controlling the media in a town or area.

Knowing that the US Media is really thousands of companies and millions of people makes the comment "the US media won't let you" silly just on its face.

But if you did take it seriously, then how does the media stop her? Is there a secret US Media Army? Do they give her laryngitis and withold the cough drops?

Unfortunately the greatest advantage of newspapers, radio and tv in the early history of the US is also its greatest weakness. US media outlets are not owned by the goverment (which could dictate content), but by people who want to make money.

I wish someone could explain that to the woman on the BBC and take her to a country where there is no freedom of speech and saying what you believe could mean time in jail---or worse.

Answer 3

I believe she is exaggerating a bit, and may perhaps be referring to how heated the debate is here, and the way someone is always ready to shout one down when one expresses views against the war. There has also been a lot of nastiness towards anyone who opposes the war, in the form of attacks on their patriotism. Also, freedom of speech does not necessarily mean the right to a platform for all ideas. Unfortunately, the American Press is a highly commercial and politicized marketplace, where not everyone is given an equal chance to express their views. American television conglomerates are also under constant attack by right wing groups for supposedly being "too liberal." This is entirely false, but based on a brilliant psychological strategy of cowing the media into bending over backwards to represent the conservative point of view.

Answer 4

I Know what you mean. I watch CNN or MSNBC and there is more news about Britney Spears break-up than the Iraq war. The coverage on this war on American news is a joke. Freedom of Speech went out with the Patriot Act.

Answer 5

As long as Bush is in office you do not have any Freedom of speech when it comes the mess he made of our country and Iraq!It saddens me to think of our Men and woman over there fighting for us and They know now they shouldn,t of even been sent there!Hollywood

Answer 6

there is no freedom to human untill the america is governed by a bush like governmnent. you see recently a man was arrested because of airing a tv channel of Hezbollah. is this not a freedom of speech ?america just says but not acts.

Answer 7

SSSHHH....don't say anything or you will be compiled in the list of people who are threats.

and don't forget to speak politically correct language.

Oh, and don't mention our constitutional rights. some officers are being trained to see Christians, patriotic people who call on their constitutional rights, and people who homeschool their kids as oppossing the secular values and morals of government soverienty.

I saw a police video, of a women who was arrested, after being stopped for nothing and calling on her constitutional rights. They accused her of assault, which she was found innocent, and went through her car, taking things that proved she was a christian and patriotic and talked to eachother of how it could be used to convict her.

I was fifteen when i realized those (or many) in authority are corrupt and my entire family had no freedom to even speak on my behalf in court after I had just been left for dead in the mountains, and the men who did it got away with it, because, one of them had a parent in the police force. I was taken from my family, and the entire thing was covered up. I was punished for almost dieing, and locked up like a criminal. they walked free.

My family was further punished, because they could not understand how a father could drive around with his daughters in a car, bring them fishing, and do things together like a family. They tried to get me to accuse my father of being a child molester, so i kept running away from the group home, then would be locked up in juevinile detention. This went on for almost 2 years, til i ran home again one time, and my whole family packed up and left that dam state.

Answer 8

Hi,
Have you ever seen the TRUMAN SHOW movie ??? it just tells you that its possible to creat a world, live in it and actually believe in it and that is whats excactly happenining in America. They are living in thier own bubble, they make believe that they have absolute freedom but infact they dont.

take care

Answer 9

no, actually there's not. the Dixie chicks said something about the Iraq war and everyone turned against them. they say "everyone has the right of freedom of speech, only if you don't say it in public."