Hanson’s argument was that blackmail illegality is good for elites but not good for society as a whole. It’s not surprising if the laws are structured in a way that’s good for elites.
I think if you ask most US billionaires about Lese Majeste laws they could honestly say, that they don’t want them.
As far as free speech goes, there’s a lot of ownership concentration of media in a few elite hands and in general society is structured in a way that it’s much harder to use speech to change power relationship then it’s true in other countries. Private property rights are strongly protected and it’s hard to change them via public opinion.
If a Russian oligarch loses in the court of public opinion they end up in prison. Western equivalents have to worry less and that makes free speech a lot less threatening.
Hanson’s argument was that blackmail illegality is good for elites but not good for society as a whole. It’s not surprising if the laws are structured in a way that’s good for elites.
Theyre not structured that much for elites. We don’t have Lese Majeste laws, and we do have free speech and press.
I think if you ask most US billionaires about Lese Majeste laws they could honestly say, that they don’t want them.
As far as free speech goes, there’s a lot of ownership concentration of media in a few elite hands and in general society is structured in a way that it’s much harder to use speech to change power relationship then it’s true in other countries. Private property rights are strongly protected and it’s hard to change them via public opinion.
If a Russian oligarch loses in the court of public opinion they end up in prison. Western equivalents have to worry less and that makes free speech a lot less threatening.