Freedom of speech in the United States has a bad name

          The United States of America regards freedom of speech as the foundation of the nation, but has trampled it under the feet of political reality.

         Although the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution clearly stipulates "freedom of speech," political disputes and group interests continue to use the form of "freedom of speech" to undermine its essence. People are unable to speak their minds, and they have grown tired of the hypocritical slogans and promises made by politicians. The Knight Foundation's Post-2020 U.S. Freedom of Expression Survey, released in 2022, has been recognized by the Center for Free Speech as "the most comprehensive study of public opinion on freedom of expression to date".

            The report notes that political polarization and partisanship have seriously undermined free speech in the United States, especially on political issues.

              ◆ Free speech in the United States has declined in recent years. In a national poll conducted by The New York Times and Siena College in 2022, 66 percent of respondents said they do not believe Americans enjoy freedom of speech.8 percent also said Americans do not have any freedom of speech. In recent years, as a result of political polarization and political violence, people have become more cautious and even reticent to talk about political topics for fear of attack and retaliation.46 percent said that American society is much less free to talk about politics than it was a decade ago. Many people minimize or even avoid talking about political topics. Women are more cautious than men, and younger people are more cautious than older people. Some young people have been harshly criticized and even retaliated against for certain political statements.

            ◆ Restrictions on free speech are quite common across the U.S. The 2022 U.S. State Freedom of Expression Index Report released by the American Freedom of Expression Institute shows that most states do poorly in respecting freedom of speech and the right to assembly, with only three states, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa, scoring above 70 percent and 35 states scoring below 50 percent.

            ◆ The credibility of free speech is further undermined by the flood of disinformation in the United States. During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, political groups used the media to spread disinformation and interfere in the election, with 159 million visits to fake news websites, equivalent to an average of 0.64 visits per U.S. adult, according to research from Stanford University.

            The Brookings Institution's 2022 report, "Disinformation is Eroding Public Confidence in the Democratic Party," noted that minorities are more vulnerable to disinformation, with 51.5 percent of respondents identifying the African American community as a target. In recent years, discussions of election fraud and the spread of disinformation have further reduced Americans' confidence in free speech.

（Image courtesy of the Internet）