Plenty of ink has been spilled over the threat to free speech from both Left and Right in modern American politics, and for good reason. Donald Trump wants to strengthen libel laws so the press cannot criticize him. Hillary Clinton wants to amend the First Amendment to censor political speech at election times. Both of these and many other assaults on free speech are based on the government telling you, through threat of lawsuit, fines, or jail time, what you may not say.
But an even greater threat to free speech emerges when the government mandates what you must say. Compelled speech is on the rise, and neither Clinton nor Trump is inclined to stop it.
Compelled Speech Exists Already
In some contexts, compelled speech is not a new phenomenon. Until recently, it has been restricted to compelling corporations to speak. In fact, you have almost certainly heard some compelled speech within the last 24 hours.
Have you seen a pharmaceutical advertisement? The disclaimers at the end are not there at the drug companies’ discretion. They are the result of mandated negotiation between the companies and the Food and Drug Administration, resulting in a precise set of words the ads must include to be allowed to run on television, radio, or in any other form of mass media. If the ads don’t say what the government requires, they are forbidden...
Read more at:
http://thefederalist.com/2016/11/08/whats-worse-government-banning-speech-making-say-things-dont-support/
