Free speech absolutists can still have opinions, criticize others, and choose who to associate with. They're not advocating for censorship or legal penalties for speech.
replyYep. "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." and similar such sentiments.
replyOne can publicly declare a speaker to be a wrongheaded pig that all decent people should ignore, but that's a wholly different thing from ensuring that said pig is unable to utter its wrongheaded ideas in public.
But the question is, if the speaker of vile speech is being persecuted by the powers that be, will said brave "free speech absolutist" NGOs step up or will they be conspicuously absent?
replyI interpreted this as just a clumsy rewording of the old quote, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
replyFree speech advocates support the right of everyone to set up a stall in the marketplace of ideas, but don't have to support every idea that sets up a stall.
A publisher of gay erotica might support free speech, and find themselves alongside revolutionary communists, hitler-heiling nazis and radical islamists distributing bomb-making manuals - but the groups aren't allies or friends outside of that.
Well, their defence now is probably contingent on a donation first.
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