Is opposition to free speech becoming mainstream?

[politicus]

This one is thought provoking:

http://blogs.new.spectator.co.uk/2015/10/why-are-students-now-cheering-about-the-massacre-at-charlie-hebdo/

Is the belief that free speech should be curtailed increasingly becoming mainstream? (or is it already?). Denmark is (still) very pro-free speech, and not very representative on this, so I am curious about what you think.

(I know Spectator is owned by the Barclay bros., but I take it, it is still a serious publication)

[politicus]

there's so much wrong with this article i don't even know where to start

Try anyway, you must be able to find some core themes. Otherwise we are just left guessing.

[politicus]

Was it ever mainstream to begin with?

Huh? What "it"? The question was about opposition to free speech becoming mainstream. There was no claim this opposition had ever been mainstream.

Do you mean "was support of free speech ever mainstream"?

[politicus]

Was it ever mainstream to begin with?

Huh? What "it"? The question was about opposition to free speech becoming mainstream. There was no claim this opposition had ever been mainstream.

Do you mean "was support of free speech ever mainstream"?

Yes the latter.

I think there would be fairly large national differences on that issue. It was mainstream here and still a majority view, but our free speech tradition is also closer to the American than much of the rest of Europe. Free speech has never been a mainstream position outside of the Western world. Although I dunno much about attitudes in Latin America on that (but they are a variation of western culture anyway).