I wonder how someone like Hitler would have been treated. I guess free speech advocates would have helped him to spread his sick ideas and rise to power? Free speech needs to have limits somewhere. If others are insulted, smeared, de-humanized, if hate is spreaded, if under the protection of free speech people rise to power who poison the political climate, then the whole system is in danger of falling apart, with all the good elements, even the right for free speech.
Throwing Hitler out as a boogie man does not nullify the entire legal system of our country or the intellectual tradition behind it. Yes Hitler would have had free speech too although most of what is viewed as problematic by Hitler would have been considered violent hate speech in our current legal system and would still not be allowed.
As a jew, I support free speech for hypothetical Hitler. Stop using these lazy arguments.
The Weimar Republic had hate speech laws, and prosecuted Nazis for violating them. This simply resulted in more polarization and Nazis becoming more committed to their cause.
Free speech is not a god given right to spread hate, misinformation, antisemitism, misogyny, etc - And yes: Not confronting people who threaten the very basics of our democracy (respecting human rights and the dignity of our fellow citizens) will help those dark forces rise to the power. The nazis have been elected to power in the Weimar Republic.
