Liam Neeson: Rape, Revenge, and Race Relations

[Athene]

I would die for your right to speak freely-- or for Neeson's or anyone else's.  I think you alternate between good sense and downright screech, but I would never tell you not to express your ideas.

"I would DIE for your right to speak freely..." Please. Spare me the breathless platitudes. 
And false sense of urgency.

I'm not "telling" Neeson not to express his ideas. I'm expressing my own thoughts, ideas, and criticism in response to his.
That's how this works, bennyboy.

As for paranoia-- I don't think an awareness of history and of human nature is paranoia.  Do you think the communists early on didn't accuse dissenters of paranoia?

See, in times of peace, it's easy to pass off seemingly minor restrictions on freedom-- we don't really need them, things seem smoother without them.  But that's a slippery slope, and has been proven so in conflict after conflict over the past several thousands of years.

Blah, blah, blah...Enough with this idiotic analogy. 
Neeson's critics are not lighting upon Internet operating under the full power and authority and of the United States government and are not imposing legal sanctions upon him. His constitutional right to free speech is not under attack because he's receiving public backlash as a result of his public statements.

No, you have to maintain freedom jealously, and accept its consequences as graciously as you can, or things go south very quickly.  Don't be eager to support those who are keen to end careers or lives, because as they are given more power, the net draws tighter, until all sensible people are likely to find themselves inside it.

I support free speech, same as you. However, unlike you, I understand that free speech doesn't guarantee freedom from dissenting opinions and negative responses when engaging in the public sphere, nor does it shield citizens from the ravages of the free market.
If Neeson chooses to voice thoughts and opinions that negatively impact him as a brand, that's on him. If folks don't like what they hear, they are FREE to express themselves just as well as Neeson and are FREE to forgo patronage of his brand, and I'm 100% okay with that.

Don't like it? Too bad.
That's the American way.

The issue here is that you and like-minded individuals regard yourselves as the ideal standard/baseline norm, and therefore FEEL you should be entitled to a bit more freedom of expression than everybody else. That's precisely why you insist on trying to sell this alternate, fantasy world in which 'freedom of speech' means YOU guys get to talk and offend at will, and those who are offended/disagree are compelled to stay silent.

Fuck your fantasy, man. I refuse to entertain it.