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A comment on PayPal ends business dealings with Alex Jones's Infowars. Parent comment

Re:PayPal ends business dealings with Alex Jones's Infowars by moosingin3space on Friday September 21, 2018 @07:57PM (#18043581)
This is an effect of free speech: a merchant is not obligated to engage in business with customers they do not approve of, unless it runs afoul of the law. The law does not grant Alex Jones protected status to spread bullshit.

Freedom of speech does not imply freedom from consequence.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:PayPal ends business dealings with Alex Jones's Infowars by insickness on Friday September 21, 2018 @08:09PM (#18043645)
> Freedom of speech does not imply freedom from consequence.

This is double speak. If the government throws you in jail for saying something, you could say the same thing. You had freedom of speech but not freedom from consequence. You're distorting the meaning of freedom of speech.

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Re:PayPal ends business dealings with Alex Jones's Infowars by yzmtf2008 on Friday September 21, 2018 @08:11PM (#18043654)
>If the government throws you in jail for saying something, you could say the same thing.

Which is why we have the first amendment, and why it covers government only.

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Re:PayPal ends business dealings with Alex Jones's Infowars by krapp on Friday September 21, 2018 @08:17PM (#18043686)
Are you claiming that free speech means merchants should be forced to do business with customers they don't approve of?

Or that no one who disagrees with a particular point of view should be able to express that disagreement?

Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequence when that consequence is also an expression of free speech.

[ Parent | on HN ]