Foreign Policy
Though less so in recent years, the United States has often sought to expand freedom of expression beyond its borders as a condition of its relations with other countries. Is it right to do so? As speech freedoms are threatened abroad by increasingly authoritarian leaders — and those who embolden them — more and more individuals are likely to be prevented from telling the truth about conditions in their countries. Often inadvertently, U.S. leaders have also complained about Americans’ freedom to criticize, oblivious to the message this sends to foreign leaders.
Reflection Questions
- Should the United States be pressing other countries to follow its lead on Free Speech and other First Amendment freedoms, as a condition of diplomatic relations, or would that amount to cultural imperialism?
- Have unauthorized data dumps of classified information on national security harmed America’s standing in the world?
- To what extent should journalists consult with their government sources about whether information they are about to publish could endanger national security or imperil Americans’ safety?
Context
The U.N. Hates Hate Speech More Than It Loves Free Speech, Foreign Policy, February 2019
First They Came for the Holocaust Deniers, and I Did Not Speak Out, Foreign Policy, October 2016- Does Europe Understand the First Amendment Better Than We Do?, The Atlantic, July 2012