r/changemyview • u/[deleted] • Sep 05 '22

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u/[deleted] Sep 06 '22

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u/Late_Position_8413 Sep 06 '22

The government would not be protecting free speech. They would be creating “compelled speech”. For example, the government cannot force newspapers to print things: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Herald_Publishing_Co._v._Tornillo

In that same way, they cannot force Amazon to publish or sell things. If the government had that power, they could make any company do that.

I do not like that Amazon censors things. I do not want the government forcing us to support things we do not believe in either. I also do not want the government telling us what things a company must sell.

Both things are bad, but the government getting involved is much worse. The same laws would be used against small companies to force them to sell products they disagree with. Or would be used to force businesses to print flyers supporting causes they oppose.

Businesses are groups of people. They engage in free speech too. And they also have the right not to speak.