Freedom of Speech

The speaker, while supporting the freedom of speech, makes the point that a controversial statement cannot be just 1 and rather has to be earned. He emphasises the need to understand that freedom of speech is not a sort of 2 frippery that people can take for granted. In fact, he explains that it is the absolute 3 of democracy. For this reason, there can be no giving it up or 4 it, under any circumstances. He explains that he is a fan of political correctness, as are others, without including the outer 5 He identifies the fact that you could get away by saying things in the past which now seem 6 PC, he adds, has led to an evolutionary acceleration towards 7 ideas. He admits to feeling uneasy about the 8 he took in his previous writings. Political correctness can be challenging, he suggests, but he doesn't 9 it in any way.