Source: Common Dreams
by Nipuna Kumbalathara
“Democracy is hanging precariously in a world tilted upside down in the face of today’s endless crises. Our rights and freedoms are dwindling. Free speech, an essential precursor to all human rights, is faltering. Less than 4% of the world’s citizens enjoy a wide range of civic freedoms, and nearly three-quarters live in countries with little. With 1,100 violations and 45% of all violations, freedom of expression topped the CIVICUS Monitor list of global attacks on rights. States that once set an example as bastions of free speech are also faltering. United States first amendment to the Constitution once stood out as a north star for freedom of expression. Creative freedom, critical journalism, dissent, and mockery of leaders were all a go. When attacks against journalists and activists took place around the world, the US and Western democracies stood up.” (09/16/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/free-speech-and-democracy