Fara Dabhoiwala argues that free speech, though a central democratic value, owes its origin and evolution less to high-minded ideals than to venal interests. Shaped by greed, technological change, and the insoluble challenges of slander and falsehood, free speech is inherently contradictory-both a basis of liberty and a weapon of the powerful.
A brilliant history [of what] has long been a "weaponized mantra" in a public sphere dominated by the moneyed and the powerful, this fascinating book questions whether such a misunderstood ideal should be lauded as an end in itself ... Dabhoiwala wants us to think of free speech in terms of which voices are heard most loudly and which are marginalised ... meticulous and much-needed. Joe Moran Guardian







