Don't let free speech be a casualty of coronavirus. We need it more than ever | Cas Mudde

Despots like Hungary ’s Viktor Orbán are banning speech to ‘fight’ Covid-19. But more democratic countries are tooCoronavirus – latest US updatesCoronavirus – latest global updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIn times of crisis, liberal democratic institutions and values are vulnerable to authoritarian power grabs, or corona coups, as we are seeingaround the world today. One of the first victims, as always, is freedom of speech. But the current attack on free speech is particularly dangerous, because it does not only target, reasonably, “fake news” on coronavirus, but also critique of inadequacies in hospitals by healthcare workers.Repressive measures against fake news have been a popular topic for years now, having reached feverish levels in the wake of the 2016 US presidential elections. Even though theactual effects of “fake news” and “Russian interference” remain unclear and highly disputed, many mainstream politicians have convinced themselves that the spread of fake news is one of the main reasons that they are losing votes and power to populists.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Coronavirus outbreak US politics Infectious diseases Science Health Health policy Public services policy Healthcare industry Hungary Viktor Orb án Source Type: news