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Comment by finite_jest | Hacker News Reader

> But there is no "freedom of speech" side here.

There is. Rogan is not trying to remove Neil Young's music from anywhere.

I've heard this unfruitful line of argument too often recently. Besides being unfruitful, I think it is based on a subtle fallacy/diversion.

The idea of free expression reasonably includes the right to criticize the principle itself. For example, in the US, you absolutely have the legal right to criticize the First Amendment. However, by doing so you would rightly be labelled as being against free expression.

If you like free expression, I think you should be cheering for Spotify and Rogan in this case.

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Young wasn't trying to remove Rogan's music. He was exercising his positive liberty, to act as he wanted: which was to not be on a platform with people he perceived as ultra-shitty & socially-ruinous.

Young had (nearly) no expectation of causing change. There's a possibility he thought this really would, right now, have enacted change, but I highly doubt he was so deluded. Young simply knew he couldn't be party to such a system, and said he was unwilling to remain affiliated with it in it's current dangerous fallen state.

> Young wasn't trying to remove Rogan's music.

I very much disagree. We could be a bit more accurate/pedantic by saying "he's trying to mount pressure to remove Rogan's podcast from Spotify" instead, but that doesn't change much.

> not be on a platform with people he perceived as ultra-shitty & socially-ruinous.

I cancelled my Spotify a long time ago, but I don't think it's much of a social platform. If you don't want to interact with Rogan, you simply can. I think you could even mute an artist, so Spotify wouldn't even suggest their content to you.

whether or not Spotify is a social platform is irrelevant. Young didn't want to be involved with a business so directly supporting & fostering his/our worlds foes.

Imagine a TV network hosting a show called neo-nazis throwing eggs at Jews at 8pm, and then you at 9pm for an important discussion on your favourite subject.

You’d have every right to rethink your association with that platform, and demand they not air the neo-nazis if they want to have you on.

This is not about free speech. It’s about freedom of association. You can’t force Neil Young to be associated with Joe Rogan if he doesn’t want to, and you can’t argue he doesn’t have a right to tell Spotify they can’t have both of them.

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