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The clash of ideas is fundamental to creativity and progress, but it can also be deeply destructive and create divisions within companies, communities and families. How do you foster productive debate while protecting against harmful speech and misinformation? Constitutional lawyer Ishan Bhabha lays out structures that organizations can use to navigate ideological disagreement and responsibly bring facts and context to a larger dialogue.
This talk was part of the Countdown Global Launch on 10.10.2020. (Watch the full event here: .) Countdown is TED’s global initiative to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis. The goal: to build a better future by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, in the race to a zero-carbon world. Get involved at
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Gerald Miller
November 20, 2020 at 9:33 am
Just because it is a private entity that does not mean the first amendment does not apply. For example, Facebook and Twitter both censored all mention of the Biden laptop with far worse verifiable evidence than was ever found against Trump.
On the face of it, they are private companies, but the US Government grants them legal protections as a platform but not as publishers under 230. However, by not giving everyone equal access to their platform they became publishers so yes the government can use the first amendment and withdraw all legal immunity. They would then be buried in lawsuits.
They decided what vital factual information could or could not be seen by US voters and that interferes with free and fair elections. They do not deserve an legal protections in the future.
Artimis Fowl
November 20, 2020 at 1:30 pm
I feel like this should be handled as they are monopolies rather than under 230. We still want online spaces to have some moderation protection free from litigation risk. That way they can handle really gross things (excessive gore, pornographic content, spam bot advertisements, etc), and specialized social media products can still create safe spaces (religious group pages, lgbt support pages, etc) without risk of losing protections.
We don’t want to make it harder for small businesses do we? Better to break up these coorporate giants and let competition do the work. The only alternative really is to make Facebook a government agency (directly or by so much regulation), and that’s just socialism.
question ade
November 20, 2020 at 9:36 am
What an ambiguous position this fella holds, one min he’s for, the next against free speech. There is no halfway house, any suppression of speech is totalitarian. There is no such thing as ‘hate speech’ the concept is gobblededgook, who defines it? The law adequitely covers incitement, why do we need ‘hate speech’. If a sentancing judge realises a male street robber has robbed a woman because he hates woman 9 times out of 10 he’s going to get a longer sentance than the man who does it to feed his family. Governed from above Authoritarian states like we are all living in these days, don’t like the fact judges still have individual authority to accept or reject a plea for clemency based on the circumstances of the crime or offence committed. Today governing authorities would like to deal out their own justice via an AI system, some pesky live individualistic human judges are getting in the way though.
Gerald Miller
November 20, 2020 at 9:40 am
The Southern Poverty Law Center is an extreme left wing group. They only list rightwing groups as hate groups. They refuse to list left wing hate groups such as antifa. The SPLC has zero authority in deciding what is or is not hate speech because they themselves frequently support it.
Artimis Fowl
November 20, 2020 at 1:39 pm
Does antifa have actual speakers going around? I thought they were all kinda spontaneous protest on the streets kinda things with no central structure.
Tilde
November 20, 2020 at 7:04 pm
@Artimis Fowl Antifa are what’s called an ‘informal organization’ – you can look it up on Wikipedia for an overview. It is, though, what it sounds like. You don’t need to be hierarchical to be organized. They have actual groups – Rose City Antifa is a formal group that has been since 2007 – websites, they have a flag (i.e., a unifying symbol) and a sort of de facto uniform. They have described themselves as members of Antifa in the past. All this “it’s just an idea” is gaslighting from the last year. You can look up old articles and you will consistently find that they are conceptualized as an organization. It’s not a flash mob, as you describe.
At the end of the day – they organize under an ideology of ideas and actions and can be condemned by them.
Artimis Fowl
November 20, 2020 at 8:28 pm
@Tilde good to know. So the objection is that the organizers of these are going around doing speaking gigs and not on the list?
Tilde
November 20, 2020 at 9:06 pm
@Artimis Fowl What? Your comment makes no sense. OPs objection is that the SPLC are unevenly applying their consideration of what is a ‘hate group’ by not classifying antifa as a hate group. You seem to be under the impression that this is invalid because Antifa aren’t a group, and I pointed out that they most definitely are, by definition, a group – and one that can, and should, be classified as a hate group based on their actions and words.
Artimis Fowl
November 21, 2020 at 12:55 am
@Tilde perhaps i am misremembering. The video suggested this centers list to make decisions about who to cater for, who to allow to speak on campuses, etc. The OP responded to this by calling out the center for omitting antifa. I asked if they’re really a group asking for catering and speaking opportunities.
I think we’re working on different skopes of context.
Fong Man
November 20, 2020 at 10:23 am
Somebody tag Trump
Social Hand Grenade
November 20, 2020 at 10:33 am
Or if you’re a left wing lunatic…. how to censor and de-platform, how to stifle free speech, how to spread intolerance and hatred, how to riot and loot and steal, how to brainwash the brainless…… yeah, how about YOU take your own advice..?
Jeff
November 20, 2020 at 10:53 am
SPLS really
Jeff
November 20, 2020 at 10:55 am
SPLC REALLY!
Jeff
November 20, 2020 at 10:56 am
V
Jeff
November 20, 2020 at 10:57 am
Marxist
Ajay Miller
November 20, 2020 at 12:05 pm
What a drug addiction looks like 👍 ^^^^
Ajay Miller
November 20, 2020 at 12:05 pm
Ted Talks need to banned for their deceptive program
Paulina De Luca
November 20, 2020 at 12:33 pm
You look like Paul Costa if he never did MMA and pursued a college degree instead
thecaneater
November 20, 2020 at 1:18 pm
Lemme guess… by censoring people whose ideas you don’t like?
Graywalker Join3rdParty
November 20, 2020 at 1:35 pm
Those who censor due to difference of opinion are usually wrong.
No Name needed
November 20, 2020 at 2:34 pm
Okay indian micheal jackson
Bart Roberts
November 20, 2020 at 2:48 pm
Debate is the primitive Greek exercise of persuading an audience without stringent safeguards the worse case is the better one by abuse of logical fallacy, appeal to base emotion or reference to invalid authority for the purpose of teaching political classes to be wary of such tricks. Debate can never be productive or responsible for the obvious reason that these tricks remain integral to the form. Accepting debate as a source of truth leads to great harm and maligns critical thinking and better practices.
Discourse is the productive, responsible act. Cooperative public discourse is mediated by Grice’s Maxims taken up by participants:
1. Quantity, strive to be informative as possible and give as much information as needed but no more.
2. Quality, seek to be truthful and do not give information that is false or that is not supported by evidence.
3. Relevance, focus on related information, and say only things pertinent to the discussion.
4. Manner, be as clear, brief, and orderly as possible, and avoid obscurity, spin, propaganda and ambiguity.
ussarn g
November 21, 2020 at 4:00 pm
Perhaps you should try to create your own information forum.
Mark Huynh
November 20, 2020 at 3:04 pm
I thought this was paulo Costa in the thumbnail
Bram van Duijn
November 20, 2020 at 3:09 pm
I did not learn how to foster productive and responsible debate. Zero techniques were taught, this talk only covered tiny little sliver that could be summarized by “Don’t let the government ban speech”, which is like a bread making recipe that only contains the line “Don’t jump in a volcano.”
While that is a valid point, it is not a recipe for bread.
Tilde
November 20, 2020 at 6:55 pm
1) Understand your own position
2) Understand your opponents position
3) Always give charitable interpretations
4) Agree on definitions
5) Agree on definitions
6) Agree on definitions
7) Agree on definitions
8) Agree on definitions
9) Agree on definitions
Tilde
November 20, 2020 at 7:22 pm
In your scenario, they would be granting equality for a group that promotes ideals antithetical to your policy of equality and is therefore morally unjust. You sacrifice a privilege when it infringes on that same privilege for someone else.
The issue we have is the way entities explain their actions. The correct explanation is not that the ideals of the religious group are “bad” but rather that to allow the religious group to utilize their services would be hypocritical and would actually be _harmful_ to your ideals.
This is of course different than hosting a discussion between them and another group consistent with your ideals. I.e., platforming a discussion is not the same things as platforming a presentation.
Mutant Buzzard
November 20, 2020 at 8:08 pm
The southern poverty law firm is a HATE group
Thibault Loughrey
November 22, 2020 at 1:08 pm
Evidence?
Mutant Buzzard
November 22, 2020 at 5:37 pm
@Thibault Loughrey yes
Thibault Loughrey
November 23, 2020 at 2:59 am
@Mutant Buzzard please provide
Mutant Buzzard
November 23, 2020 at 4:18 pm
@Thibault Loughrey so now u have nothing 2 say? tis better 2 b silent and thought a fool that 2 post and remove all doubt
Thibault Loughrey
November 24, 2020 at 7:30 am
@Mutant Buzzard you made the assertion, therefore the burden is on you to prove it when someone challenges you on.
Why you afraid of simply providing any form or proof or evidence ?? perhaps it is you that has nothing to say. Very nice use of that phrase, tis fitting for yourself
Mutant Buzzard
November 24, 2020 at 5:07 pm
@Thibault Loughrey and US proved it, by providing evidence, u r obviously the victim of a taxpayer funded liberal brainwashing posing as “education”
DaBlondDude
November 20, 2020 at 9:03 pm
This works where a) people can listen on all sides to people on all sides, seriously considering their words and/or b) all speech hits all ears, which with social media algorithms is becoming a rarer thing. I don’t envy those who have to decide to leave/remove/tag content
PolarizerIO
November 21, 2020 at 10:50 am
How about visually sorting the content by their interactions? Spam and hate doesn’t interact, it disrupts. Clearly illegal stuff surely will always need to be removed. but its the grey area thats causing headaches.
Janice Stevenson
November 20, 2020 at 10:22 pm
“I shall listen to others without judgment today. Knowledge will indicate if what they are saying is of value or not. It will do this without any form of condemnation, without any comparison and without any evaluation on your part whatsoever…Therefore you may find your rightful way without contributing judgment or hatred upon the world…Listen to others today so that you may experience yourself in relationship with them, so that their true message to you may be given and comprehended.” (quotes from Steps to Knowledge, Marshall Vian Summers, New Message org)
Pia Films
November 26, 2020 at 12:00 am
Thank you, Janice.
freesk8
November 21, 2020 at 12:10 am
SPLC is not a neutral third party. It is biased to the left. Picking a biased third party is not fair.
Thibault Loughrey
November 22, 2020 at 1:12 pm
Who would you pick as a third party?
Terry Wheelock
November 21, 2020 at 2:32 am
You can only have “debate” if you have “knowledge” a view about the subject on which you are speaking. You “opinion” doesn’t mean squat!
It depends on if your business is “OPEN to the PUBLIC” or not!
The problem is people “INTERPRET” the Constitution inappropriately! A “private” business cannot discriminate if they are “open to the public”!
The issue being that BOTH of “those” sides are WRONG about “their” beliefs!
So you “deflect” the decision to discriminate to another BIAS organization! That’s brilliant!
Twitter is UNLAWFULLY censoring, over speaking, and guilty of harmful speech! Facebook, YouTube, Google, are too! You cannot even see how HYPOCRITICAL your position on the issue is!
What makes you an “expert” and that we should listen to “your” opinion upon any issue!
What you are saying is to BULLY people, with more people, to take away an individuals rights to speech, expression, and association!
You are a DANGER to CIVILIZATION! 🤣
Donn JB
November 21, 2020 at 3:01 am
Most people don’t seem to like anything i say, i don’t want advice just a disclaimer…
Ubermensch007
November 21, 2020 at 6:00 am
I have zero confidence in your ability to determine what a ‘more authoritative source’ is.
or your ability to determine what ‘hateful speech’ is.
How do you figure this stuff out at all, let alone in perpetuity?
Answer: You cant. That’s why there is a first amendment. Because they knew you couldn’t decide what speech is good and what speech is evil. No one should be allowed to do this except parents for their children. Not governments or private companies.
The foundations of your argument are faulty.
D. R.
November 21, 2020 at 8:32 am
I cannot stress how much Ishan’s message would benefit us today. Please watch this video!
نعمت الله بخششی
November 21, 2020 at 12:37 pm
سلام خداوندهمه را حفظ کند وبرکت دهد امین
Ubermensch007
November 21, 2020 at 1:25 pm
Freedom isn’t free.
Denouncing calls to violence disrespects every soldier, ever.
How can you protect Freedom without violence?
How can you call for righteous violence in the name of freedom and liberty, if private companies or the government censor them?
War is horrors, the threat of it is supposed to deter these people that are trying to take freedom from us. When you say all calls to violence are abhorrent and unacceptable, you undermine our freedom and collective power. Democracy was a forum for resolving things peacefully, sure. Democracy only works with freedom of speech, belief and unfettered truth. When powers undermine that, they are the enemy of democracy and freedom. They very well may need to be stopped with violence.
If we are not willing to fight for our freedom we will lose it, for ourselves and our children.
Snakeyes244
November 21, 2020 at 3:58 pm
Really? The Southern Poverty Law Center? Wow, they’re incredibly untrustworthy and nowhere near unbiased. You know nothing sir.
Thibault Loughrey
November 22, 2020 at 1:07 pm
Why? Proof?
Snakeyes244
November 23, 2020 at 5:33 pm
@Thibault Loughrey you don’t need much research to confirm this. Their allegations of hate stem back years. They’re baseless claims that have hurt many innocent people. They’re one of the worst purveyors of modern cancel culture and have no self reflection or internalized consistency. It’s a very authoritarian and fringe leftist group. Just don’t take any they say seriously. It’s usually a false shriek to cause of panic to push a desired narrative.
Snakeyes244
November 23, 2020 at 5:33 pm
@Thibault Loughrey you don’t need much research to confirm this. Their allegations of hate stem back years. They’re baseless claims that have hurt many innocent people. They’re one of the worst purveyors of modern cancel culture and have no self reflection or internalized consistency. It’s a very authoritarian and fringe leftist group. Just don’t take any they say seriously. It’s usually a false shriek to cause panic to push a desired narrative.
Thibault Loughrey
November 24, 2020 at 7:32 am
@Snakeyes244 literally, provide ANY example of them doing anything like this cause i genuinely do not know what you’re talking about – the ONLY people I’ve seen seriously criticise and try to discredit SPLC are weird fringe alt right communities – i am genuinely trying to engage with their perspectives on this but it is impossible if literally none actually point towards any authentic examples for their allegations.
In the time it took for you to say “dude, just trust me man don’t listen to them you know I’m right” you could have actually provided something to contribute to this.
Luciana OTTELE
November 21, 2020 at 9:13 pm
Qd je parle tout le monde écoute. En revanche TOI tu fermes ta gueule. La magie du MONOLOGUE. Rien d’spécial @lexfridman
Phyllobates Terribilis
November 22, 2020 at 1:42 am
“…such as the Southern Poverty Law Center” – *click*
Thibault Loughrey
November 22, 2020 at 1:07 pm
Elaborate?
Phyllobates Terribilis
November 22, 2020 at 3:09 pm
@Thibault Loughrey The SPLC used to defend anyone against racism and hate but are now just a cudgel of the far-left – ask Maajid Nawaz or Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
Thibault Loughrey
November 23, 2020 at 2:59 am
@Phyllobates Terribilis care to provide your own judgement?
Demonstrate how exactly they are “cudgel of the far left”?
Phyllobates Terribilis
November 23, 2020 at 3:57 am
@Thibault Loughrey In my judgement, any organization that says those two fine persons of colour are promoting white supremacy are racist, far-left facists posing as anti-racist liberals. They’re no longer taken seriously by fair minded people.
Thibault Loughrey
November 24, 2020 at 7:28 am
@Phyllobates Terribilis you realise “far left fascist” is an oxymoron and anyone that knows very basic political theory is going to stop taking you seriously, right?
And who is your example speaking of?? Literally, what is the situation you are referring to?
Phyllobates Terribilis
November 24, 2020 at 10:53 am
@Thibault Loughrey Yuri Bezmenov, Soviet defector and chief KGB/Novosti agent, said that the Soviet Union was a state-capitalist fascist/communist regime – how’s that for some political theory for you?…From a man who has forgotten more about it than you or I could likely ever know.
You can google the Nawaz and Hirsi Ali cases wrt the SPLC – it’s not hard.
leo mns
November 22, 2020 at 10:16 am
Thanks to you, I really enjoyed this video
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November 22, 2020 at 11:03 am
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Elena Jozam
November 22, 2020 at 2:19 pm
@Brian Jennifer How can one hire him ?
Brian Jennifer
November 22, 2020 at 2:26 pm
@Elena Jozam write him on what’s app ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Brian Jennifer
November 22, 2020 at 2:27 pm
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Elena Jozam
November 22, 2020 at 2:34 pm
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J M
November 23, 2020 at 1:13 am
Umm nope
Cal Cervo
November 22, 2020 at 1:53 pm
STFU
Judith Murray
November 22, 2020 at 3:07 pm
Listen with positive intent.
전재숙
November 22, 2020 at 11:47 pm
나의게 청개구리 하는것들을 봐줘야 하나?
Taylor Fridenmaker
November 23, 2020 at 4:56 am
Yes, completely agree with your deep dive into free speech moral theory. What you fail to address however are the ideas of “free reach” and the algorithm that promotes the reach and engagement of some speech over other speech. Is it really ‘your’ speech after an algorithm chooses to amplify it? Or is it the algorithm’s speech?
POSITIVE MILLIONAIRE
November 23, 2020 at 10:56 am
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lil ami
November 23, 2020 at 12:58 pm
я же не одна сижу тут,чтобы развить listening ибо РЕТ сдавать скоро
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November 26, 2020 at 5:57 am
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