When the burden of proof is shifted from the plaintiff to the defendant in proving the truth of a statement, the results are clear. Rich people use their resources to muzzle debate. Why do you support that? Are you some kind of troll for rich people who are doing bad things like the Saudis?
No disagreement on that. I absolutely am in favor of civility.
But lack of civility IS NOT LIBEL.
Under no circumstances should a politician be allowed to legally define civility, or to attempt to enforce his definition of it, or misrepresent it as libel.
Libel is a lie in print. First and foremost, it MUST BE FALSE. Thus it is said that the first defense against libel is the truth. If it’s true, it’s not libel.
Libel is NOT an opinion, a spin, or a criticism, no matter how hateful or vitriolic, that the accuser doesn’t like, as long as the central facts in play are true. So-called “hate speech” is not libel. Bias is not itself libelous, regardless whether the bias is liberal or conservative. Criticizing any public figure’s character, based on his past words or actions on record, is not libel, regardless whether that criticism is expressed in an uncivil manner, and regardless whether it’s Trump or Cruz being criticized. That even some FReepers seem to think it is libelous, and that the critic should be silenced with threats of a lawsuit, is scary.
The lack of integrity to which you refer, IMO, has little to do with libel, and is more about a failure to separate opinion from fact.
Journalists with integrity in the past understood the basic rule that opinions belonged on the op-ed page, and straight news was “just the facts, ma’am.”
The problem is that we have SJWs posing as journalists, pushing an agenda, as well as poorly educated readers who often cannot distinguish facts from spin.
Also, a lot of the lack of integrity to which you refer—the meanness, vulgarity, etc., is simply sensationalism driven by ratings. That doesn’t make it libelous. “Gotcha” questions aren’t libel.
Trump’s threat to change libel laws and ramp up “law fare” (using aggressive litigation to silence dissent) further serves the interests of the tyrannical left. The inevitable result is that only the officially government approved spin will be allowed, regardless of the facts.
IOW, Mr. Trump has inadvertently revealed that he’s actually in favor of political correctness, not against it, as he has heretofore led us to believe-as long as HE and his supporters are the ones who get to decide what’s allowed and what isn’t.