I am an American trial lawyer (retired at 62 in 2019). I have traveled abroad extensively. From time to time a resident in a country I am visiting wishes to engage in a discussion of the comparative politics of the U.S. and the resident’s country. A few times, I have been asked whether the U.S. or the country I am visiting is, in my opinion, superior in terms of the rights and protections granted their citizens. Without hesitation I say that the U.S. is by far superior. When pressed as to why that is, I say that while there are several reasons, the best is that in the U.S. we have actual “free speech”, not the weak-tea, ersatz brand which passes as free speech in Europe.