Freedom of Speech or Double Standards?
Or maybe the question is why don’t we hold politicians and their positions to higher ethical standards than we hold businesses? Businesses spend billions of dollars each year to promote their own goods and services and are obligated to follow truth in advertising and ethical guidelines. Failure to deliver advertised goods or services can carry fines from several government departments and the wrath of consumers. Some businesses will go to extraordinary measures to respond and protect their reputation when there is a post on social media what the business feels is an unjustified claim or bad review.
But yet, political rivals can spend billions of dollars in elections to spread false information about their opponents or making promises they have no intention of keeping. These falsehoods are proudly announced, “and I approve this message”. However, they are protected by the 1st Amendment and are not held accountable for their actions. There should be a disclaimer at the end of each ad that comments have not been verified and don’t necessarily represent the truth.
Could you imagine the head of a major car company saying in a commercial that a rival car company purposely installed thousands of defective airbags in their cars injuring people? All while knowing they installed the same airbags in their own models.
Or a large restaurant chain claiming a rival mixed dog and horse meat into their “100% beef hamburgers“ knowing it was completely false.
How would you feel if your company was accused in a TV commercial by a crosstown rival of running a child trafficking ring in the back of a warehouse? Strictly, for the purpose of ruining your business.
Many good employees of companies, from hourly workers to presidents and CEO’s, had their jobs terminated because of personal comments they may have said privately or publically. But yet, government officials can publically make the same or worse comments and keep their positions (and in some cases, are hailed by their supporters for being blunt or speaking their mind).
As a capitalistic nation with a free economy, we have taken great steps to insure consumers are protected against unfair business practices. Most businesses would rather promote their goods and services and not even mention their competitors. Shouldn’t we use background checks and ethical and moral standards to prequalify a political candidate and not allow false statements in their ads? If someone edited comments I’ve made publicly over the past 50 years into a 60 second commercial, I could be made out to either be the second coming of Christ or Satan himself.
