That's strikes me as being a bit naïve. Speaking truth to power has always been dangerous.

I didn't read his comment as saying that it's a new phenomenon, rather that today's climate makes it true.

> That's strikes me as being a bit naïve. Speaking truth to power has always been dangerous.

Well, there are a few, outstanding exceptions. I'm thinking of French philosophers of the Enlightenment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment), England in most of the 1600s and 1700s (Swift will probably be in jail for at least 30+ years in in this day and age for writing things like "A Modest Proposal") and probably Athens around Pericles' time or the Roman Republic. But, unfortunately, you're of course correct in the great scheme of things.

I'm pretty sure you can get away with a lot more than you could have in past times when the people in power would have likely just had your head lopped off.