[deogeo]

I was not aware the desire for freedom (of speech, and otherwise) was such a uniquely Western ideal.

And it's easy not to care about it - until its absence is used against you. At that point, it changes from an ideal, to a very pragmatic matter (ask the Uyghurs or Tibetans). But by then it's too late.

[bduerst]

The history of freedom of speech is rooted in western philosophy, right down to it's origins in Greek and English cultures.