"I also hesitate to describe any right at a check on power. That suggests planning, an overall design."
I suppose you don't consider a sort of grand, overarching code of laws, as constituting any sort of plan? And if there was a plan, would you imagine that there would be sort type of foundational precepts of that plan - a sort of legal "constitution," as it were? And if there was any type of plan, do you think there would be any group of people, or maybe men specifically (if it were a centuries old plan), who founded it?
The claim isn't that the constitution was wholly novel out the time, or that it is the only type of legal system that can (or even necessarily does) lead to a long running stable government. The claim isn't that the plan is immutable, or tightly controlled by a singular central authority. The claim is just that the US legal system was, literally, planned.
Arguging that the BBC (or really any singular news source in 2018) is "probably the most trusted source of news on the planet" is a hyper-contentious claim. And this is the UK's "freedom of speech" -
Article 10: Freedom of expression
1. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This Article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises.
2. The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary.
This faux freedom of expression is most importantly non-foundational, and explicitly provides several extra-legal restrictions against it, which is manifest by the UK's continuing tradition of censoring art and prosecuting people for things like making unthreatening jokes on Youtube.
edit: added and emphasized that the UK's freedom of expression is not a foundational part of UK law
I suppose you don't consider a sort of grand, overarching code of laws, as constituting any sort of plan? And if there was a plan, would you imagine that there would be sort type of foundational precepts of that plan - a sort of legal "constitution," as it were? And if there was any type of plan, do you think there would be any group of people, or maybe men specifically (if it were a centuries old plan), who founded it?
The claim isn't that the constitution was wholly novel out the time, or that it is the only type of legal system that can (or even necessarily does) lead to a long running stable government. The claim isn't that the plan is immutable, or tightly controlled by a singular central authority. The claim is just that the US legal system was, literally, planned.
Arguging that the BBC (or really any singular news source in 2018) is "probably the most trusted source of news on the planet" is a hyper-contentious claim. And this is the UK's "freedom of speech" -
This faux freedom of expression is most importantly non-foundational, and explicitly provides several extra-legal restrictions against it, which is manifest by the UK's continuing tradition of censoring art and prosecuting people for things like making unthreatening jokes on Youtube.edit: added and emphasized that the UK's freedom of expression is not a foundational part of UK law