Is there even the slightest bit of evidence that intellectuals in the Western world face state harassment or persecution for speaking or writing certain ideas?<p>For dumping classified information to which they have privileged access, yes. Not for expressing original opinions or commenting on published work.<p>For comparison, intellectuals in Iran are routinely detained without charge in Evin Prison for indefinite periods, tortured a bit, and told to stop writing. Straight out of East Germany. The U.S. is out of control in many ways, but this isn&#x27;t one of them.