Canadian Politics Today

I am talking about the culture of free speech - not the laws. If there is a culture of free speech then any laws that place limits  on the extremes will not undermine free speech. If that culture disappears then the laws will get more and more restrictive until we wake up one day and realize it is gone and we can't get it back. The culture of free speech is under threat because way too many people think it is acceptable to silence political opponents.

So you are clarifying this:
"But protecting the freedoms we value is not about protecting democracy per se. It is about protecting free speech and valuing diversity of opinion."

I get it, and actually when you use the term "culture of free speech" then I can accept what you mean.  I can't say I follow your points on laws becoming more restrictive but since we have one government, we do need a common 'public' and therefore public discussion.

The discussion I had on the weekend with a fellow BurningMan cult member revolved around how common courtesy (not on-campus laws and rules, online laws and rules) is driving people into bubbles of orthodoxy where you are unable to disagree.  Discussions then become competitions between people trying to be more doctrinaire in an atmosphere of silence from the more pragmatic among us.

All politics is subject to people who peddle misinformation. It seems strange to single out GMOs.

Is it ?  It seems to me there was a time when people couldn't broker liars.  I chose GMOs because it's an example that we can use without falling into fighting the actual argument... unlike, say, immigration.

   At some point all of these questions come down to values and cannot be addressed by quoting facts.

Well, yes. But a values discussion is actually a welcome terminus to a journey of discussion. 

"I hate XYZ" "Really, well I love XYZ"

No facts at play, just values and tastes.  On a large scale, if everyone was at that point it would be time to vote on it, or engage whatever process is necessary.