Free speech is a means to an end, not an end
No, it is end in itself, one of the most important, which is why it is in the first amendment and not a later one.
Would you rather be dirt poor but have the freedom to criticize anyone and anything, or be rich and but have to keep your opinions to yourself or risk punishment from the powerful?
A lot of people would go either way on that question, and I think which choice they make speaks a great deal about their character.
