Progressives can’t defend their ideas in an open debate. They also can’t honestly explain away the horrible results of their policies.
That is why leftists rely on censorship to advance their agendas. Blocking opposing voices means no debate happens before or during their actions, and there is no accountability for their failures afterward.
The internet is the new public square, and Big Tech colludes to quash free speech.
Now, however, free speech advocate Elon Musk seems intent on changing that. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO became Twitter’s largest stockholder on April 4 when he bought 9.2 percent of the social media giant — and he has positioned himself to go much further.
Unsurprisingly, the company’s embedded progressive employees are melting down at even the possibility that more liberty might invade their “safe space.”
Before Musk’s purchase, he created a Twitter poll on March 25 that could be seen as a shot across the bow.
“Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy,” he said. “Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?”
More than 2 million people responded, and 70.4 percent indicated Twitter was a communications platform that was unprincipled about communication. That’s an organization in need of reform.
Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy.
Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 25, 2022
Of course the partisans of the censorious status quo feel threatened.
As reported Monday by Bloomberg, a director from Twitter’s AI research team, Rumman Chowdhury, tweeted, “Musk’s immediate chilling effect was something that bothered me significantly.”
The Twitter board tried to corral the company’s new largest shareholder by getting Musk to join the board of directors. CEO Parag Agrawal announced it on April 5 as if it were a done deal.
I’m excited to share that we’re appointing @elonmusk to our board! Through conversations with Elon in recent weeks, it became clear to us that he would bring great value to our Board.
— Parag Agrawal (@paraga) April 5, 2022
Being a board member would have limited Musk to owning 14.9 percent of the company’s stock — and might have encouraged him to tone down his public criticisms.
Instead, Musk turned down the board membership, giving him flexibility for further actions, even those that confront the existing corporate culture.
That gave Twitter’s disgruntled employees even more to worry about. Musk is known for erratic behavior and has enough money not to worry about consequences.
Musk sent a series of now-deleted tweets that seemed designed to troll the concerned workers. He mused about turning the corporate headquarters into a homeless shelter and shaking up the way authentication checkmarks are awarded, and even made a crude joke about removing the W from the brand name, according to The Washington Post.
He could force his ideas onto the company by increasing his stock ownership or aligning with other unhappy shareholders.
Bloomberg described Twitter staffers as “super stressed” with some saying they were “working together to help each other get through the week.”
The report said multiple employees referred to the situation as a “s*** show.”
I think it’s hilarious. They are afraid of losing the usurped power they held over society. Twitter manipulates narratives instead of supporting open dialogue.
Twitter abused the public trust. It took an active part in blocking honest discussions about COVID-19, the 2020 election, political class corruption and so much more. It censored the president of the United States. The platform needs a major overhaul.
It remains to be seen if there is even enough left to salvage. On Saturday, Musk himself wondered if Twitter was dying based on the low activity on major accounts.
This year, Trump Media and Technology Group — whose chairman is former President Donald Trump — launched a competing platform, TRUTH Social. Its CEO, former GOP Rep. Devin Nunes, described Twitter as “a ghost town” and observed, “Once you get rid of the bots and the trolls, you really have a house of cards.”
Twitter employees are worried Musk might prevent them from acting as the Thought Police. Time will tell if he is serious about making it a responsible, neutral platform again.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
