Posted on 04/12/2022 10:07:34 AM PDT by billorites
The Russian people know little about Putin’s war on Ukraine because Putin has blocked their access to the truth, substituting propaganda and lies.
Years ago, pundits assumed the internet would open a new era of democracy, giving everyone access to the truth. But dictators like Putin and demagogues like Trump have demonstrated how naive that assumption was.
At least the US responded to Trump’s lies. Trump had 88 million Twitter followers before Twitter took him off its platform – just two days after the attack on the Capitol, which he provoked, in part, with his tweets. (Trump’s social media accounts were also suspended on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitch and TikTok.)
These moves were necessary to protect American democracy. But Elon Musk – the richest man in the world, with 80 million Twitter followers – wasn’t pleased. Musk tweeted that US tech companies shouldn’t be acting “as the de facto arbiter of free speech”.
Musk continues to tell his 80 million followers all sorts of things. I disagree with many of his positions, but ever since I posted a tweet two years ago criticizing him for how he treated his Tesla workers he has blocked me – so I can’t view or post criticisms of his tweets to his followers.
Seems like an odd move for someone who describes himself as a “free speech absolutist”. Musk advocates free speech but in reality it’s just about power.
Power compelled Musk to buy $2.64bn of Twitter stock, making him the largest individual shareholder. Last week, Twitter announced that Musk would be joining Twitter’s board of directors, prompting Musk to promise “significant improvements” in the platform.
Sunday evening, though, it was announced that Musk would not be joining Twitter’s board. No reason was given but it’s probably part of a bargaining kabuki dance.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
Commies kill.
Lol. Blocking you, Reich, is the only sane act possible. It’s not denying free speech. It’s keeping the feces out of your home.
“...and demagogues like Trump.”
FAOD A#@holes! You and your ilk are DEAD to me!
***** FOREVER *****
You have no opinion of any redeeming value whatsoever.
GTFO of my planet. BEFORE I find you.
Our oligarchs are better than their oligarchs/sarc
This is the same a-hole who suggested that the Government should nationalize all the oil campaniles yesterday. Elon is getting all the right enemies now. To think he was a hero to the left less then two years ago.
Reich is a career bureaucrat with little esteem among his colleagues. He was in Clinton’s cabinet and his mental acuity is matched by his height (4’10”). Anything he writes on paper is an unnecessary denuding of the nation’s forests.
Rush was amazing. Smart. Funny. Always on the cutting edge.
The Guardian should ban Robert Reich for lying about Donald Trump.
It never stopped him before.
Don’t agree with Musk on a few things in general, but he has the Left majorly triggered over Twitter (& Twit employees melting down). Pretty funny that Reischhhhhh (think Rush’s pronunciation) just had to weigh in. At the moment, it’s very entertaining - we’ll see how it plays out.
Clinton's midget intellect, Robert Reich, scrawling his pro-police state drivel for, of course, UK's grossly misnamed "The Guardian".
Spoken like a true control freak!
On the one hand, he blasts Putin for blocking the internet and in the same breath seems to support Twitter’s blocking of Trump.
What a hypocrite!
Reich is now a transatlantic liar.
If the Guardian is against it, it must be a pretty good idea.
As Rush affectionately called him: Robert Reischhhhhhhhhhhh-ah!
Oh how I miss hearing Rush mock him
Robert B Reiiiiiiiissssshhhhhhh
Rush was my first thought also. I can hear Rush pronouncing his name in my head.
Who races crap? No thanks!
The biggest outcome of Twitter et al allowing everyone to instantly publish & respond was proving “facts checkers” are rank propagandists, with anyone able to respond proving authoritative claims false. News could be published faster than stories could be crafted & spun, raw video released uncensored, facts disputing “established truth” revealed, claims & comments recorded for posterity belying later hypocrisy.
A very small expert. Lilliputian, even.
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