Posted on 05/03/2022 12:32:51 PM PDT by hadit2here
Elon Musk is embarrassing himself on the global stage again by proudly bruiting a grade-school level of familiarity with the immensely complex concepts of free speech, censorship, rights and privileges of individuals and government authorities. The fact that this aggressively ignorant person is likely to take over one of the largest communication platforms on Earth should scare the shit out of you.
Here is what the richest man in the world said earlier today, on the platform he intends to acquire:
By ‘free speech,’ I simply mean that which matches the law. I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law. If people want less free speech, they will ask government to pass laws to that effect. Therefore, going beyond the law is contrary to the will of the people.
Elon’s got one thing going for him. He has demonstrated an apparently innate facility to pack more willful and privileged ignorance into a single sentence than almost anyone on the planet.
These statements are so fundamentally wrong — factually, ethically, practically, and in every other way, that I hardly know where to begin.
For one thing, he might want to look at the most elementary descriptions of what constitutes free speech and censorship. Censorship is when state authorities limit the speech of the people under their power. Free speech is the guarantee that no action defined as speech is illegal outside a few harmful examples, like harassment, hate speech and other special cases (under constant negotiation) that we as a society have decided constitute or exacerbate crimes.
(Excerpt) Read more at techcrunch.com ...
Just like any private org.
Why should a public town center, just because it is in a virtual space vs physical space, not be required to allow free speech?
You must make it non-free to have rules.
It isn’t a matter of virtual vs. physical. It’s a matter of ownership.
The public town center, real or virtual, is owned by the public. The speakers are the owners.
The social media companies are owned by their shareholders who get to decide what speech is allowed.
When the government owns a social media platform censorship on that platform will be illegal.
Yes, “soy boy” describes my acquaintance perfectly.
This is the very point though - it shouldn’t matter if you’re a private company, if you create a public space it is a public space - free speech applies regardless if it is physical or virtual. Twitter is even described as “the new public square”.
I’m suggesting we evolve our notion of “public space” and bring it into the 21st century by including virtual spaces that are free and public. If you want it private then charge for entry and impose as many rules as you like - just like private clubs.
No, I really don't know how insanity feels. So far I have avoided catching it from anyone and I do so mainly by rejecting out of hand ideas which are self evidently insane.
You’re the one saying businesses, like the tech socials, lose their rights if they serve the public.
I'm saying there *NEVER WAS* a right to control public speech. The very idea is contrary to natural rights.
Despite the fact that they don’t and never have said they serve everyone.
What people say doesn't matter. What people *DO* defines what they are.
They serve those who explicitly agree to live by their rules (TOS).
Legal dodge only possible in a screwed up legal system.
Any contract which requires you to give up inherent rights is null and void. You cannot be made a slave by contract. You cannot offer a "pound of flesh" by a contract.
You don’t like them so want to deny them the right to set their own terms by creating a bizarre definition of ‘public’.
They never had a right to set such terms. It is inherently wrong and immoral for carriers of communications to discriminate against the public.
You cannot give up inherent rights through contract.
These people said they would play by the rules if they were let in.
Normal people would assume normal rules. Discriminating against the public is not nor should it be normal. If the rules required the banning of black people, should anyone respect them?
You've made clear that principle isn't very important to you but shouldn't that matter?
Principles are very important to me. You are just defending a lesser one at the expense of a far greater one.
You are throwing out the baby with the bathwater. You are "penny wise and pound foolish."
You have your priorities mixed up.
I've discussed this topic with others in the past, and it certainly seems as if something has taken much of the masculine out of modern males.
I've read quite a few articles that make me think it is the advent and acceptance of plastics to carry water and contain food.
Apparently some of the chemicals which leach out of plastic containers and conduits resemble human female hormones. It may very well be that plastics are slowly feminizing the world.
Not a good thing.
Elon Musk expected to become Twitter’s temporary CEO once $44B acquisition closes:
https://www.foxbusiness.com/business-leaders/elon-musk-twitter-temporary-ceo-report
Suggested Twitter POA for Elon:
Step 1: Fire Twitter management team members & escort them
off Twitter campus/properties. T
Step 2: Move HQ out of California.
Step 3: Hold Jobs fairs and not on College Campuses.
Step 4: Hire Veterans, retired conservatives & at home
parents to enforce 1st amendment, 24/7 on Twitter.
Step 5: Fire any Twitter employee violating 1~4, above.
Step 6: Sue any person/organization interfering with 1~5.
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