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 ...
If the Left is so terrified of guys like Musk coming in and disrupting their
corrupted pool of thought, maybe it would be wiser to pull back within
the laws of our nation, and quit screwing around.
As it is, it’s like a business supporting (mind) rape, being incensed
that someone bought the business and changed its policies, no
longer tolerating it.
Just because the nation’s Attorney General, the Justice Department
and the FBI allow something to go on, it doesn’t make it legal.
The crucial concept, which Devin Coldewey neglects to mention through ignorance or naiveté ( if I’m generous, or through deliberate wokeism if I’m not,) is that social media companies are protected from the consequences of their censorship. “You can’t have it both ways,” so the old saw goes, but Twitter and Facebook etc. get exactly that.
On one day they can claim protection from a libel suit as if they were merely a communication medium like the Post Office. On another day they claim they are a private company and can censor anyone they like. As a private company, they suppressed medical information that would have saved your loved one’s life, so they are liable for the negligence! The telephone company bears no responsibility for any words that are carried over their phone lines, but they have NO control over it either.
This is an easy fix. Fix the law and the problem is solved!
Coldewey, you know exactly what you are doing you stinking rascal!
Why do they even legitimize this guy by giving him a platform like this. Devin should be on a street corner standing on a box spouting this nonsense.
Dan Sherman 6d ago
The author of this article is so out of touch with reality, it's painful to read. But he presents a perfect example of the approach to censorship that Musk bought twitter to fight. Thankfully, for one moment in time at least, the correct side is winning the overall battle. But we have to make sure we continue to push for liberty of words and thought, in every corner of our existence.
Josh Sajjev 6d ago
Note to author: If you are going to accuse Musk of not knowing what he's talking about, you may want to correct your assertion that "hate speech" is illegal. In the US, it is not, the Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the 1st Amendment allowing speech that in some European counties might be considered illegal. And a major "hurray" for the Supreme Court for getting it right. Non-offensive speech needs no legal protections, hence the need for the 1st Amendment.
Austin Karren 6d ago
It's entertaining to see an author for a tech blog criticize Elon Musk for being ignorant. The truth of the matter is that there is a large group of reasonable people who are demonized and have their voices suppressed on a daily basis. There is a major discrepancy between actual public option and the opinions you see represented on Twitter and other platforms. People need their voices back in the public square and that is exactly what Elon is doing.
Tim Schaefer 6d ago
Free speech is not complicated. Only people that need to control speech are the ones with the problem. You can't have FREE speech and censorship, you can have one or another but not both. The US Constitution gives NO ONE the right to restrict free speech. READ THE LAW. PROVE ME WRONG.
jason warren 6d ago
Wow.
I’ve worked with, and talked politics over beers with journalists in tech in cities around the world for over 20 years. Back to Walt, before Kara. Can’t remember a time a writer went ballistic to this degree in a published article on a “news” site.
Was Chop hq’d at Devin’s apartment?
Brian Citizen 6d ago
Wow. I've read some weak arguments before, but I have to say this one takes the cake. Very, very strange -- and extremely silly hyperbole. Not a logical thought in the piece. Just angry, emotionally charged rhetoric.
Take the idea expressed by the author that censorship is only something a government can do. Really? In what universe is that definition something that would pass even a 5-year old's understanding of the word?
Or the emotional argument repeating as some sort of "new" thing that government is stopping the teaching of certain topics. Monkey Trial anyone? The FL government stopping the teaching of gender ideology to kindergartners is entirely reasonable. We have always wanted our government to define what is appropriate and not appropriate to say in our schools! No leading of prayers to Allah or Jesus or God, no copies of porn films in libraries. Yet this author contends suddenly any government stopping any teacher from teaching anything they want has never happened before in human history?
I am sorry to say it bluntly, but this piece reads like the screed of a very emotional, angry anti-Musker. I expect better from techcrunch.
Thhe thing I like about Musk is that he laughs in their face at their smug foolishness.
He shows it all for the phoney joke it is and for now he has the money to back it up—he always seems one step ahead, somewhat honest but very wily.
Trusting him would be like playing with a cobra so I don’t.
Noob1234 in Minecraft is smarter than Coldewey.
It’s awesome when our enemies willingly out themselves.
It’ll make things so much easier when the time comes.
L
Devin, with his loud opinions but lack of actual knowledge or understanding, and overweening class envy must be auditioning to be Nina Jankowicz’s Assistant Director of Censorship.
Maybe if he put this rant into the form of a song, he would get her attention.
Well stated...
Musk is dumber than Edison and Newton combined! /s
Poor Devin, confusing fascistic verbosity with insight.
“The Left cannot be compromised with.”
Correct. See my tag line.
L
While it is generally not advisable to take any talking point at face value, I will indulge.
Let’s say censorship is strictly an act of a government agency. But we know that certain administrations leverage the use of a third party to circumvent certain little pesky Constitutional rights. Like the CIA not allowed to spy domestically so they enter a quid pro quo with the Brits who certainly have no such restriction when it comes to the good old US of A. Or Saint Fauci outsourcing gain-of-function offshore. I do believe both are illegal when done by a government actor.
Now, Devin, if you are saying your outlet has control of its platform and does not need to indulge any old point of view (setting aside Section 230), ok. But the moment you do so at the behest of the Government, you become an agent of said Government and the Constitutional restrictions apply. I believe “collusion” is a word that should sound familiar to you. Does Journolist ring a bell? So don’t collude, m’kay?
Oh, but a political party apparatus such as the DNC is not the Government. Maybe so, but when you do their bidding, I smell an in-kind contribution. Not so bad for you, but if not reported it sucks for them. Collusion! So bad when DJT purportedly did it with Russians! Russians! Russians! But it turns out y’all were just projecting.
To say there is no bias in the current range of social platforms and the journalism they present or discuss is patently absurd. What gores your ox is that Elon wants to break that logjam and let the opposing views to you and yours run free. You are just going to have to compete in the arena of ideas. So far, I’d rate you at C minus, and that’s being kind.
Between Musk and Supreme Court leak, I’m surprised anyone can find duct tape.
Whenever I read shite like this, I can’t wait to check out the writer’s credentials. Does he have any background, education, or experience that would make him worth paying attention to? Or is he like this guy:
Devin Coldewey is a Seattle-based writer and photographer. He first wrote for TechCrunch in 2007. He has also written for MSNBC.com, NBC News, DPReview, The Economist/GE’s Look Ahead, and others.
His personal website is coldewey.cc.
I couldn’t agree more. How can we compromise with the perverts at Disney? What would that look like? Even on economics, what would we do, compromise at some middle ground of inflation? We are not going to be able to live alongside these people for much longer.
Musk said he wanted a wide open Twitter in which even the extreme right and the extreme left could have at each other with no censorship. That is simply free speech. I think threats of violence might have to be curbed but everything else was to be fair game.
Besides with the aholes on all all sides going after each other, the intel people can have an easier time monitoring the a-holes instead of the a-holes figuring that that they have to stay below the radar.
He is an obnoxious little prick, isn't he?
He's apparently out of Seattle, so that's a pretty good guess.
He is a Soy boy pathetic loser.
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