Musk Defends Demonetizing Critics' Content on X

Not the first time Mr Musk has restricted those who criticize him on his "free-speech" platform.

And I doubt if it will be the last example of Mr Musk suppressing free-speech on his X platform.

Elon Musk is absolutely not a free speech absolutist' (September 2024)
www.theverge.com

... Elon Musk is a self-proclaimed "free speech absolutist." He's declared himself so committed to the unfettered, open exchange of ideas that he's said the only way X would let a government suppress speech on its platform is "at gunpoint." All of this explains why Musk recently allowed X to be banned in Brazil rather than comply with the country's mandate that the social media platform block certain accounts.

It does far less to explain Musk's history of doing that very thing in other countries " often at the behest of right-wing or authoritarian regimes.

Musk has been open to following government orders from nearly the beginning. In January 2023 " a little over two months after Musk's takeover " the platform then known as Twitter blocked a BBC documentary critical of India's prime minister, Narendra Modi. India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting confirmed that Twitter was among the platforms that suppressed The Modi Question at the behest of the Modi government, which called the film "hostile propaganda and anti-India garbage." ...

Musk's other business interests may also be relevant. Erdoan asked Musk to build a Tesla factory in Turkey last fall, just a few months after X suppressed critics' posts. And this April, the Financial Times reported that Tesla is exploring locations for a $3 billion factory in India. The man who once said he'd only allow one of his companies to suppress speech "at gunpoint" is far less firm in his beliefs than he claims. ...

@#2 ... Soon to come to you're neighborhood, and then to you. ...

Coming soon, or already happening?

Climate of fear is driving local officials to quit " new study from California finds threats, abuse rampant
theconversation.com

... Mob rule is not conducive to representative democracy. ...

The first year, we focused only on San Diego County, surveying 330 mayors, city councilors, county board of supervisor members and school board and community college board members. Over 25% of survey recipients responded. Of them, 75% reported being threatened or harassed at least once in the past five years. Roughly half said the abuse occurred at least monthly.

Respondents had found their name shared on the dark web and seen cars drive past their homes in an intimidating manner. They'd been followed after public meetings and blocked from leaving. In some cases, their families were harassed.

"As a parent, [I] feel vulnerable," one city council member said, adding that he's become "very guarded with [my] kid in public."

Topics that were most likely to prompt threats and harassment included COVID-19, gun control, school curricula and LGBTQ+ rights. ...

so much for "bringing back freedom of speech," eh?
Hypocrisy: thy name has always, ALWAYS been GOP/Trump

People with two things in common are seeing a backlash on X.

1. large account
2. speaking negatively of the people who control most banking and wear a yarmulke.

Other than that, it's still the wild west over there.

Ben Shapiro has been marked safe.

Musk has NEVER been for Free Speech. We all know that but the dolts that worship him and Trumpilthinskin. He should be on the stripping of citizenship and deportation list according to Trump's announced rules for doing so too. Send him back to South Africa - I am sure they will love him there...

#9. Stripping him of citizenship because you don't like how he's running a tech platform?

The irony is thick.

"Stripping him of citizenship because you don't like how he's running a tech platform?"

No.

For lying on an application.

You know...the Hunter standard.

Was Hunter's citizenship ever in jeapordy of being stripped?

The stupid has gotten so deep it's difficult for me to even bother with this site that much these days.

"Was Hunter's citizenship ever in jeapordy of being stripped?"

Hunter was prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for a charge Eric Holder said "no US Attorney would bring". That's Lawfare, smacking you in the face.

"(Elon) defended his move to demonetize his critics' content"

Now CENSORSHIP smacking you in the face. Why aren't you condemning Musk in all caps?

"The stupid has gotten so deep"

...and purposeful.

QAnon has taken over the Republican Party.

" Hunter was prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for a charge Eric Holder said "no US Attorney would bring". That's Lawfare, smacking you in the face"

No one is above the law. Lmao

" Hunter was prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for a charge Eric Holder said "no US Attorney would bring".

Eric Holder? Obama's wingman?

And you've vehemently supported a censorship regime up to this point. I don't like demonetization yet it happens on other social media platforms and has been long before Musk bought Twitter. I'll read the Mediate link and get back with you.

For the record, demonetization and/or loss of verification certificates is not censorship. I the verification certificates are a privilege. Again, I don't like demonetization at all and oppose this move by Musk.

"For the record, demonetization and/or loss of verification certificates is not censorship."

Then NOTHING in the Twitter Files rises to censorship, right?

"Eric Holder? Obama's wingman?"

He's stating a fact. Go ahead, find that charge brought on its own. Don't forget the three salient facts:

Owned the gun less than a fortnight.
Never loaded.
Never brandished.

The charge is only brought when the gun is used in the furtherance of another crime...including brandishing.

So how about we drug test every gun owner, to see if they've lied as well?

"No one is above the law."

You're right: if you or I stole classified documents, lied about them over a year, and refused to give them back, we'd both be rotting in jail until the government deigned to give us a trial date. Glad to hear you agree he should be locked up.

Meanwhile, feel free to find a US Attorney bringing a case solely around the three facts I listed.

And let me know your take on drug-testing every gun owner.

" Then NOTHING in the Twitter Files rises to censorship, right?

#20 | POSTED BY DANFORTH AT 2025-01-03 02:08 PM | FLAG: "

Of course it can. It's not the completely open platform Musk promised. But it seems to be the most open social media platform out there.

" He's stating a fact"

Andrew Cuomo stated a fact that the Alvin Bragg case never would have been brought against anyone not named Trump.

The key difference between Holder and Cuomo is that Holder is defending an ally whereas Cuomo is defending an opponent.

how about we drug test every gun owner
#21 | POSTED BY DANFORTH

We really ought to.

Along with vision tests and required training.

And let me know your take on drug-testing every gun owner.

#22 | POSTED BY DANFORTH AT 2025-01-03 02:18 PM

I like how you leave out the income tax evasion. Anyways. Hunter is above the law and you're just fine with it

"Not paying taxes makes me smart!"
-Trump

"Andrew Cuomo stated a fact that the Alvin Bragg case never would have been brought against anyone not named Trump."

Which is belied by the fact Bragg's office brought an average of four FBR cases PER DAY over the prior nine years. 9700 cases in nine years.

Thank God you've never pretended Trump was innocent, or you or I could commit his crime without repercussions.

"I like how you leave out the income tax evasion."

I don't.

I've just been in the business nearly 40 years, and the next time I meet someone who's paid his back taxes, with all interest and penalties, go to jail...

...will be my first.

Doesn't that suggest what Hunter was threatened with was LAWFARE?

" Doesn't that suggest what Hunter was threatened with was LAWFARE?

#29 | POSTED BY DANFORTH AT 2025-01-03 03:22 PM | FLAG: "

The prosecution slow-walked as much as he could so SOL could elapse on as many cases as possible.

Then the plea deal they came up with was so ridiculous it was rejected by the judge. Finally a cou0le of cases were brought and the gun case was viewed as a slam dunk by the jury. All of this was done with the knowledge he'd receive a full pardon and Joe went even further by issuing a blanket pardon. Now we have recently released photographic evidence of the Big guy posing for a pic with Hunter AND Hunter's I business partners while the Big Guy was VP. Yet, somehow through all of this Hunter is a victim?

Add to that Danforth takes Holder's comment as gospel and ignores/downplays Cumo's comment.

Hunter wrote off hookers and blows as business expenses. Somehow, no problem with that.

Who does Hunter Biden think he is, Donald Trump??

"Hunter wrote off hookers and blows as business expenses."

Really? Here's a link, and nothing about writing off hookers and blow.
www.newsweek.com

Why did you make up that lie?

"downplays Cumo's comment."

Cuomo couldn't find a single example either.

"All of this was done with the knowledge he'd receive a full pardon"

Nonsense. State cases can't be pardoned, and federal tax evasion cases are always followed by state enforcement.

"Now we have recently released photographic evidence of the Big guy posing for a pic with Hunter AND Hunter's I business partners "

You're a moron. That proves exactly nothing, and underscores the fact you've always had nothing. Even with subpoena power, Comer and Jordan looked like the incompetent jackasses they are. FFS, their star witness testified he'd NEVER heard Joe talk business in the dozens of speaker-phone conversations he overheard.

Not that you bothered to listen to his testimony.