Elon Musk deserves ringing support from Americans -- especially from Google and Facebook. The arguments the Brazilian officials are using -- that violating the right of freedom of speech is necessary to fight disinformation -- are the same ones used by Democrats in the U.S. And we shouldn't think the First Amendment protects our right to speak and publish; the First Amendment means what five Supreme Court justices say it means, and nothing more.
In Brazil, legacy media is euphoric ! They can't wait to see X and all other Social Media platforms banned from the country so as they can take back the monopoly of information. Well done Elon !
Musk is not perfect, but I was never on Twitter before he took over—I am now. It is the one social media platform dedicated to free speech at the moment, and the community notes feature is shockingly good at combating misinformation while not restricting speech. Some of the content I see on X is... unpleasant—to say the least—but that is the price we must pay for this particular freedom.
Exposing corruption is the right thing to do 100% of the time. I don't care if it's Musk, Trump, or Biden doing it, I will support them every time. And you should too.
Yes, the Hon. Alexandre de Moraes is indicative of a judicial branch that's either usurped legislative and executive authority, or, if he acted legally, then the judicial branch has too much authority. I'm somewhat familiar with the Brazilian judicial system and have even been in the Brazilian Supreme Court courtroom. Musk should stand his ground and Moraes (or de Moraes; I think the Chicago Manual of Style says to drop the de, da, dos, etc. in subsequent name references, but would rather not check right now) should be reined in by his court or by some sort of legislative reform.
I really didn't expect such an one-sided presentation from The Free Press. It is extremely problematic in this article that the author fails to provide any context for Alexandre de Moraes' actions, as they take place in the framework of an official investigation into years of digital militias attempting to stage coups and create a complete chaos of disinformation. Instead, the article portrays Moraes as an arbitrary judge motivated by excessive power and political interests, which is misleading. And the portrayal of Musk as a "warrior king" against censorship is, I'm afraid, borderline ridiculous: Musk didn't challenge China or India when they imposed conditions on him. He respected their laws to avoid losing markets. Now Musk feels comfortable playing his hand in Brazil because he has such a big hand there. He is deliberately entering the narrative battlefield in Brazil with the intention of creating an international perception that the current leftist government, which won democratically against a madman like Bolsonaro and de facto saved our democracy, is actually the authoritarian force, and that Lula and the progressives are "against freedom". This couldn't be further from the truth.
The mention of Musk as a "warrior-king" against censorship conflicts with a reasoned analysis. It's undeniable that free speech is a contentious issue, in Brazil as elsewhere, and while Musk's actions occasionally position him in debate over these liberties, branding him as a savior figure is hyperbolic and uncritical.
While Musk's power and the breadth of his enterprises are indisputable, the description in the article could benefit from a tempered, analytical approach that accounts for geopolitical and market dynamics beyond the grand narrative and provides a more meticulous breakdown of Musk's role in Brazil's complex socio-political environment.
With any luck, The Democratic Party won't know what hit them come November and free speech will be used as the fucking CUDGEL against government power and abuse that it was always meant to be!
Twitter is just a garbage dump. Anyone can post anything, which is great for free speech but not so great if you want some real information. Twitter and Tik Tok are both useless time wasters. Facebook is only good for communicating with wacky relatives you don't want to have to see in person.
Elon Musk deserves ringing support from Americans -- especially from Google and Facebook. The arguments the Brazilian officials are using -- that violating the right of freedom of speech is necessary to fight disinformation -- are the same ones used by Democrats in the U.S. And we shouldn't think the First Amendment protects our right to speak and publish; the First Amendment means what five Supreme Court justices say it means, and nothing more.
In Brazil, legacy media is euphoric ! They can't wait to see X and all other Social Media platforms banned from the country so as they can take back the monopoly of information. Well done Elon !
Musk is not perfect, but I was never on Twitter before he took over—I am now. It is the one social media platform dedicated to free speech at the moment, and the community notes feature is shockingly good at combating misinformation while not restricting speech. Some of the content I see on X is... unpleasant—to say the least—but that is the price we must pay for this particular freedom.
Exposing corruption is the right thing to do 100% of the time. I don't care if it's Musk, Trump, or Biden doing it, I will support them every time. And you should too.
Musk is a somewhat partial free speech absolutist but his stance on this issue is surely right. For that we should be thankful.
Yes, the Hon. Alexandre de Moraes is indicative of a judicial branch that's either usurped legislative and executive authority, or, if he acted legally, then the judicial branch has too much authority. I'm somewhat familiar with the Brazilian judicial system and have even been in the Brazilian Supreme Court courtroom. Musk should stand his ground and Moraes (or de Moraes; I think the Chicago Manual of Style says to drop the de, da, dos, etc. in subsequent name references, but would rather not check right now) should be reined in by his court or by some sort of legislative reform.
A few more observations:
I really didn't expect such an one-sided presentation from The Free Press. It is extremely problematic in this article that the author fails to provide any context for Alexandre de Moraes' actions, as they take place in the framework of an official investigation into years of digital militias attempting to stage coups and create a complete chaos of disinformation. Instead, the article portrays Moraes as an arbitrary judge motivated by excessive power and political interests, which is misleading. And the portrayal of Musk as a "warrior king" against censorship is, I'm afraid, borderline ridiculous: Musk didn't challenge China or India when they imposed conditions on him. He respected their laws to avoid losing markets. Now Musk feels comfortable playing his hand in Brazil because he has such a big hand there. He is deliberately entering the narrative battlefield in Brazil with the intention of creating an international perception that the current leftist government, which won democratically against a madman like Bolsonaro and de facto saved our democracy, is actually the authoritarian force, and that Lula and the progressives are "against freedom". This couldn't be further from the truth.
The mention of Musk as a "warrior-king" against censorship conflicts with a reasoned analysis. It's undeniable that free speech is a contentious issue, in Brazil as elsewhere, and while Musk's actions occasionally position him in debate over these liberties, branding him as a savior figure is hyperbolic and uncritical.
While Musk's power and the breadth of his enterprises are indisputable, the description in the article could benefit from a tempered, analytical approach that accounts for geopolitical and market dynamics beyond the grand narrative and provides a more meticulous breakdown of Musk's role in Brazil's complex socio-political environment.
Bravo Elon! Bravo The Free Press!
With any luck, The Democratic Party won't know what hit them come November and free speech will be used as the fucking CUDGEL against government power and abuse that it was always meant to be!
Smash on!
Glenn Greenwald explains (starting at 15:41):
https://rumble.com/v4onnwk-system-update-254.html
Twitter is just a garbage dump. Anyone can post anything, which is great for free speech but not so great if you want some real information. Twitter and Tik Tok are both useless time wasters. Facebook is only good for communicating with wacky relatives you don't want to have to see in person.