Elon Musk, the “Chief Twit,” as he has branded himself, said he does not want Twitter to become “a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences.”
Reportedly in the first hours after Musk took ownership, racist, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, homophobic and transphobic hate speech exploded. He then fired the staff that provided the consequences for saying such things.
Musk also has said dissenting views have been quashed for too long. He doesn’t seem to understand what “dissenting” means.
Here’s an example of dissension: One person thinks recreational marijuana should be legalized in Hawaii because it could potentially bring in a lot of revenue. Another person disagrees, saying the cost of oversight will exceed the amount of money collected. Those are dissenting opinions.
Lying in order to gain and remain in power is not dissension. Creating fear and using it to control others, calling for violence against entire groups of people or particular individuals — none of that is dissenting speech. It is corrupt power and hatred.
Violet E. Horvath
Nuuanu
EXPRESS YOURSELF
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