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Comment by rayiner | Hacker News Reader

> Tech billionaire Elon Musk has been noticeably silent after a Saudi Arabian national was sentenced to death for a series of posts on Musk's social media platform criticizing his government, calling into question the limits of Musk's commitment to uninhibited free speech when it comes to his own financial interests.

This makes no sense. Free speech is an American value. Most societies, even other European-descended societies, do not share that value to the same degree, if at all. And it’s not the job of American billionaires to tell other societies how to govern themselves.

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> And it’s not the job of American billionaires to tell other societies how to govern themselves.

It hasn't exactly stopped them and I don't remember Elon ever couching his statements with "in the USA". I mean he wasn't even born in the US, wasn't a citizen till 2002, and holds citizenship in 2 other countries as well. I wouldn't exactly expect him to hold only to American values (or any values for that matter) nor is free speech a uniquely American value.

>This makes no sense. Free speech is an American value.

So is looking the other way when Saudis murder people.

George Carlin's classic rant about "rights" is just as appropriate now as it ever was.

https://youtu.be/gaa9iw85tW8?t=262

Is this supposed to be funny?

"Religion stupid, amirite guys?"

His entire rant is that God doesn't solve all the world's problems. But as a non-religious person, even I can tell you why that's a stupid argument because there's one answer every Christian (probably most other religions too) will give you: it's a test. And tests don't work when you're handed it all on a silver platter, frolicking through the fields of flowers, holding hands with the rest of the world.

That's called heaven. No (mainstream) religion ever said Earth was heaven. It is actually quite the opposite. Earth is closer to hell than it is heaven.

You're right, it's not their job. But allowing this type of use of Twitter to continue means that the company is implicitly supporting it. If people can be upset at Nabisco for enslaving children in developing countries, then there's nothing wrong with being upset at Twitter here.

And it's not unreasonable to expect a personal response from Elon since he's such a publicly vocal person.

It is if they are absolutist.

Gotta love the media. Attacks social media's financial interests to limit speech on social media the past decade and then mocks social media for limiting speech to protect their financial interests.

Also, let the saudis, russians, africans, iranians, chinese, indians, etc protect their own 'values' and let them punish people for 'disinformation' as they fit. The same propagandists complaining about foreign interference sure love to interfere everywhere.

Are they interfering with the country in this case, or are they pointing out that a U.S. based company should be more concerned about their investments or financial interests? Really, is this piece "interfering" abroad?

> Are they interfering with the country in this case,

Yes obviously.

> or are they pointing out that a U.S. based company should be more concerned about their investments or financial interests?

What? You think newsweek is looking out for elon's financial interests?

> Really, is this piece "interfering" abroad?

No. Saint media is worried about elon's financial well being.

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