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Comment by mordae | Hacker News Reader

There never was any demand for free speech from him. He just wanted to advance his fascist agenda and used whatever means he had at his disposal.

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While you’re correct as to his intentions, it’s still important to point out his hypocrisy as he called himself “a free speech absolutist,” and claimed to want Twitter to be part of that vision. He explicitly called left wing and right wing views as things he wants.

Yes, we know it was all lies but not putting out the evidence allows people like Musk and his acolytes to make it the new truth without a fight.

We really are living in a world where we were always at war with Eurasia. Musk shouted loudly to his followers his views on free speech and why he wanted to buy Twitter. And now, it’s like it never happened. This isn’t like a bias news outlet leaving out certain facts, this is Musk himself saying these things and people going along with it.

It’s bonkers to me.

I'm not sure you understand free speech. Free speech means he can make public threats to people without repercussions, doxx people when he feels like it, lie, and spread misinformation for personal gain. It means unbanning rule breakers, doxxers and harassers, as long as they're right-wing. Free speech does not extend to anyone who he personally disagrees with or dislikes, who will instead be banned from the platform.

Legal (first amendment) free speech certainly allows him to ban whoever he wants.

However, this is the exact behavior from prior owners that he counter-positioned himself against, allegedly pursuing a broader “free speech absolutism.” That philosophy certainly would not permit arbitrary bans of people he doesn’t like.

These mental gymnastics are remarkable to see.

I think we’re all in agreement and the person you’re replying to is being sarcastic ;-)

Remember how he tried to get out of the twitter deal by claining there were too many bots?

How is the bot situation on twitter now?

I don’t think he ever wanted out of the deal. It was a way to keep the acquisition from being scrutinized too much.

It's pretty crazy. If you say something that offends him (like perhaps the financial abandonment of his kids) then you're banned.

Free speech eh.

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