“Fascists”: Elon Musk responds to proposed fines for disinformation on X

“Elon Musk’s had more positions on free speech than the Kama Sutra," says lawmaker.

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[SeanJW]

I think I like this guy Bill Shorten:

Bill Shorten, the former leader of the Labor Party and a cabinet minister, accused the billionaire of only championing free speech when it was in his commercial interests. “Elon Musk’s had more positions on free speech than the Kama Sutra,” Shorten said in an interview with Australian radio.

He wasn’t a bad leader of the ALP, but as a party they’ve had a pretty mixed bag. Mark Latham was one of their shining lights after all, and he’s crazier than a shithouse rat.

 

[SeanJW]

(US citizen here) Is that what government looks like when it's responsive to voters instead of oligarchs? Jealous.

I wouldn’t go that far. Own a mining company in Australia and your sphincter will be thoroughly cleaned with a political tongue bath.

Edit: the only saving grace is that some mining magnates are even more batshit insane that even the political class hold them in contempt, and there’s ones at the other end of the spectrum who actually have some self respect, dignity and sense of fellow ship with the common man. Not much, they’re still entitled wealthy shitbags, but more than you’d reasonably expect.

 

[SeanJW]

That's something that Sidney should solve. Local problem solved locally. You've set the bar so low, a two-year-old could skip over it.

What? I paid rent on a fortnightly basis. I was given a weekly rent figure. It depends on the landlord. How does it matter in the slightest? It doesn’t change the notice periods the landlord has to give me in writing, nor the reasons they can use to ask me to make changes or leave. Or my obligations either. There’s all sorts of laws around renting, and how frequently you pay the rent has nothing to do with them.

 

[SeanJW]

A small point but it's more like four and a half times, unless you're on a lunar calendar. (Which, come to think of it, might make sense if you're in one of those weird places where you get paid fortnightly.)

I always got paid monthly or fortnightly, but always managed to have to pay rent the opposite. Used to just use a holding account to manage it, but still annoying.

 

[RZetopan]

Musk is 100% in favor of anarchy, but only as long as he is the Anarchist.

 

[SeanJW]

Trump graduated from Wharton, and he has the grasp of a diseased wombat on finance.

Outside of hiring the slipperiest and most aggressive lawyers willing to associate with him, that is.

Hey, that’s an insult to a diseased wombat - though they do share a common ability to survive things you’d honestly not expect them to (I’ve seen a wildlife officer euth a very sick wombat)

 

[RZetopan]

Trump graduated from Wharton, and he has the grasp of a diseased wombat on finance.

Outside of hiring the slipperiest and most aggressive lawyers willing to associate with him, that is.

Professor William T. Kelley at Wharton apparently said this many times: "Donald Trump was the dumbest goddam student I ever had", and "Trump came to Wharton thinking he already knew everything".
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/20...rump-Is-the-Dumbest-Goddam-Student-I-Ever-Had

 

[Madestjohn]

Hey, that’s an insult to a diseased wombat - though they do share a common ability to survive things you’d honestly not expect them to (I’ve seen a wildlife officer euth a very sick wombat)

The similarities are hard to deny
but
pretty sure Trump’s butt isn’t as nearly indestructible hunk of muscle that the Wombat’s is

 

[fenris_uy]

Elon Musk claims to be a "free speech" absolutist. I am curious if there are any boundaries to that. If someone is using his platform to make threats of violence, is that a red line? What about fomenting terrorism?

His definition of free speech is so freakin' fluid and based on whatever he wants at any moment. I want him to spell out exactly what it means.

Since he asked the Elon jet account to be banned, we know that he isn't absolutists even for legal speech.

Also when he complies with Türkiye and Indian request to delete posts. He isn't an absolutists. He just wants to say racist and antitrans shit without being called a bigot.

 

[Madestjohn]

Professor William T. Kelley at Wharton apparently said this many times: "Donald Trump was the dumbest goddam student I ever had", and "Trump came to Wharton thinking he already knew everything".
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/20...rump-Is-the-Dumbest-Goddam-Student-I-Ever-Had

He did know everything because he had a distant uncle that was a genius…
and that how knowledge and intelligence work in Trump’s world ..
it’s a privilege you are granted by birth
‘good genes’

 

[SeanJW]

View attachment 90364View attachment 90365View attachment 90366View attachment 90367
The similarities are hard to deny
but
pretty sure Trump’s butt isn’t as nearly indestructible hunk of muscle that the Wombat’s is

Shitting bricks is something they both have in common, though Trump does it only for legal consequences.

And for indestructible, a wombats skull is the part you worry about.

Edit: trivia for those unaware - due to the way the bowel on a wombat alternates thick/thin tissue, their faeces is roughly squared off. They literally shit bricks.

 

[excognita]

 

[Eldorito]

I think I like this guy Bill Shorten:

Bill Shorten, the former leader of the Labor Party and a cabinet minister, accused the billionaire of only championing free speech when it was in his commercial interests. “Elon Musk’s had more positions on free speech than the Kama Sutra,” Shorten said in an interview with Australian radio.

I used to live around the corner from him (he was my local MP), and I worked right near where he did a lot of press conferences so I’d go watch them while I had my lunch. He’s very much a what you see is what you get, nice but not interested in trying to charm people.

Met him a few times because we went to the same cafe. He also almost knocked me over while he was out for a run, he apologised despite it being my fault (I was looking at my phone).

He was almost PM, but pushed too hard on tax reform and climate change that the other party demonised him on. Sadly he’s retiring from politics at the end of this year.

 

[Psyborgue]

Outside of hiring the slipperiest and most aggressive lawyers willing to associate with him, that is.

You mean until they're prosecuted or otherwise ruined. Everybody gets their turn under the bus for Dear Leader.

 

[Madestjohn]

You mean until they're prosecuted or otherwise ruined. Everybody gets their turn under the bus for Dear Leader.

Roy Cohn .. basically Trump’s mentor, was widely considered the most corrupt lawyer of the 20th century
and that stood if he was representing McCarthy in the red scare 1950s, the Gambino crime family and NYC political corruption in the 70s and 80s or a young ambitious if inexperienced real estate developer Donald Trump in the 90s

 

[wastrel]

Yes, it's just so fascist to tell people that they can't go around behaving like fascists. It's such a hassle being a billionaire... maybe he'd feel better if all of his money was taken away from him--wait, never mind: 'X' marks the spot where his riches started disappearing, so give him time and he'll lose most of it all on his own.

 

[Dooderoo]

Buying Twitter was never about free speech.

For their grift to work, Musk and right wingers need a platform where they can spread lies and hate without scrutiny, where they can suppress any divergent voices.

 

[Psyborgue]

This is why we don’t care about the rest of the world (i.e. the arstechnica comment crowd). The First Amendment is what makes America great. Elon Musk may be an idiot, but he should be allowed to say whatever he wants. There is nothing more important than freedom of speech. Americans understand this. The rest of you losers don’t. And you will remain losers until you understand this is what makes for Innovation. To censor speech requires thinking you’re a god… you’re not.

Okey dokey. You just stay right here then. I am going to move back to LoserLand where we have free health care and a bulletproof SUV isn't a requirement to go grocery shopping. Have fun! It's gonna be a bumpy ride!

 

[ID.0]

Is there anyone that Musk doesn't have a problem with? He's the next Trumpet. Congrats USA to 1th!

 

[lolware]

There is nothing more important than freedom of speech.

I’d argue that the right to live with dignity is just as important, and that each right puts a limit on other rights in a complex but necessary equilibrium, but you do you, oversimplistic, unsophisticated, absolutist, objective ally of Nazis.

 

[MrFaceplant]

I think I like this guy Bill Shorten:

Bill Shorten, the former leader of the Labor Party and a cabinet minister, accused the billionaire of only championing free speech when it was in his commercial interests. “Elon Musk’s had more positions on free speech than the Kama Sutra,” Shorten said in an interview with Australian radio.

Don't. This is one of his better moments but more than likely he was fed this line by a staffer. If you remember back when Australia started to chop and change Prime ministers on a whim, Bill Shorten was the main instigator of the backroom shenanigans in an attempt to get the PM position himself. When he finally got a crack at it, he lost to a bumbling moronic last minute replacement of an incumbent. He's likeable compared to Trump and the overwhelming majority of the GOP but that's about it.

 

[wombatman]

And then strap him to one of his rockets and fire him at Mars

I feel sorry for Mars

 

[crazedgironemo]

There is nothing more important than freedom of speech.

I'll argue oxygen is; and you're wasting it...

 

[TVPaulD]

You misunderstood. He didn't propose sexual assault when he said he wants to give Taylor Swift a child, he wanted to hand over some of his dozen kids to her. I guess most of them would happily agree.

Hi! It looks like you are seeing a motte, when in fact the statement was a bailey.

And even if that were true, which it definitely isn't, that's still a creepy thing to say.

Elon seems to be in his Harvey Dent era. You Either Die A Hero, Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain

He was never a hero, so I don't see how.

I simply do not get the "liberals" begging the government to government them harder these days.

Have you considered the possibility that maybe you just don't understand what's actually happening at all?

Look at all these commenters cheering on censorship.

You know one day it will be you that's being censored. And you cheered it on.

The techno-utopian view is still appealing.

Is it? That view is what spawned 4chan and Kiwi Farms.

This is why we don’t care about the rest of the world (i.e. the arstechnica comment crowd).

And you don't care so hard you went out of your way to make sure we knew about it. Very normal, logical and reasonable behaviour.

The First Amendment is what makes America great.

Just one thing? Why do you hate America?

Elon Musk may be an idiot,

"May" doing a lot of heavy lifting there.

but he should be allowed to say whatever he wants.

Oh really? So he should be allowed to go on X and tell the world that you, personally, are a sex pest or a pedophile or a murderer or any number of other harmful lies? You're going to let him go on TV and accuse everyone you love of being inhuman monsters that his rabid followers should murder on sight?

There is nothing more important than freedom of speech.

Really? Okay, tell you what: ask a dead guy what he thinks is more important.

Americans understand this.

"Americans" are not a monolith. Well over 300 million people live in the United States of America.

The rest of you losers don’t.

Hmm, interesting. You just said "Americans" and then called "the rest of [us]" 'losers.' So you hate America (see above) but are also a raging xenophobe against non-Americans?

Friendo, pick a lane.

And you will remain losers until you understand this is what makes for Innovation.

Wait, what? Innovation? That's your argument? This is...Oh my god, this is just "rockets go brrr doers good checkers bad" gussied up as ultranationalism (which is...not even better, so...why?), isn't it? Oh, excuse me, you people think that's called "patriotism" don't you?

To censor speech requires thinking you’re a god… you’re not.

Musk censors speech all the time. What's that say about your idol there, sparky?

 

[lolware]

To censor speech requires thinking you’re a god… you’re not.

No, it just requires a knowledge of history and the consequences of Nazi propaganda left unchecked. But you’d knew that if you valued education, enlightenment and human progress that learns from mistakes instead of relativist, stagnating, barbaric bigotry.

 

[SeanJW]

This is why we don’t care about the rest of the world (i.e. the arstechnica comment crowd). The First Amendment is what makes America great. Elon Musk may be an idiot, but he should be allowed to say whatever he wants. There is nothing more important than freedom of speech. Americans understand this. The rest of you losers don’t. And you will remain losers until you understand this is what makes for Innovation. To censor speech requires thinking you’re a god… you’re not.

Just to educate you from someone informed: I have direct, personal experience of Musk and his decision making process. There’s no may about it. He is an idiot, and doesn’t understand that trying to stand up a team to run an entire geographical region that has no staff and a hiring freeze are mutually contradictory stances. Even with everyone from the CIO down going “err, this is a problem”

 

[Mentil]

But yeah, I REALLY hope he doesn't run for office. That's a scary thought.

Can we just prohibit all 1%ers from running for office? Would fix a bunch of problems.

 

[SeanJW]

Can we just prohibit all 1%ers from running for office? Would fix a bunch of problems.

No. It just means they outsource it. And campaign laws do a fantastic job of obscuring who is paying for it.

Edit: just to be clear that’s what happens right now. There’s plenty of 1% who pay for their candidates the old fashioned way without having the ego to think they need to be in front of the cameras.

 

[Baz1]

Weirdly, during the last election cycle, the Repugnicants and their friends (like Mr Loopy here) called those against them ANTIFA, making them the FA. FAscists.
And Punkin' Head seems to have an infatuation with that sort of leader. Clearly they need to make up their minds as to which side of fence they really are on.
Most Americans already know.

 

[ispshadow]

Properly functioning democracies have been backed into a corner here. He's literally weaponizing disinformation and it's been so much more successful here in the US than I would've ever dreamed when I was a kid. It's absolutely wild to see some of the truly insane things people believe just because a tweet was written about it. I'm betting some KGB, now retired FSB officer is sitting in their house just visibly upset that he didn't have this ability in the 70s. We could've lost the first Cold War over this. We might still lose whatever this one is because of it.

The man could stick running SpaceX and be viewed a hero by all. But it looks more every day that he wants to be viewed as something much bigger than that and it terrifies me that he might get it.

 

[Madestjohn]

I don't know what the solution is here. When you give people the power to censor they almost inevitably abuse it. Musk is one example of that. Free speech coming from him is a joke as he purely wants to spread disinfo and get paid for it. Trump's "Truth" Social and other right-wing social networks are the same.

But it happens on the left too. YouTube wages war on its own users by making conversation impossible because everything is censored randomly by bots. Slate has moderators who regularly abuse their position to silence voices critical or insufficiently deferential to their pet position. Reddit mods rule their fiefdoms like they're planning an invasion of Ukraine. I've even seen something fishy with a mod here who was an anti-nuclear, renewables-only fanatic in a conversation on nuclear power who really didn't like anyone pointing out their position would just cause longer term fossil fuels consumption.

Algorithms don't work. Moderators eventually go feral. And no moderation at all? That is a recipe for a sewer pipe of unfiltered hate and misinformation spewing everywhere.

Maybe the problem is the internet and social media … hell it likely started with talk radio and sermons by cathode-ray tube
Forms of passive communications that require little effort to receive tend to lead to acceptance of easy vague answers to tough complex questions

maybe we should just go back to print, books pamphlets and newspapers, sure there plenty of lies deception fanaticism and censorship although all through the history of print .. the the simple effort of having to read acted as some sort of low pass filter

 

[graylshaped]

Buying Twitter was never about free speech.

For their grift to work, Musk and right wingers need a platform where they can spread lies and hate without scrutiny, where they can suppress any divergent voices.

Oh, he gets the scrutiny. Owning Twitter gives him the ability to still have a bully pulpit, though, and a con man is nothing if he can't reach his marks. Old Twitter would have banned him for many of of his posts. We're fortunate he feels that sense of impunity, because he cannot help but tell us over and over who he is. But, he knows that and does not give a shit.

Musk is today's PT Barnum, and his wealth is due solely to convincing people he is some form of savant. In reality, he's been fired from every company he ever ran where he didn't have control over the board that is supposed to ensure he is working in the interests of his investors, not in his own. His pitch for the Tesla huge compensation grant makes this explicit: he has to have freedom even from his handpicked board of cronies and sycophants, with his next big play (I predict) being an over-market deal for Tesla to purchase his personal little AI toy company in an all-stock deal. Heck, he has already propped it up by transferring assets from Tesla to his pet project--allegedly temporarily, but let's see the ledger entries on those transactions including interest and compensation for the opportunity cost of the publicly-owned Tesla not being able to advance their own A Not-So I efforts during that interim.

It's a Barnum and Bailey world
Just as phony as it can be
But it wouldn't be make believe
If you believed in me

- Paper Moon, lyrics by Yip Harburg and Billy Rose

The Fog of Musk surrounding him and the willingness of his True Believers to give him a pass mask the biggest grift the world has ever seen--even bigger than Trump's Truth Social con. Speaking of which, in a sane world, Trump's blatant manipulation of its stock price yesterday would have the market regulators howling. It almost makes one think that in addition to fondling his own ego, Trump's major reason for running is as a legal defense strategy to avoid accountability for his self-serving crimes.

 

[daveishereagain]

Trump has charisma?

The mind just boggles, really, how he has sway over ~40% of the US population. I mean, in the debate he was claiming that "they" were killing 9-month and even after birth babies... amongst other insane things.

Well, he certainly has some form of charisma to so enchant his cult followers to do acts and ideas that we normal people wouldn't ever think of doing for anybody let alone him. He's a threat, he's insane and it appears that appeals to a sizable portion of the electorate especially the rich and powerful ones.
I can't explain it, but there it is.

 

[daveishereagain]

What? I paid rent on a fortnightly basis. I was given a weekly rent figure. It depends on the landlord. How does it matter in the slightest? It doesn’t change the notice periods the landlord has to give me in writing, nor the reasons they can use to ask me to make changes or leave. Or my obligations either. There’s all sorts of laws around renting, and how frequently you pay the rent has nothing to do with them.

Please read the post I replied to. His whole premise was he couldn't trust a national government that didn't solve a local issue. My point wasn't in any way related to the actual local issue which is the entire point of the exchange. It's no different than someone saying he can't trust the Biden administration because they're not solving the trash collection problem in New York.

 

[daveishereagain]

Properly functioning democracies have been backed into a corner here. He's literally weaponizing disinformation and it's been so much more successful here in the US than I would've ever dreamed when I was a kid. It's absolutely wild to see some of the truly insane things people believe just because a tweet was written about it. I'm betting some KGB, now retired FSB officer is sitting in their house just visibly upset that he didn't have this ability in the 70s. We could've lost the first Cold War over this. We might still lose whatever this one is because of it.

The man could stick running SpaceX and be viewed a hero by all. But it looks more every day that he wants to be viewed as something much bigger than that and it terrifies me that he might get it.

His being the richest or almost the richest person on the planet should terrify anyone. Can you imagine a more dangerous place than Trump and MAGA taking control and letting Musk run loose?
I can't.

 

[password123]

God, I am worried he'll also try running for office. The difference is Musk is still coherent.

Enough time and ketamine will fix that

 

[Psyborgue]

Old Twitter would have banned him for many of of his posts.

Absolutely they would not have. Old Twitter would have pretended to be upset and labeled it newsworthy while bathing in the ad revenue.

Jack sold old Twitter to Elon knowing what he was and defended him after the fact. He is just as much a free speech "absolutist" at heart and twice as hypocritical. Elon at least doesn't hide who he is.

https://www.businessinsider.com/jac...witter-layoffs-free-speech-advertisers-2024-5
Twitter has never been a positive thing for mankind. Don't romanticize that shithole. It was inevitable it turn into what it is now. Jack is every bit as responsible for Trump and what he will do -- maybe even more since he knew what he was capable of and could have prevented it.

Edit: put "absolutist" in quotes since it's bullshit, then and now