TRIBUNE — What would a world look like where the real opposition would no longer be the censored dissent of Twitter, the main digital platform, even shielded from the gaze of others through the infamous “shadow ban” ? A world where citizens of the world’s leading power could vote with access to all the information about the Hunter Biden scandals, because the newspaper that publishes them would not be censored and those who mention the article would not be blocked. A world where the McKinsey corruption case in France would be trending on Twitter, because it would not be evaded by censoring algorithms. A world where the average citizen could share their fears without being humiliated or treated like an S file, or even a propagator of hatred, while accounts of real terrorist organizations can proliferate on the same platform. A world where polemics, irreverence, insolence and even errors, sophisms, lies would have their place and could be discussed publicly. A world without Torquemadas working to indoctrinate the masses under the guise of being “information verifiers”.
Democracy would undoubtedly be the word attached to this type of society. An old concept inherited from the Hellenization of the West, refined over the centuries. However, it took an Elon Musk and 41 billion euros to recall what had ceased to be obvious: “Freedom of expression is the basis of a functioning democracy”.
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Democracy has suffered more from woke authoritarianism, from the new radicalism of the Democratic Party financially supported by the oligarchies of the 21st century, from the weight of non-representative entities that have become sorts of metagovernments, than under real totalitarian powers, advancing as such. Citizens in the Soviet Union knew that Pravda was a bunch of stereotypical propaganda. The essence of woke propaganda is brainwashing disguised as freedom of expression, with an agenda of hatred of the human species under cover of inclusiveness and other clichés. It’s much more perverse.
The return to democracy is unforeseen. The Silicon Valley oligarchs no longer know where to go. They are terrified. How to adapt the doxa without their puppets finding themselves in the horrible situation of having to respond to arguments with arguments? What if the anathema “false information” or this other formula “your comments do not comply with our charter of values”are no longer appropriate?
By buying Twitter, Elon Musk generated an earthquake. And the worst is that he does not conceal the contempt in which he holds them. He seems to enjoy the state of panic. He adds to it. He’s home. Uninhibited. Without censorship. There’s a whole generation that didn’t know that. It is disarming for millions of people to read evidence such as: “Suspending a news organization’s account for publishing a true story is certainly incredibly inappropriate”.
In this tweet, Elon Musk directly alludes to the most political affair of the past two years: the direct censorship by Twitter of the account of The New Yorker newspaper. The title had dared to publish Hunter Biden’s emails during the last election campaign. This is the first time in a democracy that a media was explicitly muzzled to attack nepotism and corruption. Twitter has since been convicted by the Federal Election Commission in September 2021 of acting unlawfully by restricting the distribution of The New Yorker. Would Joe Biden have been elected if this information, factually unassailable, had circulated on the network?
Suffice to say that among the Bidens, the climate is not one of serenity. Twitter intervened in the election campaign in a sneaky way, not Russia, and did it for him, Joe Biden. It seems that this did not leave very good memories for the last CEO of the platform, Jack Dorsey, who today actively supports Elon Musk. The pressures that have been exerted on Jack Dorsey remain to be written. Still, today, the latter presents Elon Musk as the person “who can save freedom of expression” from Twitter. In itself, an incredible disavowal coupled with a latent threat to the Biden clan at large.
The old man’s administration seems to have perceived it that way, judging by its eagerness to present a project seeking the fastest possible approval. This is a law that should “regulate social networks, such as Twitter”named, “to make them account for the damage done.” Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren sees Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter as “dangerous for democracy”. “Billionaires like Elon Musk play by a different set of rules, hoarding power for their own benefit. We need strong tax law and rules to hold Big Tech accountable”, she says. It’s curious, because Democrats say no such thing about Bill Gates, or any oligarch, as long as they create the conditions for the ostracism and demonization of their opponents.
Read also: “Weakening of democracies”: Obama accuses social networks and demands more control
In addition to this measure which aims to criminalize opinion, the horsemen of the Apocalypse have been released to the city and the world to preach woke propriety. Elon Musk, the SpaceX and Tesla visionary, economist, physicist, the man who made his fortune starting to program at the age of eight, is judged as “insufficiently cultivated” to understand the issues of freedom of expression. He is disqualified on all channels mainstream. A regular attack, which is reminiscent of the concert of defamation against heads of hospital departments during the covid phase. Prominent experts whose skills were questioned by communications degree holders.
Quitting Twitter has become the new mantra for woke authoritarians. The digital maquis will be TikTok, regulated according to the moderation canons of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It is true that this is a universe much more in conformity with the canons of the woke left.
When Jeff Bezos bought the Washington Post and turned it into a partisan communications outlet, nobody said a word. The Silicon Valley oligarchs have installed the oxymoron that freedom is selective. Are free to express themselves those who communicate in the doxa functional to their agenda. Freedom of expression is rationed. She deserves it.
It was in this anthill that Elon Musk came to kick. However, he himself belongs to this world. His fortune is largely illiquid and comes mostly from the capitalization of Tesla. It is the Achilles’ heel by which it can be destroyed. No doubt he has become a man to beat.