
<p>To understand why the left would get upset with Tesla, SpaceX genius Elon Musk buying the initial 14.9 percent of Twitter stock – with a subsequent offer to buy the entire enterprise &#8212; you must realize that those on the port side of politics believe that only folks like them should be controlling all the major communications platforms. ; They do not want conservative voices to have access to their private propaganda machines.</p>



<p>But even considering their desires to stifle alternative views, the passion of the outrage against Musk is shocking. ; One talking-head on the telly after another is expressing … concern … fear … even hair-on-fire panic … at the thought of billionaire Musk owning one of the major social media platforms. ; They advance the head-scratching argument that the only way to defend free speech is to restrict it – censor it.</p>



<p>CNN’s supposed media critic, Brian Stelter, sounded the alarm over corporate media being owned by billionaire tycoons like Musk. ; Whoa! ; Last I looked, Stelter is drawing his check from corporate media owned by billionaires. ; He was just purchased by billionaire David Zaslav. ; As a media critic, Stelter should know that virtually all the media platforms are corporations owned by billionaires.</p>



<p>Max Boot the cross-over self-proclaimed conservative who is now the voice of the radical left – and getting paid handsomely by billionaire-owned corporate media – tweeted (highlight added):</p>



<p><em>“I am frightened by the impact on society and politics if Elon Musk acquires Twitter. ; He seems to believe that on social media anything goes. ; For Democracy to survive, we need </em><strong><em>more content moderation</em></strong><em>, not less.”</em></p>



<p>“Content moderation” is a euphemism for … censorship. ; Quite a statement from a guy who has made his fame and fortune on the protections of the First Amendment. ; And do not overlook his raising the end of democracy if Musk owns Twitter. ; The left plays the doomed Republic card almost as much as the race card. ;</p>



<p>Then there is the left’s favorite combo – hyperbole and hypocrisy.  ; We see that in two very different reports from <em>Business Insider</em>. ; In 2013, they opined that “Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Washington Post buy marks a fascinating cultural transition in America.”</p>



<p>When it comes to Musk, the <em>Insider </em>claims that “Elon Musk’s attempt to buy Twitter represents a chilling new threat: billionaire trolls taking over social media.”</p>



<p>Guys like wannabe socialists like Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor and leftwing scold, has devoted an entire editorial expressing his fear that a Musk-owned Twitter would cease “moderating” conservative content – and stop booting those on the right off the platform.</p>



<p>Reich also tweeted that “… Musk doesn&#8217;t actually support true free speech. He wants the power to dictate who gets to speak freely.” ; Another whoa! ; Isn’t that what the leftwing moderators and algorithm developers are doing? ; Did you realize that according to Reich, Musk is forcing people to speak freely – without political censorship?</p>



<p>Virtually every Chicken Little on the left has come before the cameras or opined on the Internet to warn of the end of just about everything if Musk owns Twitter. ; The only end I see is the end of the left’s exclusive claim to be the arbiter of who gets to speak freely. ; Musk owning Twitter would be one step toward ending the virtual monopoly the left maintains over news and opinion in the public space.</p>



<p>The First Amendment guarantees free speech … period. ; The democracy works because it is a cauldron of diverse opinions – even offensive opinions. ; The left, however, has a genetic fear of free speech. It tends to make their authoritarian propaganda less persuasive.</p>



<p>As far as I understand, Musk and I are both free speech extremists – rather libertarian in our views. ; We see the social media platforms as privately owned utilities that are to be made available to all members of the public to express their personal views – repugnant and even wrong as some may be. ; All words matter. ; We should remember what is mightier than the sword. ; The PEN IS! (Oooops.) ; ;</p>



<p>We must keep in mind that the appropriate legal limitation of speech remains in place even on the social media platforms. ; It is still illegal to slander. ; It is still illegal to incite violence and riots.  ; Whether a person’s words violate the law when spoken on the street corner … in a meeting room … on television … or in print … the person can be held accountable before the law. ; No different for social media platforms.</p>



<p>What the left really wants to ban is legitimate political views that differ from the liberal narratives. ; That is exactly the sort of censorship the Founders had in mind when they penned the First Amendment.</p>



<p>I hope Musk gets control of Twitter – and I hope he will open it to opinions off all sorts – even the nasty ones … the ugly ones … the stupid ones. ; In fact, if we really censored stupid opinions, those quoted above would be the first to be booted off the platforms.</p>



<p>If you do not agree, tell me that you think what Reich said was not … stupid.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Musk buys Twitter stock … and the left goes bonkers.
