DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Palus Politicus Twitter Accepts Elon Musk’s Offer to Buy Company in $44 Billion Deal

It has never not been this way. A wealthy few have ALWAYS controlled all forms of media. In the late 1800s, it was your William Randolph Hearst's, then it was your Hollywood producers who learned to use movies as propaganda, then it was your radio execs and then the same companies as things morphed to TV.

The difference today, is that there USED TO be requirements for fairness in reporting and other such things that attempted to completely preempt partisanship in reporting.
As a social media platform goes, however, the very definition of Freedom of Speech is for people to say things as they wish, *especially* if you, or your government, don't like it. That's how it is supposed to be.

According to the constitution the freedom of speech only applies to the government passing laws that limit your speech and in no way applies to private businesses decisions as to what they allow according to their terms of service. I know that people's concept of what freedom of speech means is different than that. But what you're implying certainly isn't in the constitution or guaranteed to American citizens.

It's not that I really dislike what you're saying as much as it simply doesn't apply. Then we do have certain limits when it endangers others. Such as yelling fire in a crowded theater. Or yelling bomb on an airplane. I can see where speech that incites people to violence would fall under that umbrella.

The freedom of speech is not granted by COTUS, it is a natural right granted to you because you are a human. The first amendment only guarantees that the federal government won't abridge that right and the tenth should restrict the states from doing so as well, though some state constitutions have an analogous right to the first enumerated in their constitutions.

A broader question would then become should an entity such as twitter that enjoys federal protections and carve outs also be bound by the same restrictions the federal government is in regards to speech? Twitter has exemptions and protections that this forum, for instance, does not enjoy. This is question that could end up in front of SCOTUS at some point, which would be an interesting case to follow.

You may wish to ask many of those same questions about many private businesses. MLB, the NFL and the NBA all have exemptions from anti trust laws. This may be an issue that comes up in front of the SCOTUS. But as of now, you're only ground to stand on is "It's your right because you are human".

It's also your right not to use Twitter. It's also your right not to follow major league sports because they get special exemptions. At this time no social media outlet is breaking the constitution. They are a businesses that grants them the right to have terms of service. They have the right to refuse to allow you to use their platform. It seems you are only concerned about the rights of some, which you obviously have no legal grounds to support it, over the rights of others.

I'm not trying to debate with you as to whether I always agree with the limitations they use, but they certainly have the right to do so no mater how much you object.

One of the best things to happen in a long time!

Love this move!

Love the man Musk for making it happen! He is a champion of free speech like we've never seen before and this must be celebrated by all.

Beautiful. The rights are inalienable and granted by God.

Bots are like trolls, you can't keep them off any platform. It's digital whack-a-mole. I like Elon for his tech savvy approach to solving problems, but this is a very bad look for him. If he let's Trump and other insurrectionists back on Twitter, he's a damn fool. Personally, I hope the FCC kills the deal. Twitter is too important in other countries to be taken lightly here. Right-wingers just want to bastardize everything, and they think Elon is going to be their hero. Man, I hope Elon is who I think he is and the insurrectionists Trump loving GOPers are wrong. But I will predict this; if Elon does the wrong thing with his new “Free Speech” platform, people like me will leave it in the hundreds of millions, and many businesses will stop advertising on the platform. If Trump get's back on twitter, this will die on the vine like Truth Social. Rational people have had enough of the alt-rights BS.

j/c...

People saying they will leave twitter are the same ones that said they were moving to canada if Trump was elected(but never left).

Backing out on apparent hindsight doesn't make sense to me when it comes to Elon Musk. This is the man that has built a roadmap to Mars by building businesses that incrementally support each other and and fund the next steps to the Red Planet. You can't tell me he didn't think past "can I scrape up the change to buy this?" before submitting his bid.

If he withdraws the offer, I have trouble believing it wasn't part of the longer view of something else all along.... or, the report could just be wishful thinking by the authors of the opinion piece.

I haven't seen much else out there in this regard but some have suggested that the article came from something Jeff Bezo's recently guessed about.

Also, saw something that Jack Dorsey was now going to come back as CEO. But again, not a whole lot out there on this topic either.

I can see it with the backlash and all the evil billionaire crap. He's been a fairly popular figure for well over a decade, maybe he deduced this move would do more damage than good to his business persona. That is important to men like Elon and Trump. Elon likes an audience and likes to chime in on social topics; buying twitter would diminish his ability to be taken seriously on those topics, IMO. TBH, I can't help but admire the man for his accomplishments and innovations. Many on the far left criticize all billionaires as inherently evil. I always thought of Musk as one of the good ones, but that opinion was based more on my inner tech geek fanboy, than on anything Musk has or hasn't said or done. Taking on the twittersphere to fight for free speech verbally is one thing, imposing his will by buying twitter is another. Perhaps he simply thought about the headaches associated with dealing with all the countries in the world, from democracies to dictatorships, and billions of users from every walk of life to promote the American concept of free speech. In my opinion, it would be a huge mistake for him to buy Twitter. Can't imagine what he was thinking even offering to buy it. First thing that popped into my head when it sounded like he wanted to restore insurrectionist accounts in the name of free speech was, he's been hanging with Rogan smoking pot again. Musk is a lightweight smoker.

Just like they did when Obama was elected......

Disgruntled Americans threaten to move to Canada after Obama victory

https://news.yahoo.com/news/blogs/c...move-canada-obama-victory-062354107.html

You can make a safe bet Trump will be back on Twitter. The reason is obvious. That reason is because he said he wouldn't. If there's one thing you can bank on, it's that he's lying....

Donald Trump says he won’t return to Twitter if Elon Musk reverses ban

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/25/don...o-twitter-if-elon-musk-reverses-ban.html

I wanted to like this because it made me laugh, but I can't like anything that benefits Trump.

The bigger takeaway is that the article is just speculation within an opinion piece, so it isn't actual reporting. They're just openly spitballing why they think it could happen (and it sounds like they're hoping it will happen).

Though you could make a good argument that getting back on Twitter hurts trump more than it benefits him

Letting him speak openly definitely doesn't help him and his image, lol
His people should have muzzled him ages ago

No kidding. His twitter posts helped do him in.

Stream of unconsciousness.

Musk breaks silence on Biden disinformation board formation after Twitter buyout: 'Discomforting'
The disinformation board has been widely slammed by conservatives on Twitter

Tesla CEO Elon Musk appeared to react negatively on Twitter in response to the Biden administration’s establishment of a "Disinformation Governance Board" to combat online disinformation just days after Musk’s deal to buy Twitter.

"Discomforting," the South African billionaire posted on Twitter in response to a tweet from conservative commentator Steven Crowder comparing the newly established board to Nazi Germany.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified Wednesday that a "Disinformation Governance Board" had recently been created, days after Musk purchased Twitter, to combat online disinformation.

"The goal is to bring the resources of (DHS) together to address this threat," Mayorkas said, adding that the department is focused on the spread of disinformation in minority communities.

The move received immediate criticism from Republicans including from Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley who called the board a "disgrace" and accused the board’s executive director Nina Jankowicz, who previously served as a disinformation fellow at the Wilson Center, of being a "leftist radical."

Jankowicz has been slammed for previously seeming to dismiss the legitimacy of Hunter Biden’s laptop, which has been independently verified by multiple news outlets, and once referred to it as a "Trump campaign product."

Representatives for Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox Business.


https://www.foxnews.com/politics/musk-comparison-of-disinformation-board-nazi-germany-discomforting

It hurts him with normal people, not the MAGA CULT. Just look at 40 and other celebrating everything Trump… must be because he doesn't mean anything anymore… We need to stop the poisoning of American minds with the lies and fascist propaganda, no matter the cost. I just wish there was a way to sort real conservatives from the disease the GOP has been infested with.

You throw that word fascist around all the time and its really starting to piss me off. You should be banned forever because you offend me. ...Sound familiar ?

Read the sig.

Calling fascists, fascists is somehow an issue with you? Should I stop calling pigs, pigs too? If you don't like it, change it, It's your party.

Didn't Fascists try to control the media,shut down people that disagree with them, control what kids are taught? Does that sound like anybody you know?

Didn't Fascists try to control the media,shut down people that disagree with them, control what kids are taught? Does that sound like anybody you know?

j/c:

From the Founder and former CEO of Twitter....crazy. Admitting so much but giving little detail.

That is rational thinking, but my question: What do you do when the POTUS tries to overthrow democracy using your platform? We all know it's illegal, but republicans will never hold him or other GOPers accountable for their actions. A comms platform as powerful as Twitter must not allow this kind of rhetoric and calls to action to implement it. So what do you do?

In Elon Musk's legacy, his buying of Twitter will be a footnote. All of his other ventures are focused on solving problems posed by nature itself and finding solutions that are sustainable and contribute to transforming the way we live: Electric cars, solar houses, underground transportation, Brain-AI interface, space exploration.

I understand why he bought Twitter, because he saw a problem, and he is the type of person that wants to fix problems. But the use of these media platforms to manipulate the truth, is not a problem posed by nature. It is a problem created by humans that never needed to exist in the first place. Partisans have created this problem with their desire to win an argument outweighing their desire to discover and spread the truth. He can fix Twitter, but he is not going to fix the humans.

It is actually kind of sad to think that one of our most influential and forward looking world leaders is wasting his time on this. Twitter is a crappy service that, if anything, is a net negative to society. What if some of his other ventures end up failing because he is wasting his time and resources on Twitter?

I'm so glad I never got on it.
I see/experience enough of it in passing to know how it smells. I don't need to stick my whole face in it for any reason.

j/c:

'Stop hitting on me, I'm really shy': Elon Musk accuses AOC of FLIRTING with him when she called him a 'billionaire with an ego problem' and blamed him for an 'explosion of hate crimes' after buying Twitter

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...tweet-blaming-explosion-hate-crimes.html

I have always liked Tweeder since the first game I saw him in, but wow 44 Billion That's way more than the 100 million the Eagles paid for A J Brown

There's been an explosion of hate crimes already?? Man, I was hoping that would wait ''til after he took over. Now we're going to need "more fancier" graphs later to prove they were all his fault.

Sandy Cortez... the gift that keeps on giving.

It's refreshing to see someone being honest and accountable for a change. Admitting that as a human being he is not prefect. To some I guess that's seen as a bad thing.

Thats hilarious.

He's right.

"Morally wrong and flay out stupid" pretty much sums up the whole debate.

How is it morally wrong.. Twitter set rules and standards.. Trump broke those rule....