X owner Elon Musk has announced that the platform, before he took it over, heavily “suppressed” conservative content, specifically signaling out Republicans who, according to him, were suppressed tenfold in comparison to liberals.
“Republicans were suppressed 10 times the rate of Democrats,” Musk said. “Now, that’s because old Twitter was fundamentally controlled by the far left. It was like, completely controlled by the far left.”
Musk’s revelations on the social media platform’s approach came while he was conversing with none other than podcaster, Joe Rogan. Drawing attention to the prior administrative period of Twitter, unabashedly led by its creator Jack Dorsey and then Parag Agrawal, Musk gave voice to startling revelations that have resonated with proponents of free speech and internet transparency.
As you’ll remember, journalists Matt Taibbi, Michael Shellenberger, and others, had published a series of revealing reports at the end of 2022, collectively called the “Twitter Files.” Approved by Musk, these reports revealed the prevailing symbiotic relationship between the then-Twitter leadership and the federal government, suggesting a larger agenda of online content censorship targeting conservative, and even moderate, ideas.
Launching a subtle critique at Jack Dorsey, Musk described the previous Twitter set-up as a government appendage. Making a further bold claim, Musk noted that Twitter had been virtually at the disposal of the far left ideologists and that its neutrality was nothing more than a farce.
Over time, Musk and people sharing his viewpoint have been continuously blowing the horn against the apparent censorship exercised by the US Government, referring to the infamous 2020 New York Post’s narrative regarding Hunter Biden’s laptop.
Claims of censorship have also arisen in context with the “Twitter Files,” suggesting that the official posts of then-President Donald Trump and other officers, particularly those challenging the voting protocols and alleging voter fraud, were supervised with extreme scrutiny.
Twitter’s relationship with the FBI, although challenged by their attorneys, further points towards the alleged encroachment on free speech from the government entity.
Republicans, too, have had their suspicions validated by Musk’s statements. They brought former Twitter executives under the congressional spotlight in February, particularly discussing the incident involving Hunter Biden’s laptop, unveiled just before the 2020 Presidential elections.
While presenting his rationale for the purchase, Musk linked it to a grand vision of saving mankind from what he referred to as a “zombie apocalypse.”
Musk also said there is a “mind virus” spreading through an “information technology weapon” could lead to the end of civilization.
As Musk put it, he viewed his Twitter acquisition as a way to support and preserve freedom of speech. Responding to Rogan’s question about his motive behind the purchase, the outspoken tech mogul cited the alarming corrosiveness of social media on humanity. Echoing sentiments that many free speech activists have been raising, Musk argued that social media platforms have been weaponized as tools of information technology – spreading a sort of “mind virus” that nurtures a herd mentality among its users. He also pointed out the alienating effects of this phenomenon, suggesting it has led to a zombie-like population in areas around the Twitter headquarters in San Francisco.
Rogan applauded Musk for his actions to prevent further descent towards a culture that suppresses people’s freedom to voice their thoughts. “It was important to have at least one social media outlet that wasn’t canceling people,” Musk argued.
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