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Menu There is no diplomatic solutionIsrael should declare three nos;
no to nuclear Iran, no to two-state solution, no to bi-national state
no to nuclear Iran, no to two-state solution, no to bi-national state
Not just leftists!
@Michael
You are correct, of course, regarding the relationship of freedom and choice, but i do believe there are a good many choices available on Social Media. The problem lies in the distinguishing consequences of exercising that choice, ie swimming in a smaller pond, isolated from the larger group, being the greatest of these consequences. And tacit recognition and acceptance of the consequences of our choices is another aspect of the exercise of freedom, of course.
The intentional balkanization of Social Media, however, creates an arbitrary limitation upon interactions between these isolated groups and, consequently, is a real problem, as if you could only call people who had the same phone service provider, which is entirely intentional and terribly controlling. Some have postulated that Trump and Musk have a plan to provide an easy interaction between at least TruthSocial and Twitter, if not other formats, but I speculate this may be more hopium than actually likely, which is regrettable. But we will have to see if we a new Pharoah at the head of Twitter or someone committed towards liberating the controls on speech as he has advocated. His campaign toward control of Twitter did not require any disguise of the claims he has made towards supporting freedom of speech. Indeed, his calls to reform Twitter led to his takeover being more hotly contested and likely more expensive as a result, given the totalitarian rump still supportive of the Twit-censorship . But everyone has their own idea of where the guiding line of control vs freedom lies, so we will have to see where Musk’s evaluation of this duality lies and what the consequences will be for the rest of us by the choices he makes in what is now his company, and therefore, his choice.
@PELONI-
Counting money hardly leaves time to read emails. he likely has an AI rigged up to simulate his style and answer his mail for him. Who could tell the difference….?? Not I.
But for curiosity, I’ll see if he does have a personal email address. And if he does, I’ll certainly send him a Geruss, and also your compliments and request. (you see how “smooth” i am, I send the compliments first….)
Hi, Peloni
You said, “In any case, as I noted, the real access to freedom of speech is having choices, and there is where I would place my strongest support.”
Just wondering… Is the above redundant? Doesn’t “freedom” essentially mean “choices”? Presumably, this is what capitalism is all about, but today we have very few choices for communicating truth electronically — at the same time that we are being increasingly monitored and lassoed into an electronic spider’s web.
Ultimately, truth wins; and history has shown that the victory often comes through much suffering.
The objective facts are that Twitter, under a multi-person management, was tyrranical. Now it is under one-person management, and that person has megalomaniacal ambitions. We have created a Pharaoh. Now we can start crying out to God.
@Edgar
Yes, I do well recall your interest in the program, and it has always been an interest for me as well, though my appreciation was at a greater distance than yours.
I believe Musk, however, is more into upgrading mental connection and processing, but I haven’t heard of him inspecting the area of immortality. But if you give him a week, he might be able to crack the source code for it, LOL. He really is a brilliant man, but I have never had a great deal of faith in him being a white hat as many see him to be currently. Trump certainly admires him, and the role he is playing in bringing wifi to many areas of the world where there is no profit in doing so is quite an admirable feat. So too is the role he is playing with the space program. Indeed, I am encouraged by his capture of the “world’s forum” from the hands of the govt sponsors of censorship, even if he only turns the public-private corruption into a private-private corruption. The argument had always been that Twitter could do what it likes as a private company and the truth has always been that this was never truly a private company. Now it is, and for that I am encouraged. Govts have no need nor interest to pursue market share or respond to poor earnings due to poor corporate choices. Some will suggest that the richest man in the world need not do so either. But then again, the richest man in the world did not become the richest man in the world by being fiscally foolish. But we will see what he does with his new boondoggle.
In any case, yes, I would drop him a letter. If you do, send him my complements on his new acquisition and ask him not to take too long in setting right what was so wrong for far too long with his new company. Who knows, this fellow might even be reading all his own mail, LOL.
@Michael
My meaning was that I hope his claims to support free speech were accurately stated. I am not certain of this fact nor am I certain that he is the opposite. Hence, I was simply hoping his statement was honestly made. He is an oddity and it does seem that the Left are quite terrified of his motives. But then again, I have never been a believer that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, but I do believe that the enemy of my enemy can be useful to a common goal if there is a goal that is honestly in common. In any event, there is no stopping him, and frankly, there never was. But for myself, I will reserve judgement to see how his claims compare to his actions. Who knows, he may surprise you.
In any case, as I noted, the real access to freedom of speech is having choices, and there is where I would place my strongest support. I know many people who will not be returning to the “world’s forum”, some due to the outrages of the past management and others due to the outrages of the new management. Choice is a beautiful thing, and it is from here that the spring of freedom emerges.
@PELONI-
I note your comment about “transhumanism”… I myself, have been, and am very much involved with an entity called the Cryonics Institute since its inception., indeed long before, since I read “The Prospect of Immortality” in the early 1960s.
I believe I detailed my association with the author here a few months ago.
Maybe I should send Musk a “hello’ pal” email.
Peloni, you said,
“We all?” Count me out. The richest man in the world has just bought the world’s forum. Nothing like this has happened since the Roman Empire, when Caesar divided ownership of the world between himself and the senatorial class.
We will shortly be “free” to shout,
“Who is like Elon Musk!!! Who can make war with him!!”
The key to free speech is having the ability to exercise choice. Hence, the conquest of Twitter by a free speech advocate is a certain victory, but as with all victories, we will have to see what this victory actually looks like after the dust settles. There will be many changes made at Twitter, no doubt, so it will be important, from a free speech perspective, for the calls of freedom of speech to be seen to win the peace, now that it has been seen to have won the war, so to speak. Regardless of this, though, the best route towards the expression of freedom of speech is thru freedom of choice, and there are a good many choices of social media available.
As an addendum, Musk is a globalist of sorts, with a keen interest in transhumanism and artificial intelligence, among other things, so hopefully his advocacy of freedom of speech will be seen to be as pure as we all hope. Time will tell.