Elon Musk’s recent offer to buy Twitter for $43 billion has revealed a lot about the ruling class’s collective psyche. While no one bats an eye about Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owning the Washington Post, the corporate press has lost its mind about the prospect of Musk acquiring Twitter.
Musk announced this move to buy Twitter with the intent of promoting free speech. In recent months. Musk has been a critic of Twitter’s speech policies, which he believes violate the company’s ostensive pro-free speech ethos.
When news of Musk’s move to acquire Twitter dropped, Max Boot, neocon extraordinaire and Washington Post columnist, expressed his horror on Twitter:
“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 more content moderation, not less.”
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 more content moderation, not less.
— Max Boot 🇺🇦 (@MaxBoot) April 14, 2022
Liberty conservative Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene quote tweeted him, saying “Kill freedom of speech to save democracy?
Say you’re a communist.
Just say it.
You’re actually scared of people freely discussing ideas and saying words.
You’re terrified of the impact on politics when truth isn’t censored.
I’m offended by your weakness.”
Kill freedom of speech to save democracy?
Say you’re a communist.
Just say it.You’re actually scared of people freely discussing ideas and saying words.
You’re terrified of the impact on politics when truth isn’t censored.
I’m offended by your weakness. https://t.co/qnKwbttg0W
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) April 14, 2022
Boot’s reaction is natural given his neoconservative inclinations. He’s a political gatekeeper to the highest degree. For him, Big Tech should function as a private arm of the Deep State that only allows discourse between neoliberals and neoconservatives. Anyone else that falls outside of those parameters gets booted.
Musk wants to change that, hence his decision to try to buy Twitter. While there are valid criticisms of Musk for relying on the government to subsidize his electric car ventures and his promotion of a creepy neural implant project, it’s at least good to see a wealthy individual stand up for basic American values.
Most of America’s wealthiest have become post-national in how they view the nation-state as an afterthought.
People like Boot, who believe in globalism and that America is just an idea, hate the concept of billionaires who actually care about America’s foundational principles.
Liberty conservatives should not take reflexively anti-rich attitudes. We should be willing to work with wealthy individuals who uphold our values.
Pure populism is not feasible. There needs to be a competing set of elites to replace the current ruling class.
Musk and his network could perhaps be the set of new elites that America needs to stir things up and shake off its current ruling class.
America deserves a much better crop of elites, especially those who care about preserving the historic nation and bestowing stability to future generations.
