As I predicted, the self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” is starting to impose censorship on his critics on Sewer. I expect the situation to evolve as follows:
- Inertia will keep left-wing journalists and commentators on Sewer for some time, but ultimately, they will leave. Sewer will become a right-wing swamp.
- Advertisers will leave, as well. This will cost Musk lots of money.
- He won’t care. He has plenty of money. What he wants is a loud voice and a higher degree of celebrity. Sewer gives him that in spades.
- The right, which has howled about censorship for the last few years, will cheer him on. DeSantis will make it clear that his “freedom” agenda is only for his supporters; dissent from the left is to be stifled, not welcomed.
The bottom line is that entrusting what should be public spaces to plutocrats is hardly a perfect solution to the censorship problem, but leaving the issue to the government creates difficulties, too, because there is no agreement on the boundaries of the window of acceptable opinion. Do you want DeSantis to decide what should be tolerated on the internet?