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Trump was democratically elected (by commoners). Twitter was built with wealthy private investor money. The fact that Twitter banned many of the commoners who e

Trump was democratically elected (by commoners). Twitter was built with wealthy private investor money. The fact that Twitter banned many of the commoners who elected Trump, but couldn't ban Trump himself until now due to the fear of public backlash is a testament to how anti-democratic it is to have private control over the national means of communication.

starfallg 6y ago
Your right to shout doesn't override my right to not have to listen to you. And it so happens that most people don't want to listen or give their platform to a sore loser looking to overturn a democratic election by force. Actually sore loser is a rather generous term. In Europe we call these people fascists.
- disgrunt 6y ago
  > Your right to shout doesn't override my right to not have to listen to you. So don't "follow" him? You know, that thing you do on Twitter to "listen" to people?
  - starfallg 6y ago
    Or give you my platform to shout from. You missed this part.
    - sthnblllII 6y ago
      Twitter is not "your platform". It exists because almost the whole country uses it. Therefore, not just corporate executives, but the whole nation should decide what speech is allowed, and we already have! Speech in privately-owned public spaces like Twitter is governed by the First Amendment to the constitution. https://jcalebjones.com/2020/10/15/the-first-amendment-and-company-towns/ https://jcalebjones.com/2020/10/15/the-first-amendment-and-c...
      - starfallg 6y ago
        Twitter is a private company. It's their platform. You use it under their terms. You can't force them to let you use their platform.
        chordalkeyboard 6y ago
        > Twitter is a private company. Twitter is a publicly traded company, they agreed to abide by some restrictions by the government in order to get that status.
        shadowgovt 6y ago
        None of those restrictions are relevant to the question of who may and may not use their service.
        chordalkeyboard 6y ago
        They are relevant to the concept that they give up certain private property rights in order to gain other legal privileges, which is a precedent for requiring that they give up other property rights (such as the right to censor on the basis of politics, etc.).
        starfallg 6y ago
        Property rights are completely irrelevant to the discussion on hand. 'Right to censor' is a made up concept. Companies and individuals have no obligation to publish something they do not agree with. Anti-discrimination laws also do not protect Trump here. He isn't singled out for his race, sex or religion. He's singled out because he incited a seditious mob that overran Congress.
        fumar 6y ago
        Do believe publicly traded companies are the same as state or federal public entities that serve the public via taxes? I recommend you look up the difference.
    - disgrunt 6y ago
      Is that you, Jack?
- sthnblllII 6y ago
  If anywhere near "most people" don't want to listen to Donald Trump, then why was he elected President? So if 51% of Americans don't want to hear about climate change should Twitter ban anyone who brings it up? I don't think so.
  - dane-pgp 6y ago
    Your point is valid and well argued, but I have to highlight that it would be more compelling if Trump had won a majority of the 2016 vote, and if the turnout were closer to 100% (or even if every eligible voter was equally able to cast their ballot). Let's just say, if you think that 51% of Americans banning discussion of climate change is bad, wait until you imagine about what Twitter's electoral college would ban discussion of.
  - r0s 6y ago
    You need to check the popular vote counts on that election again.
Aeolun 6y ago
> private control over the national means of communication Nobody was forcing the president to use twitter to communicate. Now he’ll have to find a different platform.
- gnusty_gnurc 6y ago
  All these platforms are literally dopamine gerbil wheels enslaving humanity to screens. Stop pretending these are the progressive vanguards of society.
- ryanSrich 6y ago
  “Nobody forced you to breath, man. Just grow some gills or something”
  - redisman 6y ago
    Wow Twitter is oxygen now? Dramatic
NicoJuicy 6y ago
You're making the billionaire sound like he's a normal guy and everything else is undemocratic. Who picked any of his family members in top positions? And his election was literally based on attacking the other candidate, not on content.

starfallg 6y ago

Your right to shout doesn't override my right to not have to listen to you. And it so happens that most people don't want to listen or give their platform to a sore loser looking to overturn a democratic election by force. Actually sore loser is a rather generous term. In Europe we call these people fascists.

disgrunt 6y ago
> Your right to shout doesn't override my right to not have to listen to you. So don't "follow" him? You know, that thing you do on Twitter to "listen" to people?
- starfallg 6y ago
  Or give you my platform to shout from. You missed this part.
  - sthnblllII 6y ago
    Twitter is not "your platform". It exists because almost the whole country uses it. Therefore, not just corporate executives, but the whole nation should decide what speech is allowed, and we already have! Speech in privately-owned public spaces like Twitter is governed by the First Amendment to the constitution. https://jcalebjones.com/2020/10/15/the-first-amendment-and-company-towns/ https://jcalebjones.com/2020/10/15/the-first-amendment-and-c...
    - starfallg 6y ago
      Twitter is a private company. It's their platform. You use it under their terms. You can't force them to let you use their platform.
      - chordalkeyboard 6y ago
        > Twitter is a private company. Twitter is a publicly traded company, they agreed to abide by some restrictions by the government in order to get that status.
        shadowgovt 6y ago
        None of those restrictions are relevant to the question of who may and may not use their service.
        chordalkeyboard 6y ago
        They are relevant to the concept that they give up certain private property rights in order to gain other legal privileges, which is a precedent for requiring that they give up other property rights (such as the right to censor on the basis of politics, etc.).
        starfallg 6y ago
        Property rights are completely irrelevant to the discussion on hand. 'Right to censor' is a made up concept. Companies and individuals have no obligation to publish something they do not agree with. Anti-discrimination laws also do not protect Trump here. He isn't singled out for his race, sex or religion. He's singled out because he incited a seditious mob that overran Congress.
        fumar 6y ago
        Do believe publicly traded companies are the same as state or federal public entities that serve the public via taxes? I recommend you look up the difference.
  - disgrunt 6y ago
    Is that you, Jack?
sthnblllII 6y ago
If anywhere near "most people" don't want to listen to Donald Trump, then why was he elected President? So if 51% of Americans don't want to hear about climate change should Twitter ban anyone who brings it up? I don't think so.
- dane-pgp 6y ago
  Your point is valid and well argued, but I have to highlight that it would be more compelling if Trump had won a majority of the 2016 vote, and if the turnout were closer to 100% (or even if every eligible voter was equally able to cast their ballot). Let's just say, if you think that 51% of Americans banning discussion of climate change is bad, wait until you imagine about what Twitter's electoral college would ban discussion of.
- r0s 6y ago
  You need to check the popular vote counts on that election again.

Aeolun 6y ago

> private control over the national means of communication Nobody was forcing the president to use twitter to communicate. Now he’ll have to find a different platform.

gnusty_gnurc 6y ago
All these platforms are literally dopamine gerbil wheels enslaving humanity to screens. Stop pretending these are the progressive vanguards of society.
ryanSrich 6y ago
“Nobody forced you to breath, man. Just grow some gills or something”
- redisman 6y ago
  Wow Twitter is oxygen now? Dramatic

NicoJuicy 6y ago

You're making the billionaire sound like he's a normal guy and everything else is undemocratic. Who picked any of his family members in top positions? And his election was literally based on attacking the other candidate, not on content.