The billionaire accuses firms of trying to blackmail him with ad dollars, claiming they will kill X.
  • @jray4559
    -57•7 months ago

    Elon Musk finally learns the real truth that no one really wants to say: There is no such thing as free speech in the United States.

    If saying an opinion gets you fired from your job, or gets advertisers pulled from your site: guess what, that opinion might as well be banned from being posted.

    Being held at virtual gunpoint from corporations is no different from being held at actual gunpoint from governments. This is why right-wingers complain about bannings, because, well, they have a point. Even left-wingers get hit with this too, as certain Palestine supporters that aren’t careful enough with their wording are finding out.

    I’d rather at least have the government say “To promote social cohesion and understanding, saying X opinion about Y groups of people, and stating Z false information will no longer be allowed”. Don’t get me wrong, that’s still invasive as hell and a horrifying precedent to set, but having to walk on eggshells for fear of virtual lynch mobs that can pop up at will and say “He said X he said X fire him and uproot his life or we will drag you through the mud and make you lose precious consumer money!!!” with little rhyme or reason, never stopping until their existence in society is ruined is not something that a society should support either.

    That is simply vigilante justice via keyboard instead of handgun.

    • Unaware7013
      32•7 months ago

      There is no such thing as free speech in the United States.

      If saying an opinion gets you fired from your job, or gets advertisers pulled from your site: guess what, that opinion might as well be banned from being posted.

      Free speech is when you can say things without consequences, apparently? So I guess your free speech to say stupid shit is more important than other peoples’ free speech to react to what you say or to choose not to associate with you?

      I’m surprised at how many knuckledraggers seem to forget that freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences, and freedoms go both ways.

    • NoIWontPickaName
      32•7 months ago

      You’re fucking around right?

      If you say shitty things then expect shitty responses.

      Why should we have to have a law about it?

      Does this mean I have to shop from someone who says things I disagree with?

      It’s the social contract friend, at least we aren’t in England or Russia where people are getting arrested over blank pieces of paper.

      Although that might have changed already for all I know.

    • krellor
      22•7 months ago

      Free speech is about protecting people from a government response to their speech, and even that carves out exceptions for incitement to violence, yelling fire in a crowded theater, etc. I know you mention government bans of certain language, but it misses the mark of what we have defined free speech to be, which is protection from government reprisal.

      I have to disagree with the notion that we don’t have free speech because people face consequences for what they say. Those consequences may be an inducement to behave in a social cohesive or expected way, but even if you wanted to protect people from that, it would require infringing on others rights. The advertisers have a right not to be associated with Musk. I have a right to dissociate from racists. The only way to protect racists from these consequences would be to infringe on my right not to associate with them.

    • @Decq@lemmy.world
      17•7 months ago

      Having free speech has nothing to do with having no consequences to what you say. Sure In some instances there might be overreaction and especially companies prefer to be on the safe side of social discourse. The issue there is not free speech but workers rights (in the US at least). But that does not limit your free speech, you’re still free to say and publish it. But nobody is required to actually listen to it, or publish it for you. Just because we are free to say what we want, does not make all opinions equal in worth.

    • @eran_morad@lemmy.world
      12•7 months ago

      You have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re too stupid to understand what the guarantee to free speech even means.