The consequences of this poll will be important. Please vote carefully.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 25, 2022
ADDED: Is this poll defective because it dictates a strong premise — "Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy" — and never asks whether you believe it, only whether "you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle”?
I don't think Musk is trying to do a conventional, professional poll. If he were, he'd deserve to be accused of push polling. He's doing something consistent with tweeting — expressing himself and seeking engagement.
I do polls like that. I was going to do a poll about Musk's poll, but I need more space to make my points.
Musk uses extra-strong language — "essential" (not just important), "functioning" (not just any democracy, a "functioning democracy"), "rigorous" (adherence alone is not enough, it must be rigorous adherence) — and in each case, the bumped-up language makes it harder to say "yes." It would be easier to say "yes" if he'd set a lower standard: Free speech is important in a democracy/Do you believe Twitter shows an understanding of this principle?
The way he's worded it, he's set things up so that the "yes" votes seem irrational. How can anyone think Twitter rigorously adheres to the principle that free speech is essential?
You may think Twitter recognizes multiple principles that include free speech and balances them when they come into conflict, but, in that case, unless you ignore the text of the question, you need to vote "no."
So I'm seeing Musk's personal expression, done in the form of a poll. He's opining that free speech should be the supreme principle on Twitter. I agree!
Posts
102 comments:
I don’t have an account because of Twitter ToS so they don’t let me see the results of the survey.
Does that answer the question?
So is he going to stop requiring his employees to sign NDAs?
Who the Hell would want to live in a democracy?
It's nothing more or less than mob rule.
Our founders wisely set up the United States NOT to be a democracy.
John LGBTQBNY Henry
Ann makes good points about polling but they are the kinds of questions normally dismissed or challenged when it comes to politics and our most important ‘polls’. We’re expected to accept the results. Questioning the results is not an option. Insurrection they call it.
Implicit in the question is another question about whether Twitter wants a functioning democracy. If the answer is no, they don't, then systematic suppression of speech is also consistent with the principle articulated, no?
I can’t vote in the poll because I’m permanently banned by Twitter. My crime? I used the phrase “we will bury you.”
Interesting that 35% think Twitter does support free speech.
I don’t really know where he’s going with it. For sure, a follower of Musk (i.e., the people most likely to see and respond to this poll) is likely to value free speech and no one who actually values free speech (No True Scotsman? Maybe, but there are lots of people who think they value free speech because they support speech they like) thinks Twitter does a good job of defending it.
So the outcome is pretty well baked in. Maybe it’s just some fun with no larger purpose.
How soon before Twitter bans him?
Not a push poll. It's asking participants if they agree with his premise as it relates to Twitter.
Interesting that 35% think Twitter does support free speech.
Probably the same 35% who think Biden is a good President.
Setting the agenda. See how Twitter, and those who take the poll, respond. Whatever the poll result, test Twitter's commitment.
Maybe Musk is planning to buy Gab or Parler or something--or set up his own.
So the guy who supports private companies banning people and censoring speech tries to claim that the guy running a private company is a free speech hypocrite because the guy running the company puts some restrictions on the speech of the employees of his private company.
I think we've achieved a perpetual loop of hypocrisy.
’So is he going to stop requiring his employees to sign NDAs?’
Employees? You should see the NDA I had to sign before he interviewed me…
The consequences are important. He just might have to buy Twitter.
I am Laslo.
’So is he going to stop requiring his employees to sign NDAs?’
The proper analogy would be :is he going to stop prohibiting his customers from discussing negative aspects of Teslas?"
Wait, you mean he doesn't do that???
I don't know who the audience is. Free speech means you're allowed to say what you think is true, without which you don't have anything.
He is clearly pushing the idea that Twitter is undemocratic. By answering the poll the respondent is committing emotionally to the proposition. By speaking of consequences there is an implied threat to Twitter. If a high enough percentage of voters say no he will create his own social media platform. Given that he owns an ISP his ability to complete is unquestionable. I mean we might end up in a future Musk could ban Twitter.
I have a twitter account but I've never been able to post to it. Pre-censored, or maybe it's because I don't have a mobile phone number which makes setup somehow incomplete.
Billionaires don't need no stinkin' polls. He's using a template to offer up his opinion about the platform in which his template is placed. Musk is always playing 3D chess. He isn't looking for the poll numbers. He's making his point.
He hates Twitter, yet uses it for his own purposes.
Twitter will suspend and then ban Musk because he's violated their terms of service. Non-specific reasons. Just reasons.
Twitter is a fetid hive of narcissistic villainy.
It would be amusing if Musk bought Twitter.
Didn't Trump launch the Twitter replacement for you people? People say it's beautiful and a big success. Bigger than anybody's ever seen.
I assume he’s planning to either buy a competitor or start his own version. Twitter is an upholstered cesspool.
https://mobile.twitter.com/alexfeinberg1/status/1506763697032675330
He's doing something consistent with tweeting — expressing himself and seeking engagement.
Isn't that what the Althouse Blog is all about?
"The consequences of this poll will be important." I don't see discussion on what he meant by that. Perhaps people don't take Elon Musk seriously enoough.
I think Musk understands that because of network externalities, Twitter isn't going to be replaced. I'm guessing he is thinking of buying it and making it free speech for all. Market cap of twitter is $30 billion.
@harsh Brilliant suggestion. Thank you.
'Is this poll defective because it dictates a strong premise — "Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy"'
It is not so much a poll as a poke.
The essential question is not whether "free speech is essential ...", but whether Twitter promotes free speech or stifles it. The answer is evident regardless of the precision of the question.
Freder: "So is he going to stop requiring his employees to sign NDAs?"
Lefty logic rears its simple-minded head. Obviously, Musk's private business with its advanced and proprietary technology is comparable to an internet platform that purports, however spuriously, to be a forum for self expression. /s
Judas priest!
Here's how normies and the Center-Right think and respond to the question:
'Hmm...do i really think free speech is essential to democracy? ANd do I really think twitter is followig that principle? Better think about it and give an honest answer."
Here's how Liberal/Leftists think and respond to the question:
"Twitter is banning Rightwingers so its good. Why is Musk attacking Twitter? He must be a Right-winger and therefore bad. Gotta go and vote Yes, and foil Musk's dastardly attack on Twitter"
I"m assuming Musk is planning on bailing out of Twitter, and using the Poll as an excuse.
Twitter allows a platform for Antifa Nazi domestic terrorists who use intimidation, threats of violence - and who shut down free speech.
One example
I can't participate because I got permabanned from Twitter yesterday.
My offending tweet? I linked to a Babylon Bee article.
I also got a suspension once for tweeting "Learn to code" at Brian Stelter.
That was it. That was the entire tweet, verbatim. Twitter made me delete the tweet before unlocking my account after x number of days, whatever it was.
If Twitter burned to the ground tomorrow, I'd book a flight to California just to piss on the ashes.
Got another permaban on another account for typing "They went full retard" on some absurd Congressional action or whatever.
"New Twitter CEO said company's 'role is not to be bound by the First Amendment'"
LOL - that's a great way to be a good Soviet CEO!
Twitter is like any other corrupt platform in bed with the State and The Party.
You will obey The corrupt democrats, or else.
"Who the Hell would want to live in a democracy?
"It's nothing more or less than mob rule.
"Our founders wisely set up the United States NOT to be a democracy."
They succeeded wonderfully! We don't even have a functional republic, but a plutocracy.
Hmmm he’s up to something. Switching to another social media platform?
People who are equating signing an NDA with stifling fee speech are either wilfully ignorant or stupid. NDAs that employees sign protect the company's intellectual property from being sold to and used by competitors - a good thing if you believe that successful companies that pay people good wages are a good thing. Prohibiting free speech usually just protects the corrupt.
Lindsey graham - and others - are allowed on twitter to call for asassinating Putin and other Russian leaders. Babylon got banned for calling the Trans-general Levine "Man of the Year".
Trump was banned for being Trump. Anyone who stated the truth about Hunter Biden's laptop or CV-19 was banned. If you made the mistake of prematurely taking the revised CDC position, you were banned.
Twitter is a leftwing organization. It doesn't believe in free speech and bans anyone who disagrees with it. It doesn't abide by its "Service agreement" or writes its "terms" in such a way that it can justify any action.
The Bidens are crooks - and twitter will not allow you to find out.
Midwit talking point - the USA is a republic not a democracy.
Assumption: the word "democracy" has only one meaning.
Hard Fail.
Midwit talking point - the USA is a republic not a democracy.
Assumption: the word "democracy" has only one meaning.
Hard Fail.
It doesn't matter how many meanings the word "democracy" has. The simple fact is that our government was explicitly designed to counter democracy and its effects.
Do you really believe that Twitter operates using principles, Professor? Not unless “It’s my space and you get to play in it if I like what you say” is a principle of free speech. They even violate that “principle” by changing a lot. I don’t know why anyone tries to stay on Twitter - you have to sell your free speech principles to do so.
Jersey Fled said...
“Interesting that 35% think Twitter does support free speech.”
Probably the same 35% who think Biden is a good President.
I fat-fingered a “yes” and it won’t let you change your response. Some other people in Musk’s feed made the same mistake.
Remember Hillary's Russian re-set button gift?
Uranium, oil and technology: How Russia got stronger as Bidens and Clintons got richer
Now we have a Soviet-type Oligarch media where actual news about Biden and Clinton family enrichment schemes are ignored.
In Musk's poll, he makes a claim:
"Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy."
And then asks a question:
Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?
This instantly reminded me of a similar famous phrase:
Claim:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State..."
Resulting Law:
"...the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
I am CERTAIN that every dictator in history has understood that free speech is important in a democracy. That's why they went out of their way to suppress free speech: it would have ended their dictatorship.
As with said dictators, Twitter wants to PREVENT democracy.
Maynard said...
Isn't [expressing himself and seeking engagement] what the Althouse Blog is all about?
__________________________________
As far as I can see, no. Ms. Althouse gets little agreement here, and does not appear to seek any.
One of life's great pleasures, some man wrote, was drifting off to quasi-sleep listening to his wife talk complete nonsense.
This very recent seminar on Climate Change Justice is a perfect example.
The fry-voice host is annoying but the lady speaker can go on in nonsense that's interesting to her like nobody I've heard.
Surely falls under the value of free speech.
Didn’t mean to imply that I’m against NDAs; I’m not at all.
Critter said...
I don’t know why anyone tries to stay on Twitter - you have to sell your free speech principles to do so.
_______________________
I stay on Twitter for a variety of reasons. I don't sell any principles of any kind. Perhaps one day I shall be banned from the site, but they haven't banned me yet.
So basically you people think democracy depends on a social media app developed by lefty elites for elite libtards and are helpless against the power of this soyboy echo chamber. That pretty much defines cuck.
"I assume he’s planning to either buy a competitor or start his own version. Twitter is an upholstered cesspool."
Hope to God, he's not going to start another one. we have Gab and several other Twitter alternatives. Besides, the problem with Twitter isn't that its a "Hive of scum and villiany" - its that its a leftwing platform that censors anyone who disagrees with it.
" In the years before Moscow twice invaded Ukraine, Democrats enriched themselves politically and personally from such oligarchs and businesses in the region while empowering Vladimir Putin with energy and technology deals that still haunt America today.
Our best-selling book “Fallout: Nuclear Bribes, Russian Spies and the Washington Lies that Enriched the Clinton and Biden Dynasties” chronicled how a failed “reset” in U.S.-Russia relations led by Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton relied on an appeasement strategy that ultimately backfired with Russia.
Putin’s spoils were measured in billions of dollars in uranium contracts with U.S. utilities, expanded oil imports and transfers of sensitive technologies.
The American dynasties counted their victories in millions of dollars in donations to the Clinton Foundation, speech fees to Bill Clinton, and lucrative board seats and consulting deals for Hunter Biden.
The appeasement policy began in February 2009. Russia had invaded its neighbor and former client state, Georgia, six months earlier. The lame-duck George W. Bush administration planned to put missile defense structures in Eastern Europe to deter Russian aggression against its neighbors.
But one of the Obama-Biden administration’s first foreign policy maneuvers was to cancel that plan via a “secret letter” to Putin’s placeholder, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Why? U.S. leaders apparently wanted to make deals with Russia, and giant missile silos in Putin’s backyard were a nonstarter for Moscow."
Not found on Twitter.
But we were sold the Maddow-Hillary lie that it was Trump in bed with Russia.
to this day - the hivemind loyalists buy into it.
Thanks for posting this, as I can’t see it directly, Twitter put me am in lockout for the first time ever 2 days ago, and I am in the process of defending myself.
Been tweeting since 2009, and have a lot of positives to say for the real-time technology. It would be lovely if Mr. Musk could save it from itself.
One positive: the use of that real-time availability for all to see was a key Ingredient in Donald trump’s successes in world affairs, like addressing n Korea and China. Everyone could know what he was thinking in real time, most transparent world leader of all a time.
It’s weird being locked out— they send you a variation of your tweet without its art or it’s links and you can’t get on to review the contexts. Mine was a lambast to my congressmen and gov for some democrat policies (that I can’t see the attachment subject I was posting about. Twitter claims I was endangering children . . .?!!!
Wish me luck getting my feed back.
Help us, Elon.Musk! You are our only Hope!!
I have been shadow banned on twitter based on my views on the war, I am pretty sure.
What’s Elon going to do with Twitter? How’s owning Twitter going to help getting people ass to Mars.
Remember when Obama got caught on an open mic colluding with Putin regarding the election? Good times....
Being shadow banned from Twitter is the gold standard virtue signal for Trumpists. 👏🤔👏
If there is government pressure on a private company to suppress speech, SCOTUS already has held that that is the same as official censorship, and spoiler alert... there is.
Repeating Democrat laser-pointer talking points is the gold standard for knee jerk liberals.
Yes, I was being facetious.
I have nothing against narrowly tailored NDAs that are designed to protect legitimate intellectual property. But NDAs have been weaponized (especially in Silicon Valley) to prohibit revealing almost anything that goes on in the workplace (along with their cousins, non-compete clauses and mandatory arbitration--which of course violates the 7th amendment, but good luck winning that suit in the Supreme Court) and are being used as a way to prevent legitimate complaints and revelations of unethical, and even illegal behavior. (Look at how Theranos used NDAs to perpetrate its fraud for many years)
Howard said...
"So basically you people think democracy depends on a social media app developed by lefty elites for elite libtards and are helpless against the power of this soyboy echo chamber. That pretty much defines cuck."
tim in vermont said...
"If there is government pressure on a private company to suppress speech, SCOTUS already has held that that is the same as official censorship, and spoiler alert... there is."
Should be clear enough even for Howard.
"The consequences of this poll will be important."
How can this possibly be true?
I'm still enjoying the best line of today, perhaps months:
So take my word for it! Biggest snowflakes ever!
rcocean,
there is one single definition for democracy. basically rule by the many, or perhaps the majority. lots of different ways to implement it, but it is always rule by the majority.
Then there are the dimwits who think that it can mean whatever they want it to mean at any given moment.
Lots of people call England and Canada democracies although both are ruled by a queen who has final say on who holds office, what laws are passed, what mischief the military gets up to and much more.
Or they say the us is a democracy although not a single us citizen has any federal voting rights for any office at any level.
I am not a fan of democracy. i am a fan of the republic as in the constitution. far from perfect,perhaps. but far better than democracy.
John lgbtqbny Henry
I'm guessing this poll is somehow related to his legal battle with the SEC over restrictions on his ability to tweet about Tesla, including a prior twitter poll on selling Tesla shares.
Lot's of people, including some here, make a fetish out of the goodness of "Democracy!" until the results don't go their way.
Then they get accused of "Not knowing what's good for them" (See "What's the matter with Kansas", Lots of blather about blacks or hispanics who voted for trump and so on.
Or worse, the results of the democratic results are ignored. HCMS Uganda, Boaty McBoatface.
More on point is the referendum in Crimea a few years back. Crimea has historically been part of Russia, the majority of people are ethnic Russian, Geographically one can make the case that Crimea is Russian.
So they had a referendum to secede, Huge turnout, huge majority in a vote that everyone agrees was fair.
We talk a big game about national self determination.
Unless the determination is not the way we want it.
I'm sure there will be people responding to this with some version of "self-determination is good. Just not in this for "reasons""
Current polling results:
Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy.
Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?
Yes
30.4%
No
69.6%
13 hours left.
Ann...
"Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy" is not a theory... it's more like a fact. In fact it's more like a RIGHT.
Without free speech democracy is DEAD. Go back and read Plato, Socrates, and concepts like isegoria (equality of all in freedom of speech) and parrhesia (freedom in speech.)
a conventional, professional poll.
===
are conventional and professional congruent concepts?
was not polling invented to upset conventional wisdom?!
edumacate me.
Five sets of interest: free, speech, essential, functioning, democracy.
I suspect it depends on the meaning of "is", "to", and "a", and "glue".
That said, religion (i.e. [voluntary] behavioral protocol) for those men and women capable of self-moderation, and competing interests to mitigate the progress of others running amuck.
may be he will takeover twitter?
and allow free speech?
Twitter.
A private company - who dutifully does the bidding and censorship on behalf of one political party.
Help us, Elon.Musk! You are our only Hope!!
========>>>> Obi Elon Muskogi ====>>>
Twitter's logo would be more accurate if the bird's beak was taped shut.
I suspect Readering @ 12:27 may be on to something, although I was hoping for a cage match between Elon and Jack Dorsey.
https://youtu.be/DZCBRHOg3PQ
Joe Rogan report w/Jack Dorsey, Tim Poole and a really smart yet willfully progress woman who works for Twitter. Idk what year- I’m thinking it didn’t age well. I’ve been listening to it.
Joe is no dummy.
Totally knows how to define a woman.
It’s an interesting podcast
He's Twittering. Check your investments accordingly.
I am... bemused. Much as I admire Elon Musk's accomplishments and his adventurous spirit, much as I have agreed with so many things he's said and done, I'm not comfortable with the cult of personality thing.
Say he takes over Twitter, and changes its policies to foster the free speech that is our fundamental right (even though it can be held legally not to apply in the case of a private enterprise). I'm willing to posit that, as he certainly has f-you money, he himself is immune to the carrot of the approbation of his peers (he may not think he has any) and the stick of social disapproval. But what about whoever takes over from him? Will that person be just as immune?
This is why we (are supposed to) have a government of laws and not of men. That principle applies to Elon Musk too.
All polls are defective. Rich, we have a few questions about the coming election.........click
Just by that it makes polls inaccurate and worthless.
“ How can this possibly be true?”
Elon is forming a partnership to buy media platforms and liberate them.
Twitter is publicly traded, so in theory, he only needs to buy a controlling interest, or form a consortium of like-minded people to join him, buy shares, and elect a new board of directors.
Of course, there are more than enough lefty billionaires to counter any such move by collectively buying shares and refusing to sell.
Or the current board can (if they haven't already) adopt a poison pill strategy to prevent a hostile takeover.
Ironically, any attempt by Musk to acquire Twitter would send the share price way up, and at least on paper, enrich the current owners. So if you think Musk is going to try and buy Twitter, go buy some shares today.
Musk is very likely smarter than any of those currently running Twitter. Let's hope he has a plan to make Twitter the MySpace of the 2020's.
I suspect he is getting ready to purchase Twitter.
in each case, the bumped-up language makes it harder to say "yes."
29.9% of the respondents overcame the difficulty and said "yes" anyway.
He's smarter than everyone here so who are we to say?
Ironically, any attempt by Musk to acquire Twitter would send the share price way up, and at least on paper, enrich the current owners.
========
could he already be holding a position and would like to know which way to jump?
@Narayanan, that was my other thought.
Twitter and the other social media outfights enjoy being publishers with the immunity of common carriers. So the argument that they are private companies and can do what they want is bogus simply because Congress gave them the cake, the icing, the cutter, the fork and the plate. A Republican Congress and President can easily remedy this by be removing their liability protection granted a common carrier if they are going to be publishers. Congress specifically granted them this protection and Congress can revoke it as well.
cubanbob said...
Twitter and the other social media outfights enjoy being publishers with the immunity of common carriers.
========
thanks for detailed explanation.
had not understood this before.
will now look to see who/where can provide definition for publishers; immunity; common carriers.
It would be fun to see a hostile takeover of titter, Trump could add his $9 billion. The street and associated lawyers would get yachts in duplicate for that. ABL, Always be a Lawyer!!!
His poll is a rhetorical strategy aimed at multiple audiences, and its goals are to entertain his fans, troll his detractors, and push back on the Twitter administrators/ monitors. It is ultimately humorous while being potentially embarrassing to Twitter as a company.
"He's smarter than everyone here so who are we to say?"
No, he's just smarter than you. Why don't you send Musk a love letter? Maybe he'll let you suck his cock. You know you want to.
No, he's just smarter than you. Why don't you send Musk a love letter? Maybe he'll let you suck his cock. You know you want to.
I want to bear his children, and I'm a man.
People will be praising Musk long after you've been forgotten.
You guys are way over thinking this. This is just Elon shitstirring with Twitter.
It's not an accident that his first four Teslas were the "S" "3" "X" and "Y". (His original plan was the call the Model 3 the Model E, but Ford sued to stop him)
Starship's original name was the Big Fucking Rocket.
The Starship he originally planned to use for his first orbital flight was booster 4 and Starship 20, so the spacecraft as a whole was Starship 420.
He announced plans on Twitter to open a private university called the Texas Institute of Technology and Science. (TITS)
Freeman Hunt said...
"The consequences of this poll will be important."
How can this possibly be true?"
I was wondering the same thing. What consequences?
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