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British philosopher Bertrand Russell once quipped, "First they fascinate the fools then they muzzle the intelligent."
On March 14th, Mr. Trump gave yet another unhinged, rambling speech at the Justice Department railing against news outlets he claims have unfairly targeted him. "In my opinion, they’re really corrupt and they’re illegal, what they do is illegal,” the orange crybaby lamented. "It has to stop, it has to be illegal."
Trump's latest tantrum is one of many attacks he’s waged on First Amendment rights. While the U.S. Constitution has guaranteed the right to a free press for nearly 240 years, the president desires state media akin to Russia, Iran, and North Korea. In other words: a propaganda mill and misinformation machine. Since his reelection, he’s found allies in a space where he was previously persona non grata: social media.
On January 8th, 2021, Twitter suspended Mr. Trump, citing his comments ahead of a mob of his supporters that stormed the U.S. Capitol. He was likewise barred indefinitely from both Facebook and Instagram. On November 20th, 2022, Elon Musk restored Trump’s X (formally Twitter) account. On February 9th, 2023, Meta likewise restored Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
At the time, the platforms claimed the about-face was rooted in a commitment to free speech. The tech oligarchs’ actions since they were wined and dined at Mar-a-Largo and enjoyed front row seats at the inauguration suggest otherwise. X, Facebook, and Instagram have all either flagged content or outright suspended accounts that push back on Donald Trump and MAGA. None of the platforms allege the restricted content is false or misleading, simply that it violates their “code of ethics.”
I wonder if this is the same “code of ethics” that approved of Alex Jones spreading blatant misinformation on social media about the Sandy Hook massacre and defaming the victims?
Recently, I received an email from Meta informing me that my private Facebook account had been suspended because it didn't follow "community standards on account integrity." I was advised to file an appeal, which I did, and the account was restored a short time later. No additional information was provided. The incident suggests that for me and other proponents of free speech, it's only a matter of time before social media platforms suspend us permanently.
Suspend, but never silence.
Long before social media platforms exhibited even the slightest interest in ensuring content was factual, I placed paramount importance on accuracy. Every post I've made is cross referenced with multiple reputable sources. Social media companies were complicit in the rampant rise of misinformation that led to our current situation; I was not. In fact, Meta compensates me financially (at least for now) for the content I post to their platform, both on my public and private pages.
The fact remains: I do not vote, write, nor leverage social media, to condone a narrative or coddle feelings. I certainly don’t lose sleep if somebody disagrees with me. I denounce this deranged, cultish age which demands that if somebody refuses to conform with the masses totally, that individual should be “cancelled.” I have a backbone, and I’m not afraid to use it.
Throughout my career I've been threatened, trolled, falsely accused, defamed, shamed, and humiliated. None of it stopped me from standing up for my convictions and ardently pursuing the truth. As Marcus Aurelius wrote, "The truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in ignorance."
Our nation might not 'technically' be in the throes of a constitutional crisis (yet), but those who have refused to consume the Kool-Aid are certainly in an arduous battle against the forces of misinformation. This isn’t just about freedom of speech, though, and our present situation is no longer political. We've passed the point of this being about whether one identifies as a Democrat or a Republican. It's about whether a person stands for democracy or destruction, liberty or subjugation, justice or corruption, virtue or turpitude, benevolence or maleficence, decency or obscenity, humaneness or heinousness. It is a choice, quite literally, between good and evil. Many blindly obedient Americans certainly find themselves in a moral dilemma – I’m not one of them.
Though the “tech bros” may bow down submissively and kiss the emperor’s ring, I refuse to adopt an apathetic attitude in order for a demagogue to establish a self-serving empire of malice. In the words of Upton Sinclair, "I intend to do what little one man can do to awaken the public conscience, and in the meantime, I am not frightened by your menaces."