Billionaire Elon Musk’s self-touted reputation as a free speech absolutist may be in question as he expanded on his flat “no” regarding a return of podcaster Alex Jones to Twitter with a deeply personal reason.
With announcements that The Babylon Bee, Project Veritas, Jordan Peterson, and even former President Donald Trump have had their Twitter accounts reinstated, the list of high-profile users barred from tweeting has grown steadily smaller. But after Musk had left a decision regarding the InfoWars founder at a “no” Friday, insistence on the matter led the entrepreneur to reflect on the loss of his firstborn son, Nevada.
The exchange began when an author and neuroscientist publicly asked the CEO Sunday, “Is it time to let Alex Jones back on Twitter, @elonmusk? If not, why not?”
The question prompted a response moments later, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 21, 2022
That answer was evidently unsatisfactory for some and German-Finnish entrepreneur Kim Dotcom pressed Musk further, “Alex f*cked up with Sandy Hook. He admitted that and apologized. He also got a lot of ‘conspiracy theories’ right. If serial liars like [President Joe] Biden and Trump are allowed on Twitter then Alex Jones should be allowed too. Please reconsider in the interest of real free speech.”
Rather than address the challenge to his free speech policy, the billionaire instead dismissed any concern over how the ban impacted Jones by explaining, “My firstborn child died in my arms. I felt his last heartbeat. I have no mercy for anyone who would use the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame.”
Warning: Language
My firstborn child died in my arms. I felt his last heartbeat.
I have no mercy for anyone who would use the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 21, 2022
Nevada, who was born to Musk’s ex-wife Justine Wilson in 2002, died tragically at 10 weeks old from sudden infant death syndrome. Meanwhile, Jones is on the hook for roughly $1 billion after a court ruled the podcast host was guilty of defamatory liable for his description of the Sandy Hook massacre where 20 first-graders and six school administrators were murdered as a hoax perpetuated by crisis actors.
Prior to the most recent remarks from the Chief Twit, Jones had been dismissive of his ongoing ban as he described the bigger concerns surrounding the “reign of surveillance and censorship” perpetuated by Big Tech and corrupt government agencies.
“Do I blame Elon Musk for this? No, ladies and gentlemen, quite frankly I don’t care if I get brought back to Twitter. I care about any of these big tech platforms going back to free speech and back to where the internet was four years ago before this reign of surveillance and censorship because this isn’t just censorship, they’re surveilling everything you say in live time, not just on Twitter but Google, Facebook all of it in live time.”
‘This is criminal’: Alex Jones denotes Big Tech ‘reign of surveillance’ after Musk upholds Twitter ban https://t.co/uWi4Lx4z2c pic.twitter.com/OXnIbu7x5q
— BPR (@BIZPACReview) November 20, 2022
Jones later said, “So, don’t put all your eggs in Elon Musk’s basket but support him trying to free up Twitter and don’t blame Musk at the end of the day because he didn’t bring me back. I’m the most controversial figure in the world because I’m the most threatening to the new world order so don’t expect him to bring me back day one when he has to first get control of the platform before he can even think about that.”
However, critics were not so open to Jones’ suggestion as one pointed out, “I think Alex Jones is a piece of sh*t but you are creating the @elonmusk policy. You have world leaders with accounts who literally drop bombs on children and are refusing an a***hole who said stupid sh*t.”
I think Alex Jones is a piece of shit but you are creating the @elonmusk policy.
You have world leaders with accounts who literally drop bombs on children and are refusing an arsehole who said stupid shit.
— Peter McCormack☠️ (@PeterMcCormack) November 21, 2022
Sorry for your loss. Free speech allows people we don’t like to say things we hate. You described yourself as a free-speech absolutist. I suggest you remove yourself from this decision.
— Jay Jakosky (@jayjakosky) November 21, 2022
There are many politicians and journalists on this platform who fit that description far more than Alex Jones does.
— Libertarian Party Mises Caucus (@LPMisesCaucus) November 21, 2022
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