U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), having already lost her personal Twitter account for promoting COVID misinformation, is now attacking noted historian, author, and conservative columnist Max Boot for expressing concern about billionaire Elon Musk's attempt to take over Twitter.
Musk, not only currently the richest person on the planet, but the richest person in history, was sanctioned by the Securities and Exchange Commission and ordered to pay Tesla shareholders $40 million over his Twitter posts in 2018 ($20 million from Musk, $20 million from Tesla.) He was also ordered to have his tweets vetted before posting, which he is now fighting.
Friday morning Musk officially attempted to buy the social media platform, after almost joining the company's board earlier in the week, which came after a late disclosure he had purchased more than nine percent of the company's stock.
"I am frightened by the impact on society and politics if Elon Musk acquires Twitter," Boot, a former Republican, said on Twitter. "He seems to believe that on social media anything goes. For democracy to survive, we need more content moderation, not less."
Rep. Greene went ballistic, calling Boot a "communist."
Kill freedom of speech to save democracy?
Say you’re a communist. Just say it. You’re actually scared of people freely discussing ideas and saying words. You’re terrified of the impact on politics when truth isn’t censored. I’m offended by your weakness. https://t.co/qnKwbttg0W — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) April 14, 2022
She was quickly mocked, including by Boot himself.
Jewish space laser lady thinks I’m a Communist. 🤣 https://t.co/2EnKbgrGCT
— Max Boot 🇺🇦 (@MaxBoot) April 14, 2022
But Boot also made a serious observation about the response to his original tweet:
"All the hyperventilating from Trumpist trolls in response to this post (claiming that content moderation=fascism) is a good example of the worst of social media. It’s corrosive tendencies should be curbed not amplified. Trump must never be allowed on Twitter again."
Others chimed in too:
She ran to the police to file a report against Jimmy Kimmel for telling a joke about her. pic.twitter.com/vPIvAMANjE
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) April 14, 2022
This from a person that called police to report an innocuous joke by a comedian. You people never, ever value “free speech” the way you claim.
— Brian Normoyle (@BrianNormoyle) April 14, 2022
Tell me you don't understand freedom of speech, democracy or communism....
— Our Government is broken. 🏳️🌈 (@CaPresser) April 14, 2022
MTG's last tweet prior to this one was a defense for banning books from libraries. You really can't make it up. https://t.co/wRilHExWsW
— Morten Øverbye (@morten) April 14, 2022
pic.twitter.com/oPU2l1gSM6
— Justin Norvell 🇺🇸🇺🇦🌻 (@Jstnorv10) April 14, 2022
Sorry Marjorie, if you break a platform‘s rules you get banned. That is not taking away your freedom of speech that’s taking someone who can’t follow the rules off of a platform of people who do follow rules.
— Lara reads banned books in Florida (@MadeInTheUSANJ) April 14, 2022
You said anyone who joins the military is throwing their life away.
Can we discuss those words? — Nunca Trumpismo (@NeverTrumpTexan) April 14, 2022
YOU ARE SUING JIMMY KIMMEL FOR TELLING A JOKE ABOUT YOU.
YOU WANT TO BAN BOOKS. I wanted to say it loud so you wouldn't miss it. — BlueBellBetty (@BlueBellBetty) April 14, 2022
I'm offended by your allegiance to compare small public health measures like wearing a mask to Nazism and injustice. I guess we are both disappointed @RepMTG https://t.co/tsQEX1dzIw
— 😃😃😃😃the morax lorax (@miyanaofficial_) April 14, 2022
