Susan Carter @SusanCarter1999

If immunity is granted then President Biden having Justice Thomas arrested without repercussions seems reasonable.🤷‍♂️

My 70th! Where has the time gone?

P.S. The single best, most perceptive commentary I’ve ever read that perfectly *nails* all of the psychological angst and resentment at the heart of Musk’s purchase — and in the hearts of his fanboys — is below. @AmandaMarcotte, in Salon: salon.com/2022/11/04/elo…

19/ If Musk were to edit George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” he might say: “All voices are equal, but some voices are more equal than others.”

18/ Musk has clearly signaled whose messages he believes deserve his personal support and amplification: -Right-wing stooges for Putin; -Antisemites spouting “replacement theory;” -Racists who question Black professional skills; -Anti-LGBTQ trolls The list goes on.

17/ This isn’t a story about “free speech” v. “censorship.” It’s a story about who gets to wield the power of speech — & a cautionary tale of how massive private wealth enables an immature man[child] to selectively elevate those who reject democracy’s bedrock value: Equality.

16/ It would be bad enough if Musk’s immaturity and lack of self-control simply made him an insufferable asshole. But Musk is an insufferable asshole with a global media platform that he has re-made in furtherance of pernicious values. That’s why I cannot be here any longer.

15/ Like Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch, and too many other wealthy & powerful men, Elon Musk is a toxic mix of narcissism, insecurity, sexism, and a particularly cruel form of unkindness that seems especially gleeful about punching down on those with less power.

14/ Furthermore, ownership of a platform like this cannot be online therapy and acting-out to soothe the grievances of insecure, immature, thin-skinned billionaires (yes, note the plural) who desperately want & need to be liked (because they are psychologically damaged).

13/ A wiser person would understand that… - a global platform like this cannot deepen and reify the worst excesses and inequalities of capitalism, privilege, and power; - nor carry water for bad actors; - nor incentivize and monetize the ugliest, most cruel human behaviors.

12/ Musk utterly failed to understand that Twitter’s hardest challenges are not about more revenue & fewer rules. They are *human* challenges, about power, speech, competition, fairness, diversity, wealth, poverty, war, peace, safety, inclusion, equity, and privacy.

11/ Musk is a textbook example of the schmucks who believe that any problem can be solved with more tech, lower costs, more automation, better code, more “hardcore” engineers & the right investors — as if Twitter’s challenges are simply *business* challenges. But they are not.

10/ Musk also demonstrates an utter lack of understanding about how a global platform for interactive communication requires a thoughtful, judicious business strategy unlike any other product. Musk has done precisely the *opposite* of what leadership requires.

9/ When one of the richest men in the world uses his own private global media platform to selectively amplify anti-democratic voices, and to prey on those he does not like, that is not “free speech.” That’s personal psychological weakness, enabled by systemic plutocracy.

8/ When Musk talks about protecting “free speech” he really means supporting provocative and/or violent voices — and *esp* trolls who hate the idea that all people are equal. Conversely, Musk is quick to *stifle* speech if it embarrasses him or his companies. He’s a hypocrite.

7/ I cringe every time journalists and others refer to Musk as a “free speech absolutist.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The only absolute is Musk’s hypocrisy, as he repeatedly contradicts his so-called principles to serve himself and his pet causes.

6/ The “free speech/content moderation” issue is cynical redirection. As an ex-Dir of Product Mgmt at Twitter, I care about mitigating harm associated with speech. As a long-time student of political philosophy, I also care about the value of free speech. Musk fails at both.

5/ From all angles — be it growth, revenue, brand equity, advertising, credibility as a global news source, trust & safety, or hell, even simply as *entertainment* — Musk’s takeover of Twitter has been a stunning crash & burn story. Actually, a better word would be “tantrum.”

4/ Musk’s willingness to burn down what he purchased suggests that he’s motivated by a perverse righteousness, not profit. I won’t repeat the litany of mistakes demonstrating Musk’s failure to be a responsible steward for this platform, nor the mountains of data that prove it.

3/ Musk is a poster child for divisive racist, sexist, and plutocratic tendencies that undermine democracy’s commitment to equality for all. No amount of hand-waving can hide what Musk is doing. Destroying Twitter’s value is the tell: It’s not about the money. It’s worse.