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Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump

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Re: Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump

#531

Post by dredmorbius »

bargl wrote: post #510
dredmorbius wrote: post #386

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The environment has changed. Previously theoretic risks are now manifest, demonstrated, and cognizable. Actual riots, insurrection, disruption of government, assaults on law enforcement, damage to government buildings, theft of government property, violence, and deaths, have occurred. The instigator is unrepentent and non-credible in what are at best tepid disavowals. The totality of context has changed. If "he has t…

I agree with the action and disagree with their justification. Because of the weakness of their justification, this could be further gasoline on the fire for his 74 million supporters. I frequently find myself having to argue with said supporters, and I can't argue that this justification makes sense other than to say... well they should have banned him before hand. It feels like they were looking for almost anything…

His supporters are already on fire.

This is reducing repeat ignition and stilling winds fanning flames.

See Chamberlain on the effectiveness of appeasement.

Re: Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump

#533

Post by shadowgovt »

ve55 wrote: post #44

This ban seems to heavily take advantage of the current moment, as it's obvious that he has tweeted worse things in the past. It's strange that they picked such a poor way to justify the ban when they could have made a significantly stronger case, and in doing so could have convinced millions more people that they are trying their best to apply policies evenly. For example, I have a hard time imagining why they chose…

Negative 2nd / 3rd order effects were inevitable when they made the "newsworthiness" carve-out in the first place.

One rule for the king and one for the commoners isn't a very sustainable policy.

Re: Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump

#537

Post by oceanplexian »

IMHO there are things that are much more scary than some trespassing into government buildings or a riot. The possibility that we might slide backwards from traditionally liberal ideas spawned from the enlightenment is utterly terrifying. And we are rapidly heading in that direction.

Re: Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump

#539

Post by idolaspecus »

DISCLAIMER: I think Trump is essentially diabolical, do not support him nor his behavior, and have a visceral loathing for the man and his (lack of) ideas.

This is a grossly opportunistic instance of moral signaling from Twitter. I believe this independent of whether or not I believe they should ban him. Trump's behavior hasn't changed, his tweets are not more inflammatory than they've been in the past, and his influence is trending towards zero. They banned him as a moral signal at a time when the backlash they'll experience is at a minimum.

Twitter is a shit storm and has been for years. They know it, we know it, the public knows it, everybody knows it. If Twitter actually cared about not being a Platform For Evil, they would just turn off the fucking angry echo chamber push algorithms, take a massive hit in their stock price, and be about their business. The "social utility" would be the same and we wouldn't have to worry about conspiratorial asshats going viral and reaching 50 million souls. But instead they go on burning the public good to fuel their money-printing machine and then crucify the enemy to signal their virtue when the wealth well dries up.

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