In Which I Feel Sympathy For David French

The Twitter files discussion contains so little nuance because it hasn't distinguished different forms of government power. Lots of folks don't know this, but government actors have their own 1A rights even as they're constrained from violating the 1A rights of others. /1

— David French (@DavidAFrench) December 27, 2022

The thread is a cogent discussion of First Amendment issues regarding Musk’s assertion the FBI coerced Twitter. You could argue the facts (no evidence, because there isn’t any. Several non-lawyers have shown this, over and over again). Or you could take David’s line, and argue the law.

Pearls before swine.

This is the most thoughtful reply:

Almost all of these replies ignore the distinction and problematic boundaries you explain btwn gov’t “jawboning” & coercion, & ignore your explicit disclaimer that current law is too permissive to gov’t. They just equate gov’t speech to private entities as illegal coercion. Alas.

— “E” as in “Erin” (@emlillie) December 27, 2022

The rest are like this:

This is an absurdly bad take. If a private actor willingly participates with the government to infringe on censorship of American citizens, they are state actors. Everything else you said is just wordy deflection.

— Kyle Lamb (@kylamb8) December 27, 2022

I nominate this tweet in two year end categories:

“Largest Intellectual Pretzel”

and

“Most Obvious Apology for The Regime”

— Just the Facts (@jonatha26052632) December 27, 2022

I remember when a public service announcement came on and it would end by saying it was brought to you by “this network and the Ad Council.” That might have been fine.

The FBI (et. al.) running a covert propaganda campaign involving buying and coercing influence is not that.

— David Issa (@servillius) December 27, 2022

Absurdly wrong and completely off the point. But polite, compared to these.

this should be up there with things like "whites are inherently better than blacks" in its taboo.

You should be embarrassed for yourself, your family should be embarrassed for you and ashamed of you.

— 219.eth (@219_eth) December 27, 2022

pic.twitter.com/FxAF8Dr5r8

— Janey Mack (@JaneyMackWriter) December 27, 2022

I get that you have to publish drivel like this to continue to get a paycheck but good God this is embarrassingly wrong on so many levels.

The best time to delete this is NOW.

— Usually Right (@normouspenis) December 27, 2022

No engagement, no analysis, not even signs of reading comprehension; just “I don’t like this so it’s bad!”

Most of those people, one way or another, are defending or agreeing with this guy:

Douchey rich dude who has no real superpowers and who can get his ass kicked by Superman. Checks out ✅ https://t.co/IWhHdd2IFz

— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) December 27, 2022

Twitter really is a cesspool.

As speech issues continue to dominate the culture war, government officials and laypeople alike keep getting the First Amendment bafflingly wrong. https://t.co/uLgEIx8jD4

— reason (@reason) December 24, 2022

No shit, Sherlock.