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The Left Doesn't Value Free Speech, and That's a Problem

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

For years, it always seemed that as much as Republicans and Democrats strangely disagreed with each other on the issues, both sides still recognized the right of the other side to have and express those opinions.

Are those days gone? In recent years, the left has shown so much hostility for opposing viewpoints that it’s become increasingly clear that they no longer value free speech. The current kerfuffle over Twitter has demonstrated just how much the left prefers their politically homogeneous safe spaces over open public forums and debate.

Prominent liberals have left the platform because they can’t tolerate a platform that isn’t a liberal echo chamber. Pseudo-economist Paul Krugman has been trying to create an audience on an alternative platform, though it’s been tough going. Actor Wil Wheaton, who is still on Twitter, had a hissy fit over Musk last week. There are many other examples.

It’s strange how the same party that pretends to value diversity can’t stomach diversity of thought, but this is where we are now.

As PJ Media’s Athena Thorne noted, dozens of liberal companies have decided to stop advertising on Twitter—some of them were even pressured to do so—because you can’t give money to a platform that allows conservatives the same rights as liberals.

The ultra-left-wing Media Matters gloated about the exodus of advertisers and tried to cast Musk’s affinity for free speech in a negative light.

“Despite these advertising losses, Elon Musk [who acquired the platform in late October] has continued his rash of brand unsafe actions — including amplifying conspiracy theories, unilaterally reinstating banned accounts such as that of former President Donald Trump, courting and engaging with far-right accounts, and instituting a haphazard verification scheme that allowed extremists and scammers to purchase a blue check,” the so-called media watchdog claimed.

One company that has reportedly stopped advertising on Twitter is Apple. But, that’s not all. According to Musk, Apple, in addition to “mostly” stopping advertising, has threatened to  “withhold” the Twitter app from their App Store.

“Do they hate free speech in America?” Musk tweeted.

We’ve seen this before, right? Apple and Google removed Parler from their app stores in the wake of the January 6 Capitol riot, alleging, in part, that the violence on that day was coordinated on the app. However, this narrative was quickly debunked, as evidence emerged that violence had been coordinated on other social media apps like Twitter and Facebook, as well—but those apps were not removed. The Capitol riot was merely used as a pretext for silencing conservative speech. Now that Twitter isn’t discriminating against conservatives anymore, it suddenly has found itself in the crosshairs of Apple—and likely others.

These leftist snowflakes crying foul over what’s happening at Twitter can make all the excuses they want, but in the end, they’re not honestly concerned about misinformation or conspiracy theories. They’re against conservative views on the platform. They don’t feel safe when they’re not in an echo chamber.

It’s hard to believe how quickly American leftists abandoned one of the core American values… or is it? Let’s face it: the left hasn’t exactly been pro-America in recent memory, so why would they care about American values or the Constitution?

They don’t. So, let’s stop pretending they do. They used to, and they were more fun and tolerant when they did.

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