Elon Musk buying and opening up Twitter—now X—to diverse opinions is indeed dangerous to existing social relations, specifically to the authoritarian powers that shape the grand narrative. The effect of Musk’s takeover of the social media platform founded by Jack Dorsey and comrades in 2006 has confirmed the importance of mutual knowledge in connecting people across space, allowing them to see that their common sense is in fact common. It has also helped them see the forces disrupting their common sense and to grasp that these elites are not serving the general interests but their own egos and opulence.
It is much easier to gaslight people when they are isolated. A man sits in his room and thinks to himself, “A man cannot be or become a woman.” Then, when he ventures online, it appears as if he is alone, that the world thinks otherwise—at least he sees that those who think like he does are shamed or punished. His workplace, too, told him his common sense is wrong and that he would be disciplined if he denied it. He begins to think his thoughts are wrong. They are bad thoughts. Maybe he’s even crazy for thinking them. Is it possible that a man can change his gender? Or maybe he compromises and acts in bad faith, going along with the lies to survive. Either way, he is oppressed.
When Musk bought Twitter acquired Twitter in 2022, he ended the practice of banning and censoring people who question, among other things, queer theory—those who deadname and who refuse to use preferred pronouns (the gateway drug to gender ideology). Now our gaslit man has a chance to see that he is hardly alone. Indeed, he sees that majorities across the world agree with him. His common sense does work. He in’t crazy, after all. Of course it’s true that there are only two genders.
In mutual knowledge our man finds the courage to speak the truth. His understanding of the world is not merely saved; it expands and deepens. The man sees that the reason he doubted himself, or acted in bad faith, is because a power stands over him, the power of the corporate state possessed by woke progressivism. He not only has confirmation of his common sense; he now has the object of his oppression in his sights. He has a politics now. A politics of truth. He can see the enemies of truth.
I showed my appreciation for what Musk did by buying a verified account. Progressives like to note my blue check mark, as if this were a bad thing. I respond that they’re free riders. I’m a paying customer because I want to keep X going. In a world where authoritarian attitudes and actions are ubiquitous, X is a beacon of light. We can’t let that light go out.
Imagine if Musk had owned Twitter during the pandemic. It would have been much more difficult to convince people to wear masks, stay indoors, socially distance, get vaccinated. Progressives read this with alarm. That’s because progressives hate autonomy and liberty. They don’t want people thinking for themselves. They want to control people. They know the way to do that is to keep from them information they need to make rational decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities. They want our man alone. But he’s not alone anymore.
freedom and reason 