Staff Reports
The spectacle of government bureaucrats meddling in personal affairs is nothing new in the United States; it has taken center stage with alarming frequency in recent years. However, the audacity reaches new heights when foreign officials attempt to bully American business moguls into submission, which brings us to the European Union’s latest meddling. An official from this bureaucratic behemoth has set his sights on Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and owner of X (formerly Twitter), in a ham-fisted attempt to silence him.
The amusing subplot is that on the very day in question, Musk will be hosting an interview with the very same figure who sends shivers down the spines of deep-state operatives domestically and abroad: former President Donald Trump. As the EU seems to realize, Trump’s potential resurgence might mean a rude awakening for NATO allies who have been shirking their financial responsibilities for too long and living off the back of American taxpayers.
With great audience comes greater responsibility #DSA
As there is a risk of amplification of potentially harmful content in 🇪🇺 in connection with events with major audience around the world, I sent this letter to @elonmusk
📧⤵️ pic.twitter.com/P1IgxdPLzn
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) August 12, 2024
The Commissioner for Internal Market of the European Union, Thierry Breton, recently shared a lengthy missive on social media, essentially begging Musk to censor the forthcoming interview with Trump. This was a clear attempt to weaponize the so-called Digital Services Act, a British censorship law. With the nebulous concept of “harmful content” at the forefront of Breton’s argument, it’s clear that the EU is profoundly uncomfortable with anything that undermines their agenda, particularly when it comes from an outspoken advocate of American freedom.
The irony here is rich. Here we have a Eurocrat demanding Musk, whose platform supposedly guarantees free speech, become the very mechanism of censorship that oppresses it. Breton’s declaration that “with great audience comes greater responsibility” sounds less like a noble ideal and more like a warning shot to Musk. The message is clear: comply or face the consequences, which in this case could involve a crackdown on X in the U.K. or worse.
This chess game of threats includes rogue police commissions in the U.K. who have brazenly suggested that they might extradite and imprison Americans for their opinions expressed online. If this escalation in authoritarianism doesn’t make one raise an eyebrow, then perhaps it’s time for a reality check. The idea that “hate speech”—a catch-all term that could include mere opinions—could land someone in jail is truly a frightening prospect. The culture of censorship might be gaining traction across the pond, but rest assured that patriotic Americans still have the liberty to express themselves freely—for now.
If the latest outburst from these European censors shows anything, it’s just how sensitive they are to Musk’s influence. The fact that they feel the need to intervene suggests that they see his platform as a serious threat to their agenda. In a time when so many tech platforms fall in line with the demands for censorship, X emerges as a beacon of hope for free speech. Musk’s resistance against external pressure implies that perhaps he knows something—like the notion that free speech is not just a privilege but a right worth defending at all costs.
