Dec 15, 2022
Political blockbuster news always seems to evoke the same responses: one side pounces on "the smoking gun," while the other side yawns dismissively at the "nothing-burger." The latest such blockbuster is Elon Musk's release of the so-called Twitter Files, documentation that confirms the platform's long-suspected systematic restriction - with possible government collaboration - of conservative viewpoints. While the media seems obsessed primarily with Musk and his motivations, this one is not just another case of political one-upmanship. It's a big deal. It matters, for at least four reasons: 1) Illegality: If the facts hold up - and they seem solid - much of what we're seeing is flagrantly unconstitutional. Yes, Twitter is a private company. They have every right to harbor their own biases and to let those biases influence their published content. That may be irritating to conservatives, but it's not surprising and it's not illegal. But if en