Commenting on Elon Musk’s attempt at purchasing all of Twitter, MSNBC host Joy Reid bemoaned the “old” Twitter “thing,” where she says “nazis with green frog icons” would “swarm and harass” liberals.
“They want that old thing back, where nazis with green frog icons and Q-anon nuts and Trump and his Russian-bot-fueled MAGA hoard could swarm and harass people on this platform,” Reid tweeted, adding “rather than being confined to Gab and ‘Gettr’ and Russian disinformation flowed freely. They NEED it.”
They want that old thing back, where nazis with green frog icons and Q-anon nuts and Trump and his Russian-bot-fueled MAGA hoard could swarm and harass people on this platform, rather than being confined to Gab and “Gettr” and Russian disinformation flowed freely. They NEED it. https://t.co/0WSslj7ARw
— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid 😷 (@JoyAnnReid) April 15, 2022
Valiant News reported on Thursday that Musk offered to buy 100% of Twitter at $54.20 a share, amounting to around $43 billion, declaring that the Big Tech company must become private to protect free speech and democracy.
“I invested in Twitter as I believe in its potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe, and I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy,” Musk said. “However, since making my investment I now realize the company will neither thrive nor serve this societal imperative in its current form. Twitter needs to be transformed as a private company.”
Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who owns 5.2% of Twitter, has since rebuked the offer, saying it does not match the “intrinsic value” of the platform.
I don't believe that the proposed offer by @elonmusk ($54.20) comes close to the intrinsic value of @Twitter given its growth prospects.
Being one of the largest & long-term shareholders of Twitter, @Kingdom_KHC & I reject this offer.https://t.co/Jty05oJUTk pic.twitter.com/XpNHUAL6UX
— الوليد بن طلال (@Alwaleed_Talal) April 14, 2022
Twitter employees are reportedly melting down at the prospect of losing their powers to censor those they disagree with as a result of Musk’s actions.
The New York Times reported that reported that Musk’s buyout offer “scared many staffers who are familiar with the billionaire’s history of erratic behavior,” with one staffer comparing it to a “hostage situation.”
The employees also said they are “concerned about Musk’s ability to influence the company’s policies on abusive users and harmful content,” and fearful that “his views on moderation could weaken years-long efforts to make Twitter a place of healthy discourse, and might allow trolling and mob attacks to flourish.”
