I didn’t want to make a deal of it. But for those who did not notice, I abruptly left Twitter (personal account – the TFS account which is operated by multiple people associated with this site, I still use from time-to-time. My account remains open to receive DM’s because honestly and this is my fault, many people use that instead of text, Signal or WhatsApp to contact me) on September 15 without saying a word. This was difficult as through the years I have built up a Twitter following with over 8,500 followers (though admittedly I have lost thousands of followers also, either from people on the left who don’t like hearing nuance or moderate/practical perspectives or MAGA people offended by my politics, that like to unfollow or block despite being “free speech” advocates…you can’t please a good chunk of the political people on social media it seems) and despite in the past saying I’d take a “break from Twitter” I never have lasted more than a day or two off the platform.

I’ve never really used other social media platforms – I don’t even have an Instagram or Snapchat account, I use Facebook sparingly and avoided most other apps, because I was all-in on building my Twitter base and using it to expand my reach both personally and professionally. But that was the Twitter of old.

I’m now eleven days into being off the platform and I have no need to urgently return to Tweeting at least for now.

What triggered this reaction?

For starters, I was already disappointed that Elon Musk’s Twitter this summer stopped supporting automatic postings from WordPress and Substack the two platforms I regularly write on. If Twitter stops having a business/writing utility then it’s now more just about venting.

Then Mr. Musk’s behavior finally got to me in a way not even Donald Trump’s has. Here’s why:

It started with the neo-Nazi rallies here in Florida and subsequent attacks on ADL not per se by Musk himself but by the personality cult backing him and the lynch mob mentality he incites online. Yet what was actually happening was the free market acting as it should in these situations. People who are fed up with antisemitism and racism were voicing their displeasure with Twitter and asking advertisers to act. That’s the epitome of the free market and capitalism in a free society. But Musk and his acolytes, who claim to be capitalists showed again they are quite the opposite.

Then enter the almost constant defenses of famous men who are accused of sexual misconduct that now pop up regularly on my timeline. Twitter’s algorithm plus dragging lynch mob mentality seem to be highlighting the most myopic and outrageously offensive defenses of sexual misconduct and throwing it right in my face. I’ll admit (I know this angers a lot of people on the left) that I feel misogynic behavior is a far bigger problem in US society than racism. I’m not saying racism doesn’t exist and isn’t a problem. I just noted above that it is. But, I believe sexism is a bigger problem and one that is quite frankly getting worse all the time. And now I see Twitter is contributing to making it even worse.

Finally, Musk’s continued drift toward China and Russia was the last straw. I’m a staunch anti-imperialist but I don’t just apply that philosophy to the west (as many on the left do) or to left-wing dictatorships (as many on the right do). I do unfortunately expect at a certain level many Americans not well-versed in world affairs to mindlessly cheer on US military adventurism initially in a conflict where US troops are fighting (I’ve seen it in my lifetime with the Gulf War, Afghan War and Iraq War) before cooling on war (as we saw in Afghanistan and Iraq). But what I don’t expect is prominent Americans claiming to be great patriots to be cheering on strongmen dictators in their quests for greater Empire while undermining western interests.

Elon Musk’s comments about Taiwan following the revelations in Walter Issacson’s biography about Starlink and Musk’s decisions in terms of his handling of Ukraine’s ability to liberate its own territory (as recognized internationally), finally sent me over the edge. It began a process that kicked off with Musk’s below tweet exchange with Putin flunkie, former Russian Premier Dmitry Medvedev from last year just as Musk was completing his purchase of Twitter. It also featured a troll of a western leader, Liz Truss, admittedly not my favorite person, but still not someone I would condone being attacked by a minion of Putin.

For Musk the rules don’t apply and having cultivated a personality cult of DeSantistan-styled cheerleaders who serve as a virtual lynch mob on Twitter, to drag (My previous experience with Twitter lynch mobs have been with progressives convinced as an “establishment Democrat” who supports President Biden and takes Covid seriously I am corrupted by oligarchy and pharma)any one who dare question Mr. Musk gets all sorts of nasty rhetoric directed their way.

It’s perfectly okay for a private citizen to express whatever views, however misguided we may feel they are, that they may have.

However, Musk is a US defense contractor whose preaching about the free market is laughable given the amount of government money he’s been handed and the amount government intervention in the economy he openly advocates when it suits him personally or his mood on a given day. Besides, there is an increasing feeling that Musk’s financial sources now involve foreign governments whose priorities often don’t align with liberal western values, thus creating someone who went from being helpful to Ukraine to being quite the opposite.

My view about constructive criticisms and accountability

I will concede, that I had previously never been that concerned about cyber bullying on Twitter, despite being attacked a fair amount through the years on the platform. I always had the feeling those who don’t have the mental toughness to take constructive criticism or push-back probably shouldn’t be on social media. I’m generally not that sensitive a person, people can say whatever the heck they want to about me and I believe accountability is important, and in the past Twitter pushbacks on me often were valid critiques of my work or opinions.

But now with Musk directing Twitter, I see what was a public square where we could have informed discussions with give-and-take now has its proprietor putting his finger on the scale to tilt toward a particular outcome or perspective. Cyber-bullying and “dragging” is now the norm and any sort of intelligent discussion, nuance or grounded perspective is not tolerable on the platform.

Besides, some of the very people I feel could be subject, beyond myself to normal constructive criticisms on the platform use block or mute liberally, anytime they hurl something at you. This is the new way. Get the last word in by hurling something and not allowing for a response. Or simply blocking someone who has a different opinion.

So what now?

There are other social media platforms such as Bluesky, Mastadon and Notes (on Substack) that I am now trying instead. As supporters of the free market, I’m sure Musk acolytes understand this since they embrace innovations and freedom to choose (deep sarcasm).

I might be back on Twitter eventually, but I might not be. I’ve never had the self-discipline to stay away this long, so who knows if I will be back. If you are a Twitter follower and have no other way to stay in touch with me and would like to, feel free to DM me…I am going to start checking those now more regularly. We can trade contact information there!