It’s hard to believe the back-and-forth saga of Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover attempt has been public knowledge for less than three months. So much has happened.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO’s move has driven many news cycles. Countermoves from hostile, apprehensive and belligerent Twitter employees and the company’s board added drama. Announcing strident opposition is a strange way to interact with a potential future boss.
On Thursday, the two sides are expected to meet as Musk, for the first time, answers Twitter employee questions during a company town hall.
As reported Tuesday by Fox Business, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal sent a company email explaining Musk would take part in the virtual meeting. It’s safe to speculate there might be some fireworks based on the distance between the participants’ positions.
For example, Twitter has followed the progressive playbook by censoring opposing viewpoints on its social media platform. Leftists cannot defend their extremist positions in an open debate, so they try to prevent dissenting viewpoints from being heard.
In January 2021, Twitter even permanently suspended then-President Donald Trump. The possibility of his regaining a big social media profile is an ongoing nightmare for progressives, one they are desperate to prevent. (Trump is focused on his own platform, Truth Social, and has said he will not return to Twitter.)
Musk is a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” and has even said his critics will be welcome to stay on Twitter after he takes over — an attitude that’s like heresy in Silicon Valley.
I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 25, 2022
Twitter’s corporate culture is so intimidated by Musk’s advocacy of free speech the workers have threatened mass resignations if the multibillionaire takes over.
Musk responded to such grandstanding by tweaking the Twitter board and tech workers’ sense of privilege and prestige, as when he did a joke survey asking if the company headquarters should be converted into a homeless shelter.
Musk also has openly discussed plans to cut Twitter’s workforce and slash executive compensation, efforts meant to make the social media platform more profitable.
He has also laid out an ambitious program demanding excellence from his staff, such as insisting managers be able to write computer code as well.
As bad as President Joe Biden has been for America in just a year-and-a-half in office, Musk sees an even more troubled economy ahead — and he is preparing for it.
Yes, but this is actually a good thing. It has been raining money on fools for too long. Some bankruptcies need to happen.
Also, all the Covid stay-at-home stuff has tricked people into thinking that you don’t actually need to work hard. Rude awakening inbound!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 27, 2022
It’s not just empty talk. Musk is taking action.
According to Reuters, he announced his electric car company, Tesla, will be cutting 10 percent of its staff.
Will Elon Musk complete his purchase of Twitter?
Telsa workers also were ordered to start returning to the office to work, ending the pandemic experiment with a mostly remote workforce.
Twitter employees must be looking at Musk’s ideas and policies and wondering how they can function under expectations that they embrace freedom of speech, work hard and show up to their workplace. It would be a disaster for those who put their virtual signaling ahead of their productivity.
Musk has had no qualms about publicly mocking leftist influences in the Big Tech world.
Seize the memes of production!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 27, 2022
Some workers might be so certain they have no future under Musk that could have launched a kamikaze strike against his Twitter account.
Very strange indeed!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2022
It remains to be seen if his purchase of the social media giant will through.
Critics have long believed Twitter had many more bot and spam accounts than it admitted, and Musk has pushed for accurate numbers — which he said might alter the deal or even get it canceled.
That would be a shame. Progressives are worked up over Musk invading their safe space because they understand Twitter isn’t really about the money, it’s about controlling the narrative.
The left can’t survive if its social media monopoly gets broken.
The questions Twitter employees ask Musk at the town hall might be a good gauge of their current level of panic.
