This, of course, is not the only offensive tweet issuing from the tiny fingers of our Stochastic Terrorist in Chief. He has poisoned the public conversation with virulently racist and anti-immigrant messages encouraging violence, since before he was elected.
A consequence of the constant torrent of disinformation, invective, and self-congratulation coming from the White House in the form of tweets is that, like flies to a fire hose of excrement, the media swarms to repeat each fetid morsel lest they lose the opportunity to have more eyes on their respective outlets. We see that this morning in the wonderment over the “all is well” tweet and the breathless anticipation of yet more coming from his Twitter feed. Thus the stench is amplified. Then there is the problem of his issuing some directive from Twitter as Commander In Chief that results in, say, the nuking of Afghanistan. David Kilcullen, over at The Daily Beast is quoted as saying that the Afghans “sit under the tweet of Damocles.” (Sorry I can’t link, I’m writing on a tablet and so far the linking process suggested at Help doesn’t work.)
So Twitter, are you willing to be party to this madness? Are some in your community not subject to your own rules? Above the law? Why don’t you turn off this spigot of hate and make the world a better place?
FROM TWITTER’S RULES
Violence: You may not threaten violence against an individual or a group of people. We also prohibit the glorification of violence. Learn more about our violent threat and glorification of violence policies.
Terrorism/violent extremism: You may not threaten or promote terrorism or violent extremism. Learn more.
Hateful conduct: You may not promote violence against, threaten, or harass other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease.
Oh, also Twitter, as we plunge into war and while people are harking back to events in 1979, just remember that we started this tit for tat when we orchestrated the coup in Iran back in 1953. Why? The democratically elected Prime Minister Mossadegh was going to nationalize the Iranian oil reserves. Today’s woes go back a long way and they stink to high heaven. The problem with playing in that fire hose of crap is that you get covered with it. You, Twitter, need a serious bath.
I ask you, dear reader, why doesn’t Twitter shut down his account? They’d cancel yours or mine if we threatened to commit war crimes, incited the public to despise a class of people or individuals who are a different race or don’t share our views. The closure of Twitter for him would be the end of an otherwise endless stream of feckless, provocative, mendacious communiques. He wouldn’t be able to claim he issued legitimate directives simply because he said it on Twitter. One means he has to amplify his invidious lies would be gone. So where would he turn: to Facebook? Instagram? Snapchat? Maybe TikTok, where he could try to dance his way into a war crime. LOL. I think the man would implode.
It’s past time to silence the megaphone of hate and disinformation that emanates from @realDonaldTrump. It’s past time Twitter shut down this instrument of misery, division, and chaos, an instrument that is having dire consequences for all of us on this planet.