Thomas Zimmer
The latest Musk “rebranding” epitomizes the rightwing project to restore dominance: It oozes the aesthetics and sensibilities you will find in a toxic tech bro man cave and is designed to impose them on all of us by brute force - a stunt that is as ridiculous as it is disgusting.
Jul 25, 2023 at 1:06pmIvory for iOS
Show threadThomas ZimmerJul 25, 2023

At its best, Twitter provided a way to access diverse voices and perspectives from outside the established institutions. I’ve written extensively about why it was a crucial instrument to democratize the political and cultural discourse - and why losing that would hurt:

https://thomaszimmer.substack.com/p/the-sabotage-of-twitter-is-a-disaster

The Sabotage of Twitter Is a Disaster for Democracy

Thoughts on Musk’s destruction of the virtual public square – and what democracy is losing

Democracy Americana
Show threadThomas ZimmerJul 25, 2023
The virtual public square has been deliberately shattered, the political discourse (re-)fractured, with the intention of making it a lot harder for the perspective and criticism from people with no access to powerful institutional platforms to break through and shape the discussion.
Show threadThomas ZimmerJul 25, 2023
This is the result of a deliberate assault on what rightwing forces identified as a public space captured by “the Left” - all part of reactionary counter-mobilization seeking to restore dominance and supremacy over such spaces and all “woke” groups and ideas demanding equality.
Show thread2xfoJul 25, 2023
@tzimmer_history
I know one person on Twitter that's getting great numbers since the changes started. He's a trans man that insists all trans people are mentally ill, and his ideas only get worse from there.
Show threadJDJul 25, 2023
@RnDanger @tzimmer_history so he’s popular for saying he’s mentally ill?
Show thread2xfoJul 25, 2023
@jag0325 @tzimmer_history
He seems to think he's the only person that did it correctly but also claims it was due to mental illness. So, yes.
Show threadJDJul 25, 2023
@RnDanger @tzimmer_history I would tend to believe it’s not really a trans person. But I’m cynical.
Show thread2xfoJul 25, 2023
@jag0325 @tzimmer_history
I knew him IRL. My wife knew him before too
Show threadJDJul 25, 2023
@RnDanger @tzimmer_history ah, I stand corrected.
Show threadBrooke BinkowskiJul 25, 2023
@jag0325 @RnDanger @tzimmer_history right wingers love the "one of the good ones" types from marginalized groups who they can elevate and use for propaganda purposes and some people really like that kind of attention :(
Show threadJDJul 25, 2023
@brooklynmarie @RnDanger @tzimmer_history see Caitlyn Jenner
Show threadBrooke BinkowskiJul 25, 2023
@tzimmer_history @jag0325 @RnDanger perfect example
Show threadJ.H.NoyesJul 25, 2023

@tzimmer_history

A conspiracy of disease spreading, shit posting, greenhouse gas spewing techbros and Arab Royals looking to do to online spaces that which their suicide bombed did to public spaces in the aughts.

@axeshun

Show threadAnne OminousJul 25, 2023

@tzimmer_history completely agree.

1 thing about twtr i LOVED: i could read an article by virtually any reporter, then go on twtr & tell them how i felt. sometimes, the reporting was important & shining a light on what i felt was a crucial issue.

other times, it just felt good to tell someone how narrowminded their op-ed or whatever was. sometimes those ppl were haberman, but other times, i knew at least some of my critique got thru.
chuck todd, dana loesch had me blocked. LOL. i'll miss that

Show threadPēteris KrišjānisJul 25, 2023
@tzimmer_history there was no public square there, it was merely a chatting place. Please, let's stop pretend that it was and overplay it's importance.
Show threadThomas ZimmerJul 26, 2023
@peteriskrisjanis Spoken like a person with zero stakes in whether or not a democratized public discourse exists - congratulations! Ever spent even a minute reflecting on the role Twitter played in the recent history of social justice movements? Or why people from traditionally marginalized groups have placed so much importance on having access to such a platform? I doubt it.
Show threadPēteris KrišjānisJul 27, 2023
@tzimmer_history I feel you understand "public discourse" differently than I. Twitter was not public discourse. No online really is. It provides false sense of the reach. And I know SJ movements want something to stick, but this is not the way. Never have been.
Show threadVoronJul 26, 2023
@tzimmer_history it was very important for political organizing, now it’s just another right wing talk radio/Fox News platform for the ultra right wing
Show threadRuami GreyJul 25, 2023

@tzimmer_history

Musk should rebrand, not with X, but with F, for failure and fool. Seriously.

Show threadJL RobersonJul 25, 2023
@tzimmer_history By brute force if one stays in Musk's Nazi club.
Or one can leave and make it just Nazis talking to Nazis, and therefore irrelevant except to law enforcement.
Just #quittwitter, everyone, or X, or whatever the fuck it is now.
Show threadGreg BellJul 25, 2023
@tzimmer_history don't miss all this history too, it's very elucidating https://mastodon.me.uk/@garius/110775069963968471
John Bull (@[email protected])

To understand Musk's renewed obsession with X and focus on financial services, you REALLY need to understand the X/Confinity merger that became PayPal. And, particularly, the Peter Thiel-led coup that kicked Musk out as CEO/Chief Strategist. Here's how that happened. 1/🧵 #history #technology

mastodon.me.uk