In late September, Twitter began a test of 280-character tweets with a small group of users. The new limit will roll out to Twitter users in almost all 40 languages Twitter supports. And that those who will not, will hear about it. Most tweets will now fit 280 characters, up from 140. I desperately desire that we can find ways to start to pull back from some of this caustic rhetoric. My hope is that this episode causes Musk to pause and reflect. Even those with unlimited funds can be bankrupt of decency. Bullies will not slink back into their holes if their dangerous words are ignored they will only get louder. But even those with the biggest pulpit cannot ignore the majority when it speaks in powerful unison. When the forces of intolerance push against our common humanity, they must feel a repelling force of dignity and hope. There is a great danger in forgetting, about the holocaust, and about other manifestations of hate. More generally, we also need to teach more history. Public pressure can lead to better outcomes. When people rise up and say, “No,” “This is not okay,” “We will not let it stand unchallenged,” the world has no choice but to pay attention.
Just because you are a feted centibillionaire (a new word for those in the $100 billion club) doesn’t mean you can get away with this outrageousness. I am confident that the vast majority of Americans and people around the globe find this rhetoric reprehensible. The fact that he decided to delete his tweet is encouraging, and in ways that are much bigger than Musk, or this incident. Will it hurt the popularity of his Tesla cars? What will it mean for his SpaceX company’s contracts with NASA? Or, will anyone really care? Is this all just normal now, within the spectrum of what is considered “acceptable”? The opprobrium Musk is getting is well warranted. February 10th 2022 202 Retweets 523 Likes
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