Kevin Sorbo Tries to 'Own The Libs' With Jab On 'Free Speech' ... And Fails Badly
Actor attempts to troll left due to announced Twitter sale
One-time hit actor — and prominent right-wing activist — Kevin Sorbo tried to take a dig at liberals and progressives worried about what the future will hold for Twitter after billionaire industrialist Elon Musk completes his planned buyout of the social media provider.
In the end, however, it seemed more like the star of such 90s and early 2000s fare as, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Andromeda, was the one who ended up being trolled.
Clearly taking the political right's position that a purchase of Twitter by Musk would be a blow for “freedom of speech,” Sorbo tweeted Thursday claiming that it's the supporters of Musk's interpretation of “free speech” who are the “good guys.”
The world's richest man, and CEO of electric vehicle maker Tesla, surprised the world this week with news that he would acquire all of Twitter for $44 billion.
Twitter said the deal is expected to close sometime this year and is subject to the approval of Twitter stockholders and regulators.
In the days since the announcement, many Twitter users, and others, have worried that Musk's interpretation of “free speech” would make the service much more open to baseless propaganda, outright disinformation, and hate speech.
Some have even expressed concern that Musk might let former president Donald Trump back on Twitter, after he was permanently suspended following his involvement in the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
Concern over disinformation being disseminated via social media has been a longstanding issue, going all the way up to the White House.
The Musk purchase, and it's potential to push Twitter towards a more laissez faire attitude, has only increased those concerns.
“If you believe that twitter being a place for free speech is a bad thing, you’re not part of the good guys,” the 63-year-old actor tweeted.
Critics were quick to fire back.
“If you believe spreading lies and disinformation that lead to violence is just free speech & should be allowed on Twitter then you're Kevin Sorbo,” tweeted an account going by the handle, “Greta.”
Another account retweeted a post by former US labor secretary, and progressive activist, Robert Reich.
“So let me get this straight: conservatives love free speech for Elon Musk, but hate free speech for Colin Kaepernick?” Reich posted, referring to the former NFL quarterback who angered the political right when he began refusing to standing for the national anthem at football games, in protest of police violence against Black Americans.
And, yet the user behind another account, reminded Sorbo that only governments have the ability to censor, and that social media providers have terms of service which their users agree to abide by, at sign-up.
“You do know that the 1st amendment only applies to government restraining citizen's speech right ? That when you're on Twitter they can moderate what's said on THEIR platform & you agree to abide by it when you sign up for an account & agree to their ‘Terms of Service' - TOS” the account tweeted.
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