Elon Musk's Magnificent Rebranding of Twitter

[OrangeOrganics]

Im talking about Brazil.

[bingobango]

I guess Elon Musk thinks it is currently more fun to give a feedback loop a twirl instead of finagling with his Hyperloop

[OrangeOrganics]

Musk Fired Brazil Twitter's Election Misinfo Moderation Team: Report

[Charlie_Jack]

I’m willing to stipulate that maybe Musk should have meditated awhile before sending that tweet, but I can’t see how events in Brazil have much to do with any one person. So in an attempt to add some context to Musk’s tweet, I’m tossing this little message in a bottle from the sandy shores of Banqiao into the text-sea of Forumosa (mods/admin will get no gripe from me if the post is Temped).

From Wikipedia:

In 1930, a bloodless coup led Getúlio Vargas to power.

. . .

–Wikipedia, Politics of Brazil, “Vargas Years” (1930–1945)

. . . Vargas was ousted from the presidency in another bloodless coup d’état, in 1945. . . .

. . .

–Ibid., “Populist years (1946–1964)”

. . . mounting tension between populist politicians (like Vargas himself and, later, Jânio Quadros) and the right led to a crisis that ultimately brought up the military coup d’état in 1964, now known, through declassified documents, to have been supported by the American Central Intelligence Agency.

. . .

–Ibid.

In 1964 a military-led coup d’état deposed the democratically elected president of Brazil, João Goulart. Between 1964 and 1985, Brazil was governed by the military. . . .

. . .

–Ibid., “Military Dictatorship (1964-1985)”

In 1985, the military were defeated in an election. . . . Tancredo Neves, was elected president, but died of natural causes before he was able to take office. . . . Neves’ supporters urged vice-president, José Sarney to take the oath and govern the country.

. . .

–Ibid., “New Republic (1985-1990)”

Sarney’s government was disastrous in almost every field.

. . .

–Ibid.

In 1989 Fernando Collor de Mello was elected president for the term from 1990 to 1994. . . . At the beginning of his third year in office, he resigned as a result of in a huge corruption scandal.

. . .

–Ibid., “Collor government (1990-1992)”

In 1992, the vice-president, Itamar Franco, took office as president. . . . Far-left organizations were trying to turn the anti-Collor campaign into a wider revolutionary fight to overthrow the regime. Itamar finally granted full powers to his Minister of Economy, Fernando Henrique Cardoso. . . .

. . .

–Ibid., “Itamar government, (1992-1994)”

In 1994, Cardoso with Ricupero, Ciro Gomes and others launched their Plano Real, a successful economic reform. . . . . . beating Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who had emerged as the favorite only one year earlier.

. . .

Ibid., " FHC government (1995–2003)"

In 2002, at his fourth attempt, Lula was elected president. In part his victory was derived from the significant unpopularity of Cardoso’s second term. . . .

. . .

–Ibid., "Lula Government (2003-2011)

In 2011, Rousseff became the first woman to be elected president of Brazil. In 2015 and 2016, many demonstrations were held against Rousseff demanding for her to be impeached because of corruption scandals. . . .

. . .

–Ibid., “Rousseff Government (2011-2016)”

The Senate’s 61–20 vote on 31 August 2016 to remove Rousseff from office meant that Temer succeeded her and served out the remainder of her second term.

. . .

–Wikipedia, Michel Temer

Bolsonaro, at the time of his election, was a 27-year member of Congress; his victory has been credited to voter anger at the political class over years of corruption in politics, economic recession, and a surge in violent crime

. . .

–Wikipedia, Presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, “Background”

In late November 2019, a group of Brazilian lawyers, a human rights group and six former government ministers denounced Bolsonaro before the International Criminal Court in The Hague for inciting the genocide of indigenous peoples of Brazil and perpetrating crime against humanity.

. . .

–Ibid., “Accusations of violating international law”

In late July 2020, the Brazilian Union Network UNISaúde, a coalition of labor unions representing more than one million health workers in Brazil, filed a judicial complaint against Bolsonaro to the International Court of Justice. . . .

. . .

–Ibid.

On January 23, 2021, two top Brazilian indigenous leaders . . . sued Bolsonaro for crimes against humanity.

. . .

–Ibid.

In June 2021, Brazil Lawyers Order continued their action to bring Bolsonaro to the International Criminal Court over his “irresponsible” management of the COVID-19 --pandemic.

. . .

–Ibid.

In July 2021, the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil filed an additional ICC complaint against Bolsonaro, on top of the one filed in 2019, for crimes against humanity, genocide, and ecocide, within the context of the devastation of the Amazon rainforest.

. . .

–Ibid.

Investigations continued in 2020. In April 2020 justice minister Sergio Moro resigned, alleging that Bolsonaro was improperly pressuring him to remove the federal police chief; Bolsonaro subsequently removed and replaced the chief with a family friend of Bolsonaro.

. . .

–Ibid., “2020 political crisis”

According to a survey by Ibope, released by the National Confederation of Industry on 13 December 2018, 75% of Brazilian population thought that Bolsonaro was “on the right path”, while 14% thought Bolsonaro was “on the wrong path” and another 11% did not respond.

. . .

–Ibid., “Surveys”

[Operation Car Wash] was a set of investigations carried out by the Federal Police of Brazil, aimed at investigating a money laundering scheme that involved billions of reals in bribes. . . . [P]oliticians from the largest parties in Brazil, including presidents of the Republic, presidents of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, and state governors, as well as businessmen from large Brazilian companies, were involved. The Federal Police considers it the largest corruption investigation in the country’s history.

. . .

–Wikipedia, Politics of Brazil, “Operação Lava Jato (Operation Car Wash)”

On October 30, 2022, Bolsonaro was defeated by Lula da Silva. In the years Brazil has been a democracy since 1985, Bolsonaro became the first president to lose an election as an incumbent.[5]

–Wikipedia, Presidency of Jair Bolsonaro

[tempogain]

Indeed, one might think there may be a little more involved than some tweet a month ago.

[OrangeOrganics]

It was a tweet after the election

Nobody is saying he is solely responsible

More that’s it’s thoroughly irresponsible behavior from the owner of a social media network that has so much influence

And I think it’s irrefutable as well

[Charlie_Jack]

@OrangeOrganics

It was a tweet after the election

Nobody is saying he is solely responsible

More that’s it’s thoroughly irresponsible behavior from the owner of a social media network that has so much influence

And I think it’s irrefutable as well

Like I said, I’ll stipulate to that, but I live in a country in which, in recent memory, some young folks stormed the Legislature and pretty much brought down the government as a result.

So I just put the recent events in Brazil under the rubric of “Stuff Happens.” I’m not saying I agree with what happened in Brazil, though. I don’t know enough about that place to have a firmly grounded opinion.

Not that I know all that much about the place where I’m living now, but if I remember rightly, I could sort of feel what was happening here. I guess it’s just because I’m here.

[tempogain]

@Charlie_Jack

some young folks stormed the Legislature

That was a noble undertaking of brave young people, not a vile insurrection by deranged right wingers.

[Charlie_Jack]

@tempogain

@Charlie_Jack

some young folks stormed the Legislature

That was a noble undertaking of brave young people, not a vile insurrection by deranged right wingers.

I’ve never been able to find an exact quote of Victor Hugo saying about such things that if they succeed they’re called a revolution, but if they fail they’re called a riot. I’m gonna go look one more time for that elusive quote, boldly assuming that it exists outside my brain.

[BiggusDickus]

There are accepted revolutions, revolutions which are called revolutions; there are refused revolutions, which are called riots.

[Charlie_Jack]

@BiggusDickus

There are accepted revolutions, revolutions which are called revolutions; there are refused revolutions, which are called riots.

Thanks!

[dan2006]

Yup when the population agrees it’s a revolution or a coup. If it’s against what the population/media feels it’s a riot or occupation.

[Poundsand]

@Mick

https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1612601158782050307

So if we were consistent, we probably think it’s hard to believe that the NYP being banned for just two weeks had any relevance to the election whatsoever…

[Mick]

@Poundsand

So if we were consistent, we probably think it’s hard to believe that the NYP being banned for just two weeks had any relevance to the election whatsoever…

Well, for a conversation like that we need to rely on common sense, making reasonable conclusions based on facts as opposed to believing what we are told on the MSM.

For the Russian bots, common sense should have kicked in and said a couple dozen bot’s making noise on twitter (they weren’t even all pro Trump), wouldn’t have made much noise given the size of the platform, number of voices, money being piled in from campaigns and so on. But people did believe it made a difference because the MSM told them so and for many who hate Trump they wanted it to be true.

So you ask about the Hunter Biden story. I’m of the opinion that banning the story caused the Streisand effect in that more people were aware of the story because it got banned than might have otherwise known about it.

But once again the MSM went full court press to discredit the story. People that didn’t like Trump were inclined to believe it was disinformation because that is what they wanted to believe.

There was some survey done after the election which suggested (I forget the exact number) 20 or 30% of people who voted for Biden said they wouldn’t have done so if they were aware of the Laptop story, I don’t believe that. I think peoples minds are pretty hard to change when it comes to voting, the Hollywood tape in the 2016 election was true, was rightly condemned by everyone and yet Trump still went on to win.

Actually when looking at the Laptop story, it’s probably better to leave aside if an election outcome was affected. What that story and many of the Twitter files is about is the attempt to manipulate public opinion.

Elsewhere you (I seem to recall it was you, certainly others have asked) why shouldn’t the IC do that? That’s a good question, but perhaps one better suited to a discussion in politics than in the money forum.

[Mick]

Newly added.

Matt Taibbi

[OrangeOrganics]

Does anyone think the election in Brazil was rigged? Bolsonaro had control of the military for years and was even saying wouldn’t give up power before. How is that similar to the protests for the Sunflower stuff?

Also how is it relevant to the actual discussion, which is the boss of an influential social media network needs to be responsible for their words and actions. I think that is irrefutable as well,but people are too deep in the culture war nonsense

[OrangeOrganics]

Musk could have said nothing and investigated any interference at Twitter and if he had evidence then made it public, you know like a responsible adult.

[jdsmith]

MOre on the Nunes smears:

Matt Taibbi

[tempogain]

Already linked above Highlight

[jdsmith]

If Lee smith’s book hadn’t been so dumbly named people would already know this stuff.