We have previously discussed the anti-free speech views of Clinton’s former Labor Secretary, Robert Reich, who has tried to sell citizens on the perfectly Orwellian view that more freedom means tyranny when it comes to the freedom of expression. He also demanded that former president Donald Trump be banned from ballots as a “traitor” — all in the name of protecting democracy from itself. Last week, Reich wrote a column declaring Elon Musk “out of control” in his refusal to censor citizens and appeared to call for his arrest.
Reich has long been a prominent voice in the anti-free speech movement discussed in my recent book, The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage. Indeed, he has given a voice to the rage in calling for others to be silenced or arrested.
Elon Musk has long been the primary target of Reich and his allies after dismantling the censorship system at Twitter, now X. Reich called Musk’s purchase of Twitter with a pledge to reduce censorship to be “dangerous nonsense.”
Notably, Reich’s friend, Hillary Clinton, was one of the first to call for a crackdown on Musk after his purchase of Twitter. Hillary Clinton and other Democratic figures turned to Europe and called upon them to use their Digital Services Act to force censorship against Americans.
Reich has always shown a chilling fluidity in how free speech is protected and argued that public interest should be able to trump the right of any citizens in espousing views that he believes are dangerous.
In denouncing Musk, Reich encouraged a campaign to counter his efforts to resist censorship. He wrote that Musk “may be the richest man in the world. He may own one of the world’s most influential social media platforms. But that doesn’t mean we’re powerless to stop him.”
Like Hillary Clinton, Reich is calling on foreign governments and censors to silence American citizens including Musk: “Regulators around the world should threaten Musk with arrest if he doesn’t stop disseminating lies and hate on X.”
He even appears willing to undermine national security programs to stop unfettered free speech. He called for the U.S. government to cut off contracts with his companies despite their critical role in various national security efforts, including the possible rescue of the stranded two astronauts currently in space.
None of that matters to Reich who appears to view free speech as a greater threat to our nation: “Why is the US government allowing Musk’s satellites and rocket launchers to become crucial to the nation’s security when he’s shown utter disregard for the public interest? Why give Musk more economic power when he repeatedly abuses it and demonstrates contempt for the public good?”
Reich’s call to regulate speech in the public interest is the Siren’s Call of every authoritarian regime in history. He will presumably tell us what speech is no longer tolerable for public policy reasons. Our “Indispensable Right” will, according to Reich, be safely in the hands of the European censors who can protect us from errant and dangerous thoughts.
As he explained earlier, “the kinds of things that we do about this is, focus less on thinking about free speech, but thinking about how the times have changed.” In this way, speech regulations can keep us “moving towards how we recommend content and … how we direct people’s attention is leading to a healthy public conversation that is most participatory.”
The “healthy public conversation” with Robert Reich increasingly appears to be his talking and the rest of us listening.
Jonathan Turley is a Fox News Media contributor and the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. He is the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage” (Simon & Schuster, June 18, 2024).
‘Musk has transformed his wealth into a huge source of unaccountable political power that’s now backing Trump and other authoritarians around the world.’
Robt Reich wants to have the power to control others who don’t agree with his fascist philosophy that is – UNACCOUNTABLE POLITICAL POWER – I bet your students of hate and racism have to kowtow to your commie ideas to get a passing grade from you. That is ONE way you exercise your UNACCOUNTABLE POLITICAL POWER.
Doesn’t surprise me in the least. The governing documents of America were written for WE THE PEOPLE, not for WE THE GOVERNMENT!
Sr. Reiche has followed the lead of the Nazi party and is of course with his age, has become a crusty old man. For some time now.
“We should never forget the Constitution wasn’t written to restrain citizens’ behavior.
It was written to restrain the government’s behavior”, Rand Paul
Do Australians still consider dwarf tossing a sport?
What happened to the free speech leftists at Berkeley back in the 60’s and 70’s? Suddenly they hate the concept and can’t wait to accept whatever “the man/she/him/they/zir/etc” wants them to do–so long as it’s dem? What the what?
What happened to the free speech leftists at Berkeley back in the 60’s and 70’s?
Nothing has changed. The commie fascists of Berkeley back then (like Eric Holder) wanted an excuse to be part of the group putting a match to the country to delight in watching it burn. The commie fascists of today just use a different excuse to be one of the hands putting a match to the country.
And as long as law enforcement allows them to do it and not get the same treatment the J6 protesters who did nothing more criminal than trespass on the outside lawn to take a selfie, they will continue confidently trying to burn the country down because they believe they will be celebrated, not incarcerated.
The Mad Dwarf persists in his loony way to prove that the left is nothing but a constant reminder that sanity & rule of law
mean nothing as they march toward tyranny.
You should watch Robert Reich’s podcast on youtube. Here is the entire hour, basically:
REICH: “Oh my God, Kamala is terrific! I have never seen such enthusiasm and happiness in the Democratic Party. She is destroying Trump every day. Trump is afraid of her and has no idea how to address a proud black woman of color. Oh my God! The happiness in the faces of Democrats is spreading throughout the land! We all love Kamala so much! She is so wonderful. She even did an interview! And she showed how magnificent she was and how perfectly ready to run the country she is!”
GIRL SIDEKICK: “Yes, she is so wonderful I named my first seven children after her. We have a 8 foot tall painting of her in our living room. And this “New Way Forward”, what a great idea. We are moving forward, greatly. We love her so much”
Find Reich’s podcast when he is live streaming and go into the comments. Leave a few comments, it gets pretty hilarious.
It is Reich who should be put in prison. That is, if he can be located being only 4’11”.
This comments section code apparently has a new trick. Can someone tell me just WTF “Nonce verification failed.” when posting a comment means? I did use my email and screen anem, so I am omitting same here in case that plays a part.
At a time in the future, and none of us knows how many years into the future that will be, we will no doubt be recalling these outward calls by people well past their political ‘prime’ like Reich and Hillary Clinton in their attempts to not only control what people speak, but what they think —- Frank Zappa (Mother’s of Invention – 1960s) wrote early in his songs about such things he label ‘Who are the Brain Police.’ And when Zappa wrote the insightful ‘Trouble Comin’ Every Day’ about the Watts Riots, the words of that song apply farther and longer than just the riots in black neighborhoods in the 60’s — we’ve got Trouble Coming Every Day right now! And Turley has written about it in his latest book —
Arrest Elon Musk? Really?
Reich, channeling his inner censor:
“Regulators around the world should threaten Musk with arrest if he doesn’t stop disseminating lies and hate on X.”
Reich will find those willing regulators in Iran. Its tyrants just sentenced writer Hossein Shanbehzadeh to 12 years in prison for the “crime” of “disseminating lies and hate on X.” Those “lies” are opinions the tyrants don’t like. That “hate” is expression that makes them look bad. Shanbehzadeh is one of many who have been arrested for dissent.
In case there ever was any question about the Left’s totalitarian urges, Reich spells them out:
Leftist censors should be “moving towards how we recommend content and … how we direct people’s attention . . .”
For government regulators (read Leftist Czars) to “recommend content” means: We, the Enlightened Ones, will use the government’s police powers to determine the ideas, opinions, speech you are permitted to see.
For those Czars to “direct people’s attention” means: You will think what we want you to think.
“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” (George Washington)
There was a time when we as a nation would call out the Chinese govt control of media or Russia’s Pravda. No democrats are openly envious of such controls.
Enemies of our freedoms is the only correct thing to call those who attack free speech.
Ironic. Reich is the same jerk who loves calling others ”fascist”. Pot meet kettle.
Not ironic: just one more example of Soviet Democrats channeling their own evil on to those they see as obstacles to their version for America of Mao’s Great Leap Forward.
Reich is a totalitarian Soviet Democrat police state fascist – so accuses anyone who he wants to destroy of being a fascist in hopes the propaganda media will repeat his claim his intended victims are the actual fascists.
takes one to know one i guess
Robert Reich is literally and totally insane. Years ago he claimed that the US government could and should take control of BP Oil, a British corporation, during the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. He claimed that we had the authority to do that.
I call for Robert Reich to be dropped shipped into the middle of Iran. Let him enjoy his final days living with his fellow IslamoCommuNazis. He’ll be happier there, since he hates America so much.
In case anyone wants to read what he actually wrote https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/30/elon-musk-wealth-power
Robert Reich missed his calling by about 7 decades. He could have found a job in the Third Reich. Would have filled Goebbels’ shoes admirably.
Sorry, the dwarf’s feet would be too small to fit.
Media monopolies require socialism. In that way government remains wealthiest as people see capitalism produces wealthy people to rival mega-government.
Where is the Achilles heel?
When observing these Leftist morons, take the time to note who appointed them to office. Then, when they raise their pathetic voices, you can thank their patrons. Pay attention to the commonalities of their politics and their philosophies. Use that to evaluate candidates running for office. If there are ANY similarities, vote against them and encourage everyone you know to vote against them, too.
@TurleyforPresident2028