Originally posted as a thread on X.

The flagrant censorship of @LauraLoomer and countless others on X in the wake of the H-1B visa firestorm should chill every American to the bone.

@elonmusk's acquisition of Twitter has, until the past few days, been one of the most promising and revolutionary developments for free speech in modern history –  a bona fide renaissance of the virtual commons for the first time in recent memory, and on a scale never before seen. This alone has earned enough goodwill that a principled advocate of free speech might overlook his openly transhumanist ideologies, pro-H-1B visa agenda, and even the rather transparent occult signaling in the aftermath of the 2024 election (the NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM post, in case we forgot). Moreover, we appreciate that he has amplified some of our most critical content over the past year. But silence on the issue, even in the face of potential deplatforming/blacklisting, would be far worse than falling on the bad side of X mods, even Musk himself.

Considering the timing, it is hard not to read Musk’s recent statement that X will algorithmically stifle the reach of users who happen to be muted/blocked by “verified subscriber accounts” as a veiled threat against those who criticize his stance on the H-1B issue. Grok indicates that a mere .15% of X accounts are verified. The browsing behaviors of a fraction of a percentage of total X users (not coincidentally the same minority that generates revenue for the company) cannot and should not be construed as representative of the broader user base.

Let’s consider for a moment that X regularly permits – even algorithmically amplifies – content with grotesque racist abuse, images/videos of grievous bodily injury and death, pornography and porn-adjacent content, open harassment of users, and even incitement to violence. Whatever opinions we may hold about this sort of content, we grant – ungrudgingly at that – that a true free speech ecosystem must at bare minimum permit such material unless it is in direct violation of the law. This is not just about Laura Loomer. For instance, several prominent Groyper accounts (notably @classicsgroyp, among many others) which regularly post racially incendiary content have been suspended only after weighing in on the H-1B controversy. Whether or not we support the content posted by such accounts, it should remain the inalienable right of these users to voice their opinions, and to be heard in the public commons.

Where then does X draw the proverbial line? Snuff videos and porn, bigotry and racial abuse, are apparently fine, but we touch a vital nerve when we criticize the agendas of elite technocrats who stand to profit from importing foreign tech labor at the expense of the American worker.

It has yet to be seen whether the recent policy of shadowbanning or outright deplatforming of those critical of the pro-H-1B visa camp was a top-down order from Elon Musk, or the work of rogue staffers. We hope this will be rectified in a swift and equitable fashion.