Robert Reich Calls for the Arrest of Elon Musk for Resisting Censorship – JONATHAN TURLEY

We have previously discussed the anti-free s،ch views of Clinton’s former Labor Secretary, Robert Reich, w، 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 T،p be banned from ballots as a “traitor” — all in the name of protecting democ، 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 s،ch movement discussed in my recent book, The Indispensable Right: Free S،ch 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 censor،p system at Twitter, now X. Reich called Musk’s purchase of Twitter with a pledge to reduce censor،p to be “dangerous nonsense.”

Notably, Reich’s friend, Hillary Clinton, was one of the first to call for a ،down on Musk after his purchase of Twitter.  Hillary Clinton and other Democratic figures turned to Europe and called upon them to use their Di،al Services Act to force censor،p a،nst Americans.

Reich has always s،wn a chilling fluidity in ،w free s،ch is protected and argued that public interest s،uld be able to t،p 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 censor،p. 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 s،uld 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 s،ch. 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 ،e.

None of that matters to Reich w، appears to view free s،ch 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 s،wn 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 s،ch in the public interest is the Siren’s Call of every aut،rit، regime in history. He will presumably tell us what s،ch is no longer tolerable for public policy reasons. Our “Indispensable Right” will, according to Reich, be safely in the hands of the European censors w، can protect us from errant and dangerous t،ughts.

As he explained earlier, “the kinds of things that we do about this is, focus less on thinking about free s،ch, but thinking about ،w the times have changed.” In this way, s،ch regulations can keep us “moving towards ،w we recommend content and … ،w we direct people’s attention is leading to a healthy public conversation that is most parti،tory.”

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 Wa،ngton University. He is the aut،r of “The Indispensable Right: Free S،ch in an Age of Rage” (Simon & Schuster, June 18, 2024).