Free Bird: On Elon Musk and Twitter
In more than a decade on Twitter, Walter Kirn watched as the platform manipulated reality in real-time. Now? ‘Let the wild rumpus begin.’
Walter Kirn
Nov 2
https://www.commonsense.news/p/free-bird...usk-and-twitter


Schoolchildren and peace campaigners release doves and pigeons in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Adrian Dennis via Getty Images)

Let me tell you about my strange time on Twitter, a so-called “social-media platform” of the early 21st century. In what I suspect is the increasing likelihood that digital records of our lives now will someday be erased, mislaid, or virtually composted in such a way as to make them irretrievable, the little story I’m about to tell may make little sense to future generations. It takes place during the period when the American establishment sought to control the flow of information in much the same way it once pursued dominion over resources such as land and oil.

This power grab caused a sort of virtual cold war, and I, as a consumer, a producer, and a conduit of information, got caught in it. Here is how the experience felt and how it went and a statement of what I hope will happen next, now that the purchase of Twitter by Elon Musk promises a better, freer day.

I joined Twitter in 2009, finding it a worthy novelty: a bulletin board for stray thoughts and observations, the spillover of my hyperactive mind. The writer Gertrude Stein once said that “remarks aren’t literature,” but I have always disagreed (ironically, Stein is best remembered now for two such quips, the other one being “there’s no there there”), so I set out to make remarks to my new audience. It was small in the beginning, consisting of my wife and a few friends, but it grew as I pushed on. 

The platform belonged to celebrities back then, who hawked their movies, albums, and TV shows in words that were their own, supposedly, fostering in fans a dubious intimacy with figures they knew only from interviews. One of these stars, an investor in the platform, was Ashton Kutcher, the prankish, grinning actor who became omnipresent for a spell and then, stupendously enriched, largely vanished from public consciousness. It seemed that Twitter had sped-up fame such that it bloomed and died in record time. 

The power of the new platform struck me first in 2012. Two incidents. The first one, a small one, occurred in Indianapolis, where I’d gone to watch the Super Bowl. I attended a party the night before the game at which many Hollywood folk were present, including an actor on a cable TV show who played a roguish businessman. The actor was extremely drunk, lurching about and hitting on young women, and it happened that my wife, back home, whom I’d texted about the scene, was able to read real-time tweets about his antics from other partygoers. A few hours afterward she noticed that these tweets had disappeared. Instant reality-editing. Impressive. 

I concluded that Twitter was in the business not only of promoting reputations, but of protecting them. It offered special deals for special people. Until then, I’d thought of it as a neutral broker.-- excerpt, rest at link above --

Now, this could actually be meaningful!

The Twenty-Seven Most Embarrassing Reactions to Taibbi Thread About Twitter Censoring Hunter Biden Tweets
By Caleb HoweDec 3rd, 2022, 2:37 pm
 https://www.mediaite.com/online/the-twenty-seven-most-embarrassing-reactions-to-taibbi-thread-about-twitter-censoring-hunter-biden-tweets/


Construct Tweet: [Say formerly respected or once great, etc.] Matt Taibbi [call it PR or comms or like that] for the [world’s richest man, the richest person in the world, so on]. Quote tweet thread. [hashtag optional].

That’s it. That’s the tweet. (Singular).

Tweets at site

Yeah....you're right, Tinker.

Sigh....

Now, @Tinker if this one is true:

Fox News Flash
Published August 4, 2022 9:11pm EDT
Josh Hawley: FBI colluded with Big Tech to bury the Hunter Biden story
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee are investigating whistleblower complaints against the FBI and DOJ
By Fox News Staff | Fox News
https://www.foxnews.com/media/josh-hawle...ter-biden-story


FBI director trying to avoid accountability: Josh Hawley

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said FBI Director Christopher Wray avoided answering questions at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about Hunter Biden's laptop, saying he would look into the issues more on 'Jesse Watters Primetime.'

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said FBI Director Christopher Wray couldn't answer basic questions about whistleblower claims that the FBI and DOJ colluded with Big Tech to cover up information about Hunter Biden on "Jesse Watters Primetime."

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY: Every single time, it's to come up and say, "I don’t know what you’re talking about, I can’t answer these questions, I’m not sure, I’ll have to get back to you, senator." Listen, this is an avoidance of accountability. The truth is, these whistleblowers have now said over and over that the FBI colluded with the Big Tech companies, by the way, to try and bury the Hunter Biden story, to try to protect Joe Biden, to try to interfere frankly in the reporting about the 2020 election. And it looks like they got by with it, and it looks like nobody's been disciplined and nothing has been done about it. And I tell you what, that is a big, big problem. -- excerpt, rest at link above --

Top House Republican: Elon Musk will release evidence of Biden admin pushing Twitter to censor conservatives
Rep. James Comer says Twitter lawyers James Baker, Vijaya Gadde will likely testify in GOP-led hearings
https://www.foxnews.com/media/top-house-...s?intcmp=tw_fnc
By Bailee Hill | Fox News


James Comer on Twitter's censorship of Hunter Biden story: 'Federal government was involved'

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss how Elon Musk exposing Twitter's censorship is 'concerning,' expanding Chinese influence, and the Republicans' effort to probe Biden's failed oil deal with Saudi Arabia.  

A former FBI employee is likely to take the hot seat after it was revealed over the weekend that FBI officials had weekly meetings with Twitter prior to the 2020 election in order to censor the Hunter Biden laptop story. 

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., joined "Fox & Friends First" Monday to discuss why James Baker, a former FBI general counsel previously involved in the Russia collusion investigation, will now likely face questioning before Congress after becoming Twitter's deputy counsel. 

"Baker and [former Twitter executive] Vijaya Gadde are probably the two most high-profile Twitter employees that we want to hear from," Comer told co-hosts Ashley Strohmier and Griff Jenkins. "My advice to them is, prior to coming before the Oversight Committee in January or February, as quick as we can get them in front of the oversight committee, is they need to look very hard to try to find evidence as to why they suppressed this story."

ELON MUSK REVEALS WHAT LED TO TWITTER SUPPRESSING HUNTER BIDEN STORY IN 2020
James Woods tells Tucker he plans to sue the DNC, calls on others to join Video

FBI officials reportedly met with Twitter employees weekly leading up to the 2020 election, briefing them on "hack-and-leak operations" pertaining to Hunter Biden. 

These warnings came ahead of Twitter censoring the New York Post's bombshell October 2020 report on Hunter Biden's business dealings found on his laptop, citing its "hacked materials" policy. At the time, the FBI had been in possession of his laptop for nearly a year.-- excerpt, rest at link above --

Justice Department probed Tara Reade's Twitter after she alleged Biden assault, report
https://justthenews.com/government/feder...m_campaign=twjs
"Other than coming forward about Joe Biden, there would be no reason for" the subpoena, Reade said.
By Madeleine Hubbard
Updated: December 5, 2022 - 10:27am

Article
Dig In

The Justice Department reportedly subpoenaed Twitter for information about Tara Reade's accounts in 2020 after she alleged that then-Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden sexually assaulted her when she was a Senate aide in 1993, newly released documents show. 

The agency demanded thatTwitter testify before a grand jury in December 2020 to provide "all subscriber information" from Reade's accounts, according to documents reviewed Friday by the Daily Caller. 

The subpoena asked for information on Reade's handles, such as @ReadeAlexandra and @TaraMcCabe, along with the accounts' address, session records, length of service, personal user information, personal user information and possible payment methods, including credit card numbers. 

"Other than coming forward about Joe Biden, there would be no reason for" the subpoena, Reade told the Daily Caller.

A few months before the subpoena, Reade said that Biden sexually assaulted her in a Senate building on Capitol Hill when she served as as his aide. -- excerpt, rest at link above --

The plot thickens:


Published December 6, 2022 5:06pm EST
Elon Musk fires Twitter deputy general counsel Jim Baker amid Hunter Biden laptop fallout
Former Twitter lawyer James Baker was reportedly involved in discussions about how to handle the Hunter Biden laptop story
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/elo...-laptop-fallout



By Paul Best FOXBusiness
Kentucky Rep. James Comer reacts to Twitter CEO Elon Musk releasing the company's internal emails on 'The Evening Edit.' video
Rep. James Comer on the impact of 'The Twitter Files' on Hunter Biden investigation

Elon Musk said that Twitter's former Deputy General Counsel Jim Baker was "exited" from the company on Tuesday after revelations about his role in the platform's handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story. 

Journalist Matt Taibbi published internal communications over the weekend that took place among Twitter's top brass in October 2020 about how to deal with the New York Post's publication of materials on Hunter Biden's laptop. 

Baker was involved in discussions about whether the laptop falls under Twitter's "hacked materials" policy.

"I support the conclusion that we need more facts to assess whether the materials were hacked," Baker wrote in one email chain. "At this stage, however, it's reasonable for us to assume that they may have been and that caution is warranted."

Baker was responding to a Twitter executive who was wondering whether they could "truthfully claim" that the laptop story was "part of the policy." 

Before joining Twitter, Baker worked as general counsel at the FBI, where he was involved in the bureau's investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. 
Elon Musk speaks at meeting in Norway

Tesla CEO Elon Musk smiles as he addresses guests at the Offshore Northern Seas 2022 (ONS) meeting in Stavanger, Norway on August 29, 2022. (Carina Johansen / Getty Images)

Taibbi said Tuesday that he and another journalist, Bari Weiss, were dealing "with obstacles to new searches" when Weiss discovered that Baker was responsible for releasing the files over the weekend.

"The news that Baker was reviewing the 'Twitter files' surprised everyone involved, to say the least," Taibbi tweeted. 

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., told "Fox & Friends First" on Monday that the House Oversight Committee will likely call Baker and other Twitter executives to testify about their handling of the laptop story. -- excerpt, rest at link above --

4,947 views
Matt Taibbi Profile pictureMatt TaibbiTwitter logo
1h • 10 tweets • 3 min read
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1600243405841666048.html

THREAD: Twitter Files Supplemental

On Friday, the first installment of the Twitter files was published here. We expected to publish more over the weekend. Many wondered why there was a delay.
We can now tell you part of the reason why. On Tuesday, Twitter Deputy General Counsel (and former FBI General Counsel) Jim Baker was fired. Among the reasons? Vetting the first batch of “Twitter Files” – without knowledge of new management.

The process for producing the “Twitter Files” involved delivery to two journalists (Bari Weiss and me) via a lawyer close to new management. However, after the initial batch, things became complicated.

Over the weekend, while we both dealt with obstacles to new searches, it was @bariweiss who discovered that the person in charge of releasing the files was someone named Jim. When she called to ask “Jim’s” last name, the answer came back: “Jim Baker.”

@mentions
“My jaw hit the floor,” says Weiss.

@mentions
The first batch of files both reporters received was marked, “Spectra Baker Emails.” Image

@mentions
Baker is a controversial figure. He has been something of a Zelig of FBI controversies dating back to 2016, from the Steele Dossier to the Alfa-Server mess. He resigned in 2018 after an investigation into leaks to the press.

@mentions
The news that Baker was reviewing the “Twitter files” surprised everyone involved, to say the least. New Twitter chief Elon Musk acted quickly to “exit” Baker Tuesday.

@mentions
Reporters resumed searches through Twitter Files material – a lot of it – today. The next installment of “The Twitter Files” will appear . Stay tuned.

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