What, exactly, motivated Facebook to readmit Donald Trump to its site? Has he shown any remorse for inciting an insurrection? Has he forsaken his idiotic lies about a rigged election? Has he said or done anything to redeem himself?
He has, rather, become even more unhinged since his Facebook ban two years ago — schmoozing with QAnon posters on Truth Social, dining with black neoNazis and white nationalists, scribbling incoherent conspiracy theories incubated outside of Q's asylum.
But Facebook's reasoning in liberating Trump is stated in its Fact-Checking Policies: "Our approach is grounded in Facebook's fundamental belief in free expression, respect for the democratic process, and the belief that, especially in mature democracies with a free press, political speech is the most scrutinized speech there is. Just as critically, by limiting political speech we would leave people less informed about what their elected officials are saying and leave politicians less accountable for their words."
Think Elon Musk and his remark that Twitter's similar ban was "morally bad" (although Politico mystifyingly says Musk's decision was "different" from Facebook's — would not the latter's ruling be deemed at least morally neutral?).
Some Democrats, such as Jan Schakowsky, declared Facebook's decision "dangerous," since reinstating his account "will only fan the flames of hatred and division that led to an insurrection," said the Illinois representative. The consensus, however, appears to be ... no matter, not to worry. Says Eric Wilson, the managing partner at a Republican investment fund for campaign technology, "The big question mark is, are people going to be as interested in him as much this time around? We’re seeing evidence that there’s not as much enthusiasm for Trump."
And free speech advocates are saying what you'd expect them to say: "In weighing the impact on the speech environment, ultimately, it’s better to let his speech back," says Katie Fallow of Columbia University's Knight First Amendment Institute. "Keeping him off is not going to fix the presence of misinformation on social media platforms.” The ACLU's Anthony Romero says it's "the right call..... [Social media firms] should err on the side of allowing a wide range of political speech, even when it offends."
The Washington Post's Will Oremus writes a smart piece, one similar in sentiment to Eric Wilson's: Trump's reinstatement feels "oddly anticlimactic.... At this point, there’s a sense in which Facebook and Trump almost feel made for each other. Both appeal chiefly to boomers and Gen-Xers; both are fountains of falsehoods, sensationalism and simplistic memes. Both appear to have passed the peak of their powers."
As for Trump himself, his reaction to Facebook's announcement was typically coquettish and worthy of another CAPPED, THREE-exclamation-pointer: "Such a thing should never again happen to a sitting President, or anybody else who is not deserving of retribution! THANK YOU TO TRUTH SOCIAL FOR DOING SUCH AN INCREDIBLE JOB. YOUR GROWTH IS OUTSTANDING, AND FUTURE UNLIMITED!!!"
The underlying message of Trump's thought-disjointed post was that he'll not return to Facebook anytime soon, but return he shall. He needs the site for scamming funds from rustic Know-Nothings who think Kyane West is one of Florida's southern isles.
As a free speech enthusiast myself, I agree with Ms. Fallow and Mr. Romero. Trump's re-addition to Facebook (and probably Twitter) cannot possibly poison social media any more than the putrid servings of disinformation swill already on it.
And Romero's comment merely echoes the logic of Louis Brandeis as published in a 1913 Harper’s Weekly article, three years before his Supreme Court appointment: "If the broad light of day could be let in upon men’s actions, it would purify them as the sun disinfects."
Brandeis may have been excessively optimistic in his expectations of sunlight and disinfection. He neglected to calibrate the potential of an ill-informed, civically reckless, unrepublican electorate. But censorship is not, and cannot ever be, a serviceable or "morally good" remedy.
If we as a nation are to plunge into Trump-style chaos, nihilism and rank authoritarianism, we should do so openly and with whatever aforethought we can muster. No excuses. The klaxons were there, all around us in social media, in news reporting and bund rallies.
In short, we knew what we were getting ourselves into, whether by voting for it or staying home on Election Day.
So let Donald Trump jibber-jabber like the bloated Joe Goebbels he is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and every other social media embarrassment. He, or Ron DeSantis or Glenn Youngkin, won't decide the 2024 election. Only we can derail America.