Twitter Was Already a Hellscape Even Before It Was Set Free

The Reason Roundtable

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Peter Suderman, and Nick Gillespie celebrate the triumphant return of Katherine Mangu-Ward with a conversation about Elon Musk's Twitter takeover and the chatter around political violence in the U.S.

1:36: Elon Musk takes over Twitter

11:19: The Paul Pelosi attack and political violence

29:00: Weekly Listener Question:

I was pretty horrified by the $2,500 fines PayPal was handing out. They retracted them, sure, but it was no accident. They targeted a few of my favorite websites. I consider myself libertarian-leaning and agree with you guys on a host of issues. But I always get confused when you defend PayPal as NOT being a monopoly. I mean, forget about a dictionary definition and just think in terms of utility: What viable alternatives do I have in the digital marketplace right now? Let's say I'm horrified by what they're doing and want to vote with my dollars. Because I really really do. What service should I use instead? Venmo? I think they're also owned by PayPal.

40:10: What's currently scariest in government and politics?

48:03: This week's cultural recommendations

Mentioned in this podcast:

"Musk Says He Bought Twitter 'To Help Humanity,' Pledges Not To Let It Become a 'Free-for-All Hellscape,'" by Elizabeth Nolan Brown

"Twitter Sucks Because We Suck. Don't Blame @Jack," by Mike Godwin

"Why Is Twitter a For-Profit Platform, Anyway?" by Andrea O'Sullivan

"Political Violence Escalates in a Fracturing U.S.," by J.D. Tuccille

"The Dangerous Lure of Political Violence," by Katherine Mangu-Ward

"To Curb Political Violence, Make Government Less Important," by J.D. Tuccille

Send your questions to [e-mail]. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.

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Audio production by Ian Keyser

Assistant production by Hunt Beaty

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

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