Whew.
There are a lot of interesting people and ideas on Twitter (though not as many as there used to be) and I still find value in using it daily. But man, it’s getting tough.
I have no idea what’s true and isn’t, but a quick browse through the feed today and I saw the following:
- French government doesn’t want to let people buy food without a covid shot passport
- Germany demanding covid papers for all citizens
- US government working with tech companies to scan private text messages looking for any talk about covid shots that counters the government’s official line
- Bill introduced that would make companies legally liable for anything the government deems “misinformation” about covid shots on their platforms
- Governors of seemingly less restrictive states like AL and FL telling everyone to get a covid shot and calling those who don’t dangerous
- Dozens of news agencies in different states and countries all using exact same phrase “pandemic of the unvaccinated” at same time
- Multiple world leaders who opposed rigid lockdowns and shots have been assassinated or attempted in past month
- Attempted kidnap of heavy lockdown governor of MI turns out to have been almost entirely done by FBI agents to make those opposed to lockdowns look dangerous
- Covid shots not very effective at stopping covid
- Professional “libertarian” organizations telling everyone to take covid shots and stop complaining about all of this
It’s a weird feeling to see all corners of my Twitter experience – sports twitter, startup twitter, career twitter, education twitter, liberty twitter, bitcoin twitter, economics twitter, humor twitter – dominated by covid shot stuff, and slathered in paternalistic “Fact Checks” and warnings, hatefulness about who has taken shots, etc. etc.
It’s weird to know this is all that’s being talked about, yet it’s also the one thing many people feel they can’t talk about without getting suspended or deplatformed.
I strive every day to optimism, no matter what the world brings. It’s getting harder for me to both use Twitter and remain optimistic. I do find good bits here and there. But the platform feels increasingly covered by a giant dark shadow.
I am determined to build things, to live free, to work with and learn from interesting people, and to improve myself daily. Twitter has always been an asset in these things, but it’s starting to border on being a liability.
Most other platforms stopped being assets to me long ago. I hope Twitter can rebound and hold out.