Some thoughts on today's deplatforming/presidential-fact-checking controversy. /1

I'm for mail ballots under current circumstances. But the fact that Twitter picked a fight on this, on which reasonable people disagree, and not on Trump's use of lies that an autopsy debunked, in a way that torments a widower, seems not to put too fine a point on it, chicken. /2

That is to say that they are preening without meaningfully acting. This is linked with what I would call Online Exceptionalism: the attitude that the Internet is a magical, anarchic, accountability-free zone where no one is morally responsible for anything, from taxes to theft /3

That attitude has a long history dating to when the Internet had supposedly superseded Gutenberg and repealed all known laws of economics and politics. Some of those disparaging Twitter now probably once encouraged that attitude./4

It's reasonable to conclude that shutting down Trump's account or deleting tweets would give him more attention and that, all things considered, it's best not to do it. /5

It's also arguable that tolerating harassment and falsehood is better than shutting down the alleged bliss of limitless conversation. But in either event, own your part. /6

He's using your megaphone and having a party on your lawn. Maybe Twitter has good reasons for letting him. That doesn't mean you bear no responsibility for the cost side of the ledger. Own it. /7

The same is true for those who say this repeated and abominable behavior by Trump is outweighed by the judges or his talent at owning the libs or whatever. Fine. You still own what you're enabling./8

As for the tweeter-in-chief, let's just rehearse the obvious. This is not a free speech issue. It is ridiculous even to say that and the need to do so speaks to our rights infatuation./9

What is more disturbing is that he, "as President, will not allow it." This is not confusion about presidential power. It is confusion about political power simply. Forget three branches of government. Let's start with "this is the state" and "this is not." /10

Lastly, let's stipulate that so-and-so did thus-and-such too and her emails and all the rest. The guy is tormenting a widower. That is abominable. It should be possible to put a period at the end of that sentence. @Jack, you can do it too./end