“WTF is Up With Twitter?”

Musk, Doge, and free speech. [Altucher Confidential] April 03, 2023 [WEBSITE]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE]( “Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter and the subsequent termination of the censorship ideologues and release of internal files is turning into a landmark episode in the battle for free speech.” [Hero_Image] “WTF is Up With Twitter?” By Jim Rickards External Advertisement Free Crypto Picks From Top Hedge Funds If you had caught this crypto event the first time…You could have made 12x on Bitcoin alone. We don't know what will happen this time around…But we do know a select group of cryptos are about to skyrocket. You DO NOT want to miss what's about to happen next. And you won't miss a thing, if you join us for…[The Crypto Hedge Fund Summit](. We've gathered 20+ of the world's most successful hedge fund managers. They will make a historic announcement during the event. [Click here for free registration now](. [Chris Campbell] CHRIS CAMPBELL Dear Reader, “WTF is up with Twitter?” a friend asked this afternoon through text. For context, he provided a screenshot. [ALC] Confused, I logged into the bird app. Sure enough, right above the home button there’s a picture of the Doge meme -- presumably a nod to Musk’s favorite crypto, Dogecoin. You can probably guess what happened next. Dogecoin skyrocketed. [ALC] Speculation is now running rampant in the cryptosphere… “DOGE payments coming soon to Twitter?” “Will you buy a Tesla with Doge in 2023?” “Musk reveals his crypto takeover, taps Dogecoin.” Occam’s Razor suggests the reality is more typical of Musk: He’s trolling. In the same hour that the logo changed from the blue bird to Doge, [Reuters published an article about a $258 billion Dogecoin lawsuit aimed at Musk]( wherein Dogecoin investors (presumably only ones who lost their shirts) accused Musk of running “a pyramid scheme to support the cryptocurrency Dogecoin.” [ALC] The Twitter Saga is Just Beginning Musk’s Twitter takeover has been full of plot-twists since the beginning. This one’s just the latest. The biggest, however -- and it’s not even close -- has to do with freedom of speech. As our colleague Jim Rickards put it: “Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter and the subsequent termination of the censorship ideologues and release of internal files is turning into a landmark episode in the battle for free speech.” Today, we invite Jim to give us a quick update on the latest happenings behind the scenes in DC… and what it means for free speech in America. Read on. ***MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT FROM JIM RICKARDS*** I just recorded a [major announcement]( you need to watch – immediately. It concerns your money in 2023. Between: - The banking system collapse - The stock market trading sideways, and… - A looming recession on the horizon… You might be wondering… “What should I be doing with my money – right now?” I explain everything in [this major announcement](. Don't Cheat Yourself [Watch my New Major Announcement…while there’s still time left to act](. Twitter And the Battle For Free Speech Jim Rickards I’m a huge user of Twitter and I was well aware of the pitfalls that could arise if you criticized the public health policy response to COVID, the conduct of the War in Ukraine, or the feeble-mindedness of the Biden administration; (I did all three). You could have the distribution of your messages limited (shadow banning), have your account suspended, or have “warnings” attached to your tweets that you might be spreading dreaded “misinformation.” But, what I and others did not know at the time was how pervasive these practices were, how exactly they were carried out, and the involvement of the government in conducting the censorship. Now, thanks to Musk’s document dumps as reported in this [article]( we know the answers. The censorship was widespread. It was conducted through a special portal that connected Twitter’s internal censors directly with the FBI and the White House, and the government played a huge role in identifying targets and particular content it wanted to be squashed. That last point is legally important. Free speech is only protected under the First Amendment if the government is trying to shut it down. Censorship is perfectly legal if it’s being conducted by private parties and not the government. By showing the government link to Twitter, free speech protections should apply and victims may be entitled to damages and other forms of legal relief. This disclosure is valuable and gives some hope for the future. But, it’s too soon to claim victory for free speech. Even as the journalists described in this article were testifying before Congress on the censorship abuses they discovered, the IRS knocked on the door of one of the witnesses. The IRS claimed the matter related to an effort to file a tax return in the name of the witness. That’s a lie. Those tax return ID thefts happen all the time and the IRS handles them with a notice letter and the PIN to be used in future correspondence. There’s absolutely no need to knock on someone’s door with such a routine matter. Obviously, the visit from the IRS is a blatant intimidation tactic. The government’s use of IRS goon squads to intimidate a witness shows that the struggle for free speech is far from over. Best, Jim Rickards For Altucher Confidential --------------------------------------------------------------- Attention Before You Read Any Further… [Click here for more...]( Hey, it’s James. Before you read any further in today’s issue, an urgent situation needs your immediate attention. If you don’t plan on claiming this upgrade to your Altucher’s Investment Network subscription, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. Right now is your chance to grab one of the biggest (and most valuable) upgrades our company has ever made to a newsletter. I’m taking Altucher’s Investment Network to an entirely new level and I’d hate to see you left behind. [To see how to claim your upgrade, just click here now.]( Once you’re done with that, read on to see today’s issue… [Paradigm]( ☰ ⊗ [ARCHIVE]( [ABOUT]( [Contact Us]( © 2023 Paradigm Press, LLC. 808 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore MD 21202. By submitting your email address, you consent to Paradigm Press, LLC. delivering daily email issues and advertisements. To end your Altucher Confidential e-mail subscription and associated external offers sent from Altucher Confidential, feel free to [click here.]( Please note: the mailbox associated with this email address is not monitored, so do not reply to this message. We welcome comments or suggestions at feedback@altucherconfidential.com. This address is for feedback only. For questions about your account or to speak with customer service, [contact us here]( or call (844)-731-0984. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular investment situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. We allow the editors of our publications to recommend securities that they own themselves. However, our policy prohibits editors from exiting a personal trade while the recommendation to subscribers is open. In no circumstance may an editor sell a security before subscribers have a fair opportunity to exit. The length of time an editor must wait after subscribers have been advised to exit a play depends on the type of publication. All other employees and agents must wait 24 hours after on-line publication or 72 hours after the mailing of a printed-only publication prior to following an initial recommendation. Any investments recommended in this letter should be made only after consulting with your investment advisor and only after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company. Altucher Confidential is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. We do not rent or share your email address. Please read our [Privacy Statement.]( If you are having trouble receiving your Altucher Confidential subscription, you can ensure its arrival in your mailbox by [whitelisting Altucher Confidential.](