You’re giving Elmo too much credit as this Machiavellian character. Ordinary capitalist. Appeasing your investors is the most common commercial reason. It’s just that advertisers can’t really provide twitter with business anymore on account of his bigoted optics, but dangerous governments can.
He’s so transparent with his intentions, it’s embarrassing. The only explanation of removing your own tool to combat misinformation is because it does not align with your own interests. There’s no way to spin that fact in a positive light and yet there will still be people using twitter. It’s actually getting really fucking hard to not be a misanthrope.
Writing is firmly on the wall, gang. All I see is patch notes for the wars for arable land meta.
I understand him having these views. Money was exchanged behind closed doors, deals were struck, whatever. I can imagine a financial incentive for him to sow dissent via shitty meme. I don’t understand what’s in it for his followers. Is it just about being contrarian? What more must he do or say for it to be clear to them that he’s just kind of a bozo?