Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, urged Elon Musk to adopt a more measured tone in discussions surrounding the H1B visa program.
The latest exchange comes amidst accusations of censorship and heated debates on X.
Buterinās comments were in response to a tweet by Musk defending the H1B visa program, which allows US companies to hire foreign workers. The original tweet read:
It triggered a massive backlash from conservatives who argued that the program puts American workers in a disadvantage.
The controversy deepened as some users accused Musk of using his platform to censor dissenting opinions. Critics claimed that X had removed premium features from accounts that criticized Muskās stance on H1B visas which raised concerns about free speech on the platform.
In his response, Buterin acknowledged Muskās advocacy for the free movement of people as āan important freedomā but cautioned against the aggressive rhetoric and alleged censorship. He also spoke about the dangers of overusing censorship methods like the banhammer, a term commonly used to describe the removal of users or content from platforms.
Ethereumās co-founder argued that while they may seem effective in the short term, they ultimately set a dangerous precedent.
Control of these tools shifts over time, and their repeated use risks legitimizing further censorship, undermining public discourse, and leading to dominance by power rather than reasoned debate as he describes āthe winner will be the guy with the biggest hammer, not the guy with the best arguments.ā
He also criticized the broader deterioration of public discourse and warned that such behavior could create long-term divisions, like a āmemetic beastā that indiscriminately targets new groups.
The post Vitalik Buterin Urges Elon Musk to āTurn Down the Temperatureā Amid H1B Visa Debate appeared first on CryptoPotato.
The latest exchange comes amidst accusations of censorship and heated debates on X.
Vitalik Buterin Weighs in on Muskās Comments
Buterinās comments were in response to a tweet by Musk defending the H1B visa program, which allows US companies to hire foreign workers. The original tweet read:
It triggered a massive backlash from conservatives who argued that the program puts American workers in a disadvantage.
The controversy deepened as some users accused Musk of using his platform to censor dissenting opinions. Critics claimed that X had removed premium features from accounts that criticized Muskās stance on H1B visas which raised concerns about free speech on the platform.
Public Discourse Must Prioritize Reason Over Power
In his response, Buterin acknowledged Muskās advocacy for the free movement of people as āan important freedomā but cautioned against the aggressive rhetoric and alleged censorship. He also spoke about the dangers of overusing censorship methods like the banhammer, a term commonly used to describe the removal of users or content from platforms.
Ethereumās co-founder argued that while they may seem effective in the short term, they ultimately set a dangerous precedent.
Control of these tools shifts over time, and their repeated use risks legitimizing further censorship, undermining public discourse, and leading to dominance by power rather than reasoned debate as he describes āthe winner will be the guy with the biggest hammer, not the guy with the best arguments.ā
He also criticized the broader deterioration of public discourse and warned that such behavior could create long-term divisions, like a āmemetic beastā that indiscriminately targets new groups.
The post Vitalik Buterin Urges Elon Musk to āTurn Down the Temperatureā Amid H1B Visa Debate appeared first on CryptoPotato.
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