There are plenty of reasons to like former U.N. Ambassador, former South Carolina governor, and current GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley, like when she publicly spanks rival Vivek Ramaswamy in one debate after another. But after reading the latest about her, maybe there’s just that one reason.
Haley, who had already been removed from my list of possible candidates for the Colorado Republican primary in the spring, was dropped with extreme prejudice when she spoke out against internet free speech.
Haley said on Fox News Tuesday that “the second thing” when discussing online speech was “that every person on social networks should be verified by name.”
She continued: “When you do this, people are forced to back up what they have said.” It also gets rid of Russian bots and Iranian bots. Then you will see a lot more civility when people realize that their names are next to their comments and they also know their pastors and family members can read it.
Haley’s proposal would prevent “Publius”, a company that publishes the Federalist Papers of 1787-1788, from publishing them on Twitter, Facebook or even a Blogspot, depending on what “social media” means. Washington will define its new power as broadly as it can once Washington is given the authority to force speakers to reveal their identity.
Haley would not be the only one to ban the Federalist Papers from the Internet.
Under Nikki Haley’s crazy, draconian plan of using govt to force people on social media to be “verified” and not anonymous, Benjamin Franklin would have been legally prohibited from publishing his Silence Dogood letters.
— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) November 15, 2023
Some of my favorite Twitter conservative accounts are anonymous – and they don’t care.
If Nikki Haley gets her way, where I live will also need to be posted, so I’m just gonna get ahead of that and post it now pic.twitter.com/c2RK8XbmXd
— Aelfred The Great (@aelfred_D) November 14, 2023
Nikki Haley was on pace to do well in Iowa, but now? Forget it.
— vbspurs (@vbspurs) November 15, 2023
My social media plan will Get rid of Russian And Chinese BOTS, as-well-as 1st and 4th Amendments-@NikkiHaley
— Joe Elector always TRUTH (@joeelector) November 15, 2023
Some of the amendments to our Constitution aren’t very appealing, are they?
Rival candidate, Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis came out with a bang in a press release that was issued quickly.
Do you know who the anonymous writers were back in those days? Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison wrote the Federalist Papers. The Federalist Papers were not written by ‘national-security threats’, nor was it by many conservative Americans who use their constitutional right to express their opinions without fearing harassment or being canceled from the schools they attend or the companies they work for.
Signing my name on every social media post and column that I write is a requirement for me. Haley, however, would remove anonymity in the name of “national security”. If I had to choose between giving away my right to anonymity on the internet (something I don’t use), and decommissioning an aircraft carrier battlegroup that is fully manned, maintained, and staffed, I would opt for the latter.
We hope Haley will quickly reconsider — but her authoritarian tendencies on free speech ought to give every supporter of constitutional government pause.
