Image Credit: screenshot/CNN 
CNN peddled more fake news than usual on Friday when a former CIA agent accused Elon Musk of working on Russia’s behalf by freeing up Twitter, calling free speech “nonsense.”
Former CIA case officer Bob Baer condemned Musk’s recent decision to grant “general amnesty” to formerly banned accounts, claiming that’s exactly what Russian President Vladimir Putin wants.
“Putin is going to be all over Twitter if there’s no regulations on this, fake accounts, spoofed accounts…And so when he’s talking about the popular voice, Musk, he’s really talking about Russian intelligence,” Baer said.
Fmr. CIA analyst on Elon restoring banned Twitter accounts: ”Putin is going to be all over Twitter if there’s no regulations on this, fake accounts, spoofed accounts … And so when he’s talking about the popular voice, Musk, he’s really talking about Russian intelligence.“ pic.twitter.com/2V546kBIZI
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) November 26, 2022
“The Russians are waiting for something like this. They need a propaganda campaign against the United States and against our support for Ukraine,” he continued, adding that they’ll somehow use Twitter to convince Americans to “stop arming Ukraine.”
Baer then called freedom of speech “nonsense,” claiming allowing users to express their opinions is the equivalent to yelling “fire” in a crowded theater.
“It’s not right. And you know, this freedom of speech is just nonsense because you can’t go into a movie theater and yell ‘fire.’ It’s against the law. What Putin is going to do and the Russians is they’re going to use this as a vehicle to save himself in Ukraine,” he said.
Bob Baer, cont’d: “It’s not right. And you know, this freedom of speech is just nonsense because you can’t go into a movie theater and yell ‘fire.’ It’s against the law. What Putin is going to do & the Russians is they’re going to use this as a vehicle to save himself in Ukraine” pic.twitter.com/3FnuOZDiSd
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) November 26, 2022
“We’re gonna see, as soon as these restrictions come off, we’re gonna see the Russians all over it,” he added.
Notably, Baer’s talking point that yelling “fire” in a crowded theater being illegal is false. The 1969 Brandenburg v. Ohio case found such activity is indeed protected by the First Amendment.
“This old canard, a favorite reference of censorship apologists, needs to be retired. It’s repeatedly and inappropriately used to justify speech limitations,” said Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression President Greg Lukianoff in 2021.
Prohibitions of free speech are constitutionally limited to direct incitement of violence and legally-provable defamation — that’s it.
But that little detail won’t stop CNN or other mainstream media outlets from making the argument that the First Amendment is a danger to national security.