The feud between Elon Musk and the EU is heating up. The European Union has announced a fine of $140 million against Musk’s X for failure to comply with rules governing digital platforms. It is the first salvo in a battle that pits the free speech absolutism of Musk against the hate speech censorial regime of the EU.

The EU leadership is trying desperately to keep a lid on internal dissent. For the time being, they hold the levers of power, but I don’t imagine that will continue much longer. There is a growing awareness amongst the populace of Europe that their current leaders have led them astray. The people of Europe are facing unrelenting immigration that has made their cities unrecognizable to them, insane green energy policies that have enriched some while impoverishing many, and the burden of rearming after decades in which their military atrophied.

Although Musk is a rich man with a 42% stake in SpaceX, estimated to be worth $130–160 billion, and a 15% interest in Tesla valued around $100 billion, the $140 million fine levied on X by the EU is not trivial by any standard. The EU commission governing digital platforms can ratchet up the penalty on X if they so desire. Fortunately, he has an ally in the Trump administration, which is willing to back him on the issue of free and open platforms. Trump has threatened to retaliate if the EU continues to pursue its present course of action against Musk’s X and other digital platforms.

For Trump and more than half our nation, the memory of the Biden administration’s effort to squelch online free speech is recent and jarring. Although we chuckle remembering a fool like Nina Jankowicz, the Biden administration’s pick to lead the Disinformation Governance Board under DHS, it would have been no laughing matter if she had been able to institute her deranged plan for online censorship. Europe is living through the Jankowicz nightmare. Like Churchill, who artfully assailed Goebbel’s Nazi propaganda machine with rhetorical skill, Vice President Vance has confronted the current EU regime for their disregard of free speech and individual liberty. With men like Vance, Musk, and Trump in the vanguard, the EU’s infringement of online free speech may not stand and a revival of free speech in Europe may be possible.

Image: Free image, Pixabay license.