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.
Vitalik Buterin Weighs in on Musk’s Comments
Buterin’s 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:
“The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B. Take a big step back and FUCK YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.”
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 Musk’s 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 Musk’s advocacy for the free movement of people as “an important freedom” 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.
Ethereum’s 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 “the winner will be the guy with the biggest hammer, not the guy with the best arguments.”
He also criticized the broader deterioration of public discourse and warned that such behavior could create long-term divisions, like a “memetic beast” that indiscriminately targets new groups.
