No sooner had Britain’s former five-minute prime minister uttered the famous phrase “it’s the economy, stupid” than the geniuses at Led By Donkeys unfurled the absolute chef’s kiss of banners behind the unsuspecting grifter. Replete in leafy green dress, Liz Truss turned to face her arch-lettuce nemesis – staring each-other down with googly eyes agog. “I CRASHED THE ECONOMY” emblazoned bold white against black background, Liz stormed off the stage, the hem of her dress flopping around like the limp lettuce leaves of her prime ministerial legacy.
Liz Truss versus the lettuce: round two
Wet lettuce Liz Truss was of course regaling the crowds on a leg of her US Trump tour.
This was after Truss came out chest-beating for whiny boy Elon over the EU warning him on his upcoming TrumpX party political broadcast:
I am appalled by the attacks on free speech in Britain and Europe.
We can’t be truly free without free speech.
Good for @elonmusk and @X for standing up to these bullies.
— Liz Truss (@trussliz) August 13, 2024
And that was after Musk had laid into her blink-and-you-might-have-missed-it prime ministerial premiership. Though, in Musk’s books, the PM who brought the UK to the brink of recession is better than Starmer. Still, not really a compliment:
He makes Liz “Lettuce” Truss look good!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 10, 2024
Evidently, the shameless suck-up is now angling for the role of president of the right-wing power-hungry white male tosser fan-club:
Elon Musk receives declaration of support from former PM Liz Truss – giving his beleaguered company just the boost it needs pic.twitter.com/HcSNGgJKjc
— Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews) August 13, 2024
At least some good might come out it – the memberships will probably collapse. In Liz we Truss.
And from one sour citrus-tan lover to another, Richard Madeley then came to Truss’s aid on the recent pits of UK television media Good Morning Britain (GMB):
So the Tangerine Twat that is Richard Madeley is pissed that #ledbydonkeys displayed a banner telling everyone the truth about Lizzy Lettuce? oooh fragile ego and a touch of #ToxicMuskulinity
— Emma🇬🇧🇨🇮🇪🇺 (@Mancunicorn) August 14, 2024
Dear #LedByDonkeys
SUPERB!!
This has annoyed Richard Madeley. He states your remote-controlled lettuce banner stunt was “pretty cruel”
Anything that also annoys Dick Madeley deserves a standing ovation. 👏#GMB
cc: #BBCBreakfast
pic.twitter.com/5BCSWE3sWR— Alethea Bernard (@Tush27J) August 14, 2024
Free speech: bigotry the tip of the iceberg (lettuce?)
Of course, it was all a matter of ‘free speech’, supposedly.
Liz Truss was incensed that Led By Donkeys spelled out the feeling of the nation in big bold print. But ‘free speech’ eh Liz?! Clearly not the freedom to take the piss out of the self-serving Tory wankers that unleashed a tidal wave of callous austerity policies and authoritarian anti-protest laws on the rest of us:
Left: Liz Truss advocating for free speech
Right: Liz Truss getting upset at free speech
Background: Liz Truss was speaking at a pro Trump event when Led By Donkeys lowered a screen showing a lettuce with the text “I crashed the economy.” She then says, “That’s not funny” and… pic.twitter.com/grqP50NTmH
— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) August 14, 2024
Then there’s Musk. The European Commission sent a letter to him ahead of live X interview with presidential candidate (and convicted felon) Trump. In particular, it reminded Musk of his obligations to uphold EU laws:
BREAKING: The European Union has issued a formal letter to Elon Musk, demanding that he censor Donald Trump in their upcoming interview.
The EU warns of “legal obligations” if Musk does not take action to prevent the spread of “disinformation.” pic.twitter.com/jSnm43mW0M
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) August 12, 2024
Predictably, so-called ‘free speech’ warriors have been decrying this as censorship. In reality of course, it’s hate speech, plain and simple. Again for those at the back, vile vitriolic bigotry has fuck all to do with ‘freedom of speech’:
Hey Liz Truss, there is no attack on free speech. Free speech will always be protected in Europe, however there is no freedom from consequence. If you insight a riot, causing damage and harm to people’s lives, you should get the consequences. https://t.co/HDDBHSdeHE
— Conor (@PissedOffAutist) August 13, 2024
Essentially, people do have the freedom to be a massive cunt – exhibit A: that vapid Space Karen nepobaby literally 24/7. However, Musk’s social media platform amplifying disinformation and hateful content that incites violence is more than a bit cunty. It’s actively dangerous, as the recent Islamophobic pogroms in the UK have demonstrated. Moreover, his ‘freedom of speech’ tirades are a bit rich too:
Elon. Routinely pushes far right content. Made countless design choices to boost far right positions/accounts. Will convert this platform into a free mega-commercial for Trump tonight. Heads a PAC to deliver the presidency to the GOP. But sure, ok, he’s just into “free speech ”. pic.twitter.com/xBiYyOtJMl
— michael feola (@feolski) August 12, 2024
Here’s Musk cosying up to Donald J. Trump – that indisputable bastion of free speech – with some free speech word salad:
Elon to Trump: “During your first term as president, you were attacked relentlessly and often unfairly, but you didn’t try to shut down the media or inhibit their freedom of speech. That says a lot about your belief in free speech”
Trump sued CNN for $475 million claiming…
— Secular Talk🎙 (@KyleKulinski) August 13, 2024
The fact is, when these insufferable right-wingers play the ‘free speech’ card, it invariably means freedom for them to spout false information and bigotry.
Serving up accountability
Ultimately though, it’s always a good day when a former Tory PM wallowing in her eternal political irrelevance is taken down by a literal lettuce. For a second time, might we add. It’s an even better one when the billionaire owner of Twitter-turned-vanity X gets his ass handed to him. Multiple times in the space of a week, at that. Because, like Led By Donkeys, Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif wasn’t pulling any punches either:
J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk have both been named in a criminal complaint filed to French authorities over alleged “acts of aggravated cyber harassment” against Algerian boxer and newly crowned Olympic champion Imane Khelif.https://t.co/756DIcwZzV pic.twitter.com/ylHMeGJi8e
— Variety (@Variety) August 13, 2024
Not that Musk will likely learn his lesson:
Telling the European Union to “go fuck your own face” is a very bad idea when it holds enormous regulatory power over your platform.
Musk will shortly find out what it means for the EU to flex those regulatory muscles. https://t.co/jo1v9HP5oW
— John O’Brennan (@JohnOBrennan2) August 13, 2024
At the end of the day, their fragile, hate-frothing, cishet white egos just can’t handle the truth when it’s staring them in the face. Or, in Liz Truss’s case, casting a piercing googly-eyed glare into the back of her empty skull. This, deliciously, in action:
Not sure about that … https://t.co/XMia4DDdHI
— Kevin Schofield (@KevinASchofield) August 14, 2024
So these ass-wipes will continue to decry people exercising their free speech rights to criticise them on their unearned self-appointed pedestals. And then, they’ll whine that people are silencing them when their hate-mongering incites violent attacks on Black, brown, Muslim and migrant communities, or brings them in breach of data and disinformation laws.
Perhaps we can ship the three free speech Musketeers off to Mars together and collectively decide to forget they ever existed. Though, who’s going to break it to Truss that her favourite leafy green grows pretty well in space?
Feature image via the Canary
