The permanent ban of US President Donald Trump on Twitter and the indefinite one on Facebook by the social media giants are measures too little, too late. The two platforms have been allowing top notch politicians and ruling parties across the world to use their tools maliciously to advance their political agendas with impunity. It took a mob-fuelled insurrection at America’s citadel of democracy, the Capitol, for the social media platforms to act against Trump. Of course, such action by Corporates, tech or otherwise, against a sitting US President is not an easy task. To top it, Trump is known to be a vengeful man. Yet, Twitter has, for the past few months, been flagging most of Trump’s tweets as being unverified.
The events of 6 January 2021 need to be viewed in very many different ways. Those who have heard Trump’s speech to his followers that day in which he asked them to march down Pennsylvania Avenue and lay siege to the Capitol would have realized the dangers that lay in it. Trump’s instigation should be considered unpardonable. The rioters came prepared to physically stop the proceedings taking place to certify Joe Biden’s win in the Electoral College votes. This may remind some of the failed 1923 Beerhall Pusch instigated by Hitler and his Nazi party followers. They had attacked the Bavarian Defence Ministry building with the aim of taking control of the government. The guards present there had opened fire in which more than a dozen Nazi party members were shot dead. Hitler had fled from the site. The government decided not to take any severe steps against the Nazis. History tells us that the soft pedaling resulted in millions of deaths across the world. Similarly, if the US establishment does not handle Trumpism as a serious problem immediately, the US could face severe stress at the end of the four year term of Biden. A revival of Trump’s madness would result in serious consequences not only for the US but also for the rest of the world.