Bill Maher recently took aim at the California Coastal Commission for turning down SpaceX’s request to boost rocket launches due to Elon Musk’s political stance.
Maher argued that the commission’s reasoning, which cited Musk’s involvement in politics, was inappropriate and a clear example of arrogance.
“Okay, again, one of the most impressive companies, an American company, he wants a little more, give it to him,” Maher pressed.
“No. The commission — some bureaucrat said, nope, and this is the reason why: Commissioner Caryl Hart, saying, ‘[W]e’re dealing with a company the head of which has aggressively injected himself into the presidential race, and made it clear what his point of view is,’” Maher said.
He argued that punishing a company for its owner’s beliefs ultimately undermines free speech.
“Yes, because he lives in America and he can do that. It has nothing to do with this, and the right thinks that the left is in a very different place with free speech than they have been before, and they’re not wrong, they’re not wrong. This is arrogant. You don’t punish somebody — it would be like if we stopped Henry Ford from making the cars because we didn’t like –,” Maher added.
Mark Cuban, who joined in on the discussion, referred to the commission’s decision as a “stupid” one, but argued it was a one-time decision.
Maher, however, expressed concern over the government’s willingness to stifle freedoms for safety or misinformation.
“But it’s just the attitude that I find scary, that — far too willing to stifle freedoms, including speech, for the sake of safety or misinformation — sometimes, which is coming from everybody. It’s — no one has a monopoly on it — or just power, it’s just power,” Maher said.
