Has Nikki Haley ever heard of Publius?
Christopher Tremoglie
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Maya Angelou famously once said, “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.” On Tuesday, Nikki Haley just showed the public who she is. It was troubling and, quite frankly, un-American.
Many Republicans envisioned Haley as a viable alternative to the current front-runner, former President Donald Trump, for voters in the Republican primary. Yet such hopes could be dashed after an absolute clunker of an appearance by Haley on Fox News on Tuesday. The former South Carolina governor declared her support for eliminating anonymous accounts and unverified users on social media platforms. And, without stating where such power would actually come from, Haley also announced, as one of her first acts as president, she would force all users to be verified.
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“When I get into office, the first thing we have to do, social media accounts, social media companies, they have to show America their algorithms. Let us see why they’re pushing what they’re pushing,” Haley said during an appearance on Fox News. “The second thing is every person on social media should be verified by their name.”
“First of all, it’s a national security threat. When you do that, all of a sudden, people have to stand by what they say, and it gets rid of the Russian bots, the Iranian bots, and the Chinese bots,” Haley said, “and then, you’re going to get some civility when people know their name is next to what they say, and they know their pastor and their family members are going to see it.”
Haley’s comments are more totalitarian and authoritarian than conservative and Republican. Free speech is a core tenet of our country’s liberties, and doing so anonymously is ingrained in the fabric of our nation’s history. It was a tactic used by the Founding Fathers to convey political thoughts and sway public opinion while avoiding persecution during colonial times. “Silence Dogood” (used by Benjamin Franklin in the 1720s) and “Publius” (used by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay in the 1780s) were two of the more well-known pseudonyms.
“Publius” was the identity used by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay in the Federalist Papers to influence opinion to promote the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Conversely, other aliases such as “Brutus,” “Cato,” “Centinel,” and “Federal Farmer” were used by Anti-Federalists for articles opposing the ratification of the Constitution. X, Facebook, Instagram, or any form of social media were obviously not around in the 18th century. However, even then, people valued the importance of expressing opinions anonymously, even with the right to free speech.
But Haley wants to eliminate social media anonymity. She’s more concerned with usurping authority under the guise of national security than protecting constitutional rights. Haley seems more interested in appeasing the Left than doing what is right, no pun intended. It’s an opinion and political strategy that would fit well with the 18th century British monarchy, not 21st century Republicans.
Having a platform to voice opinions anonymously is paramount to maintaining national security, not a threat to it. It’s a notion that Haley inexplicably rejected. The public has the right to express itself freely without the potentially dangerous ramifications of a mob. For, as one “Federalist” said to an “Anti-Federalist” over two hundred years ago during the 18th century, anonymity is vital if a person “wishes to escape the just resentment of an incensed people, who perhaps may honor him with a coat of tar and feathers.” It’s an idea that is just as relevant today as it was in 1787.
Exposing social media users is the contemporary equivalent of tar and feathers. The country doesn’t need a 21st century version of “redcoats” controlled by Nikki Haley to patrol social media platforms hunting for commenters’ identities. She was wrong, and her despotic statements should raise red flags.