Elon Musk calls for the BREAK-UP of Amazon for refusing to publish journalist’s book questioning wisdom of coronavirus lockdowns
- Journalist Alex Berenson said on Wednesday that Amazon rejected his e-book
- A skeptic of lockdowns, Berenson laid out government data to back up his case
- Furious Elon Musk weighed in calling for Amazon to be broken up as a monopoly
- Amazon backed down on Thursday and published Berenson’s e-book
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has joined the outcry after Amazon refused to publish a journalist’s book questioning the wisdom of coronavirus lockdowns, until the company backed down and allowed it to be published.
Alex Berenson, a former New York Times reporter, revealed on Wednesday that he had received an email from Amazon rejecting his book for self-publication as an e-book.
The message said that his book, which covers government data and scientific studies on the prevalence and mortality of coronavirus, did not meet Amazon’s ‘guidelines.’
‘This is insane @JeffBezos,’ wrote Musk in response to Berenson’s tweet. ‘Time to break up Amazon. Monopolies are wrong!’
Elon Musk stepped up to call out Amazon for censorship after the company refused to allow journalist Alex Berenson self-publish a book questioning coronavirus lockdowns
Berenson, who has emerged as a strong skeptic of the value of society-wide lockdowns in slowing the spread of coronavirus, expressed his fury that Amazon had rejected his book.
‘THEY CENSORED IT! It is based entirely on published government data and scientific papers,’ he tweeted.
‘It doesn’t say coronavirus isn’t real or doesn’t kill people (in fact, the worst-case death toll is likely to be striking to people). And Amazon won’t run it,’ he added.
‘Amazon is by far the largest channel for book sales worldwide. The people who need to see this the most will not,’ Berenson went on.
He also pointed out that Amazon has financially benefited enormously from lockdowns, as online sales soared and neighborhood shops were forced to shutter.
On Thursday, Amazon’s stock closed up more than 13 percent higher than its peak in February, before the pandemic struck.
Alex Berenson, who has emerged as a strong skeptic of the value of society-wide lockdowns in slowing the spread of coronavirus, expressed his fury that Amazon had rejected his book
In addition to Musk, a number of others spoke up in Berenson’s defense, calling for his book to be published.
‘I think this guy is nuts. But denying him access to Amazon because of the content of his book is appalling,’ tweeted conservative commentator Andrew Sullivan.
‘I’ve had the pleasure of reading the first part of @alexberenson’s book. Yes, it’s contrarian. And thoughtful and solidly grounded in facts. If ALL journalists aren’t protesting this censorship, we are sealing our own fate,’ tweeted Vanity Fair contributor Bethany McLean.
On Thursday, Amazon relented and agreed to publish Berenson’s book, titled Unreported Truths about COVID-19 and Lockdowns: Part 1: Introduction and Death Counts and Estimates.
The company did not immediately respond to an inquiry from DailyMail.com, but told The Information that the book had been removed from the Kindle Direct Publishing System ‘in error.’
‘IT’S LIVE! Again, thanks to @elonmusk and everyone who helped,’ a relieved Berenson tweeted once his book was available on Amazon on Thursday afternoon.