'The elites are in a state of panic': Michael Shellenberger on Brazil's censorship frenzy and the ongoing attack on X

It is nearly impossible to write a bio for Michael Shellenberger, as he’s simply done too much. “Author of Sanfransicko and Apocalypse Never, founder and president of Civilization Works (né Environmental Progress), publisher of the Twitter Files and the WPATH Files, and founder of

Public

” will have to suffice.

Michael was recently in Brazil, covering their evermore drastic attempts at censorship, writing that the country was “on the brink of dictatorship,” as the country’s Attorney General and Supreme Court sought to shut down X. After publishing the Twitter Files—Brazil, the Attorney General went after Michael himself, accusing him of releasing “excerpts of content from confidential judicial decisions,” thereby “attempting to destabilize the democratic state.” He is now under criminal investigation by the Attorney General. On August 17, X announced it would be closing its offices in Brazil, with staff facing arrest after Elon Musk refused to comply with orders to censor certain content and users on the platform.

I spoke with Michael on Monday, August 19 about the situation in Brazil, what’s behind the increasing efforts to crack down on free speech, why the global elite are so desperate to kill X, and whether the platform will survive.