> anyone who didn't like Musk or the "extreme hardcore" could have taken the severance

If they aren't held hostage by a H-1B visa.

Right, but if you're still there because you can't leave, then you're not going to do something stupid to get yourself immediately fired, like going rogue and suspending Paul Graham's account.

Content moderators can’t switch jobs so easily.

Which is why they won't go rogue: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34044705

Content moderators aren’t on H1-B’s.

Sigh. Just completely missing the point.

If an employee couldn't afford to leave before — for whatever reason! — then they can't magically afford to leave today either.

Sure they could. They could have lined up a job or impulsively lashed out, or think enforcing the policy gives them cover. It’s the sort of thing I might do.

This is just a probability you may have a different weight on.

I keep hearing "maybe it was a rogue employee" or "maybe it was automation" about everything Twitter does lately... until Musk comes out and defends the thing. I don't know why the benefit of the doubt should be granted at this point.

The benefit of doubt is for yourself, to have an accurate understanding of what you know and what you assume.

The new lot are probably sitting in Kolkata applying for them

The content moderators were fired some time ago.