Elon Musk is a Russian stooge

In My Humble Opinion
41

I think Musk’s POV on geopolitics is real simple:

    I (Musk) will be totally insulated from anything bad that happens politically to the bulk of humanity. But I won't be insulated from anything that tanks the economy and stock market. That'll hurt me. Lots.

So supporting and appeasing dictators is fine as long as the West doesn’t decide to actually fight them & thereby muck up the S&P.

42

I think that’s a bit generous. Like most billionaires the bottom line tends to trump all, but he’s a child of Apartheid South Africa. Racism, grievance and propaganda are baked into that period. He’s supposedly got Asperger’s. And he’s lived the last decade or so surrounded by tech bros and celebs who treat him like a deity, hard not to think he’s awash in clinical narcissism.

Sadly I doubt this is pure pragmatism on his part.

43

So he can afford Twitter (maybe), but suddenly he can’t afford to fund Starlink for a war-torn country?

44

Nvmd.

45

Power is useless if you don’t use it to extort something from someone.

He’s in effect selling Starlink access (or non-access) to the highest bidder. I wonder what Russia is paying now to entice him to cut it off?

46

I was going to post that after people hang on your every word in the board room for some time, one believes that everyone will be interested in your opinion of everything. I’ll second your comment.

47

The very next day, he changed his mind. Same link now says:

He doesn’t sound happy about it, though.

Musk, you are one of the richest men in the world. Cry me a river that you lose money for doing the right thing. Go fuck yourself.

48

Relevant article: Elon Musk is Transmitting a Message for Putin

49

As much as Musk is a twat, in this he’s 100% correct. There’s huge chunks of the military industrial complex sucking at the government’s teat while supporting Ukraine with materiel and contractors of various flavors. SpaceX and Starlink are providing essential support here and if we’re willing to spend taxpayer money on rocket systems, drones and whatever else we’ve shipped to Ukraine we should certainly foot the bill for a vital strategic resource like telecommunications and internet. Why will we buy bombs but not internet terminals?

His being rich doesn’t do anything to change the fact that this situation is unfair to his companies. Him being a Russian mouthpiece certainly isn’t helping him in the negotiation though.

50

Also that this decision happened shortly after a Ukrainian ambassador insulted him, makes him seem petty on levels rivaled only by Trump.

51

Does anyone else have a Disney earworm thanks to the title of this thread?

Elon Musk is a Russian stooge
a Russian stooge,
a Russian stooge.
Elon Musk is a Russian stooge
Na-na-na-na-na.

52

Same here.

53

Same reason we have missiles that probably rival the fictional Jericho missile from Iron Man but lack single-payer health care.

Musk is still a twat and a Russian stooge, though.