# Elon Musk Using his Wealth to Threaten Politicians **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** elon-musk\ **Created:** [December 20, 2024, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918 "2024-12-20T14:10:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2025, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/81 "2025-01-07T11:27:05Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > And Farage being such a honest upstanding politician would never consider selling out his principles for an enormous pile of cash 🙄 I think we’re all agreed there! What’s more, Reform is nothing without Farage - it’s basically a one man movement - so he would take the cash and then just set up another party, leaving Elon with an expensive busted flush. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2025, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/82 "2025-01-07T11:48:29Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > odius toerag As a UK citizen, albeit non-resident, I warmly applaud your distinctive epithet. Bravo! ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2025, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/83 "2025-01-08T22:04:59Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > I have read the DoD has a planned outline for literally any war scenario one can think of. Plan(s) for invasion of the UK must be a thing that exists. Mind that the Republic of Ireland does have an army so you’ll have to fight them first if you want to stage a land invasion or even refuel armed bombers at Shannon. So naval blockade & siege it is. Time to update [War Plan Red](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_color-coded_war_plans) and Crimson, Emerald, and the original War Plan Gray! None for Greenland yet - perhaps a modification of the original War Plan Indigo for Iceland will be acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2025, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/84 "2025-01-08T22:42:38Z")
Tomorrow, after trump looks at the map in RISK! he’ll say that control of Iceland is critical to USA security too. There is no NATO without the USA and if trump finds a Chief of Staff and Chief Joint Chief of Staff (almost always a General or Admiral) who aren’t willing to tell trump to STFU about Canada as the 51st state - (should keep the provinces as 51, 52, etc…) and using military force for Panama (and/or its canal), Greenland - and what’s that Elon? - Oh yeah the UK too; and the USA slides into being truly fascist by the end of the month, there really is no country besides China and if you believe, what is left of NATO that can stand up to a belligerent USA. Annex Greenland and offer Denmark a couple billion then call the deal off once the USA has a large military presence there and sham elections are run. Ireland relies on the UK for protection and they only have a minimal army yet whatever War Plan Emerald is updated to, it would be extremely unpopular in the USA. I’d like to see whatever Plan Maple Leaf (Canada) is. In his clock-is-correct-every-24-hours statement, trump is correct that the world’s longest peaceful land border is “artificial” except for those tourist areas where it’s painted on the ground. So does that plan involve sinking the British Navy ships and shooting down their Air Force? This is already too much for trump to process so “Take Greenland” and do some of the other things Elon suggests by tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2025, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/85 "2025-01-08T23:56:10Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > I have read the DoD has a planned outline for literally any war scenario one can think of. Well, at least according to the gospel of Sorkin: > [@The West Wing S6.E17 A Good Day](#): > > - Kate Harper: We have a contingency plan to invade Canada? > > - Kate Harper: [to the Canadian Ambassador] Ambassador, listen carefully. An hour ago, I reviewed the United States contingency plan to invade your country. > > Will Bailey: There’s a contingency plan… > > Kate Harper: [Interrupting Will] 1789, amended in 1815. The calligraphy is beautiful. And if one more deal is floated in this room, I’m gonna ask DoD to reactive it. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/86 "2025-01-09T00:27:45Z")
> [@The West Wing S6.E17 A Good Day](#): > > invade Canada (from wiki, Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen) Arnold, who had done business in the province before the war,[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedict_Arnold%27s_expedition_to_Quebec#cite_note-Desjardin8-3) also had intelligence that the French-speaking [Canadiens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadien) would be favorably disposed toward a colonial force.[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedict_Arnold%27s_expedition_to_Quebec#cite_note-Desjardin11-4) Arnold and Allen each made arguments to the [Second Continental Congress](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Continental_Congress) that Quebec could and should be taken from the [British](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Great_Britain), No good, cogent reason why the revolution Congress did not think this a good idea. In those days, annexing Canada was mainly Quebec, Ontario and perhaps Newfoundland. I dunno, maybe there was no way to defend taking such territory. New York had to be fought for and many of the residents were Loyalists who certainly were not “favourable” to a colonial force, yet their only other option was being tossed into New York Harbor like so much tea. Perhaps in retaliation, the British burned down the (original) White House in 1812 and it was replaced with what Trump called a dump. Hey, that rhymes. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/87 "2025-01-09T11:47:26Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > Ireland relies on the UK for protection and they only have a minimal army But a certain folk memory of and perhaps a cultural openness to energy-sapping guerrilla warfare. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/88 "2025-01-10T15:18:24Z")
I keep seeing comments to the effect ‘Well, we saved you from the bad guys in WWII, so you should just be grateful if we take over your country’. I would like to think this is just the voices of a small but loud minority of beligerent internet trolls. I’m not sure I do believe that, given the USA chose Trump for president. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/89 "2025-01-10T18:13:11Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > Tomorrow, after trump looks at the map in RISK! he’ll say that control of Iceland is critical to USA security too It’s a bit like using transitional fossils to try to convince Creationists that evolution is true. Every time you find a fossil between two others, all you do is create two gaps to “explain”, instead of the one gap you used to have. Trump needs to annex Greenland in order to secure the US border. But now, the US border ends at Greenland, so now he needs to annex Iceland to secure that new US border. Wash, rinse, repeat yourself into world domination. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/90 "2025-01-10T18:18:26Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > > [@Coriolanus](#): > > > > I have read the DoD has a planned outline for literally any war scenario one can think of. > > Well, at least according to the gospel of Sorkin: Well, to be fair… > In April 1921, Lt.-Col. James “Buster” Sutherland Brown, Canada’s director of military operations and intelligence, drafted the Canadian plan to invade the United States, known as Defence Scheme No. 1. Lovely bit of misdirection in that name 😃 [https://macleans.ca/culture/books/how-canada-planned-to-invade-the-u-s-and-vice-versa/](https://macleans.ca/culture/books/how-canada-planned-to-invade-the-u-s-and-vice-versa/) ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/91 "2025-01-10T18:54:04Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I keep seeing comments to the effect ‘Well, we saved you from the bad guys in WWII, so you should just be grateful if we take over your country’. I rather think Putin would have a lot (A LOT) to say about that. ---
**Author:** ![Mikkel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikkel/32/13151_2.png) [@Mikkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikkel)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2025, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/92 "2025-01-11T15:59:21Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Trump needs to annex Greenland in order to secure the US border. But now, the US border ends at Greenland, so now he needs to annex Iceland to secure that new US border. Wash, rinse, repeat yourself into world domination. The Norwegians are worried about Svalbard… ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2025, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/93 "2025-01-11T20:05:37Z")
It looks like Musk’s comment on Farage might have been the self-destruct button for the Reform party. I still despise the fact that Elmo is sticking his weird appendages into our politics in any form, but the outcome seems like a little bit of a silver lining. ---
**Author:** ![Ash\_trav511](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@Ash\_trav511](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ash_trav511)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2025, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/94 "2025-01-11T23:26:28Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > It looks like Musk’s comment on Farage might have been the self-destruct button for the Reform party. I hope. But fingers crossed as there is some sign of rapproachment/fix up, possibly being facilitated by Trump. > **[Farage and Musk to get back together as Reform leader hosts inauguration...](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/farage-elon-musk-trump-inauguration-party-b2677866.html)** > > Exclusive: Nigel Farage is set to host ‘the biggest inauguration party’ in Washington DC with Donald Trump, the president-elect’s family, Elon Musk, senior Republicans and the UK’s new ambassador to the US Lord Mandelson all expected to attend And why is Lord Mandelson attending a party thrown by Farage which is being attended by the Trumps and Elon Musk ? Being the ambassador he has to be “diplomatic” but this was unwarranted imo. Also this, Farage to BBC… > **[Farage says he is on ‘very good terms’ with Elon Musk](https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/farage-says-he-is-on-very-good-terms-with-elon-musk-101736555475975.html)** > > Mr Farage told BBC’s Newsnight ‘I don’t think there’s any long term rift’ with the billionaire. ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2025, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/95 "2025-01-11T23:32:56Z")
Arron Banks has just been refused entry to the USA to attend this inauguration party. The inauguration party funded by Arron Banks. I can’t find a cite that isn’t paywalled so I’m not sure of the reason. But karma would make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/96 "2025-01-12T00:21:32Z")
Farage, Trump and Musk together in the same place at the same time? One meteorite. Is that too much to hope for? ---
**Author:** ![Ash\_trav511](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@Ash\_trav511](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ash_trav511)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/97 "2025-01-14T00:38:55Z")
[https://www.reuters.com/technology/china-mulls-potential-sale-tiktok-us-musk-bloomberg-news-reports-2025-01-14/](https://www.reuters.com/technology/china-mulls-potential-sale-tiktok-us-musk-bloomberg-news-reports-2025-01-14/) [https://www.msn.com/en-in/technology/tech-companies/tiktok-shouldn-t-be-banned-says-elon-musk-netizens-debate-whether-he-should-buy-it-instead/ar-BB1rkcVl](https://www.msn.com/en-in/technology/tech-companies/tiktok-shouldn-t-be-banned-says-elon-musk-netizens-debate-whether-he-should-buy-it-instead/ar-BB1rkcVl) I hope TikTok (US) doesn’t go to Musk. ---
**Author:** ![Ash\_trav511](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@Ash\_trav511](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ash_trav511)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2025, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/98 "2025-01-14T07:33:37Z")
Looks like the above report about TikTik is pure Bloomberg fiction lol. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2025, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/99 "2025-01-15T20:19:01Z")
From the Atlantic. The title kind of says it all. [Elon Musk Appoints Himself King of the World.](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/01/elon-musk-europe-politics-germany/681284/) The author seems to think he’ll have a harder time suceeding in Europe than the US, due to more stringent laws regarding campaign donations, as well as shorter campaign seasons. Even so, his wealth makes him a threat worldwide. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2025, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918/100 "2025-01-15T23:23:01Z")
> [@Toxgoddess](#): > > Even so, his wealth makes him a threat worldwide. It’s really insane how much money he has now. As of today, he has 434B, not that far away from having more than Bezos (237B) and Zuckerberg (213B) combined. Who knows how much of that money he is funneling into the pockets of politicians and propogandists. [Forbes Real Time Billionaires List - The World’s Richest People](https://www.forbes.com/real-time-billionaires/#641e66d93d78) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elon-musk-using-his-wealth-to-threaten-politicians/1011918.md?page=6)