# Now that Elon Musk has bought Twitter - now the Pit edition (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 25, 2022, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442 "2022-04-25T22:50:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 214
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4264 "2023-04-13T05:59:25Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > But I’m also addicted to this place, so there’s that. But we like you. So don’t leave. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4265 "2023-04-13T10:11:06Z")
Oh, now I feel like Sally Field! Thanks Gato. I like you guys a bunch too. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4266 "2023-04-13T16:45:31Z")
> **[Musk, Boebert call to ‘defund’ NPR after it quit Twitter](https://thehill.com/policy/technology/3946934-musk-boebert-call-to-defund-npr-after-it-quit-twitter/)** > > Elon Musk and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) called for NPR to be defunded after the outlet announced it would no longer use Twitter due to the social media platform slapping it with a “government-f… ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4267 "2023-04-13T17:09:06Z")
NPR should just tweet something critical of Musk, then he’ll ban them and eliminate the “controversy”. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4268 "2023-04-13T18:10:28Z")
What percentage of Elmo’s funding comes from the government? SpaceX and Tesla should have the “Government Funded” label. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4269 "2023-04-13T18:11:34Z")
Anyone that thinks NPR is solely or even well funded by the gummint hasn’t been through a pledge drive **and you should call now and you will get this handsome tote bag!** > [@k9bfriender](#): > > SpaceX and Tesla should have the “Government Funded” label SpaceX certainly. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4270 "2023-04-13T18:13:29Z")
Agreed, and I normally wouldn’t say that Tesla is, but given EV subsidies, I’m sure that more than 1% of Tesla’s revenue originated with the taxpayer. That’s not counting all the other subsidies and tax breaks a large company like Tesla generally enjoys. If NPR merits it, then so does Tesla. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4271 "2023-04-13T18:23:48Z")
> **[Elon Musk's growing empire is fueled by $4.9 billion in government subsidies](https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-musk-subsidies-20150531-story.html)** > > Los Angeles entrepreneur Elon Musk has built a multibillion-dollar fortune running companies that make electric cars, sell solar panels and launch rockets into space. That’s from 2015, definitely much much higher now. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4272 "2023-04-13T18:34:00Z")
2021: > **[Elon Musk is speaking out against government subsidies. Here's a list of the...](https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-list-government-subsidies-tesla-billions-spacex-solarcity-2021-12)** > > Musk's companies benefited from subsidies as recently as April, when SpaceX won a $2.89 billion contract from NASA. Tesla got subsidies for years. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4273 "2023-04-13T18:40:05Z")
Winning a competitive contract to provide services is not a subsidy. That’s ridiculous. Tax incentives to build factories. Subsidy. Free money in the form of development grants. Subsidy. Subsidy programs to promote the purchase of electric cars or whatever. The hint is in the name. But offering your services to the government at a lower cost than your competition? Not a subsidy, and ridiculous to label it that. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4274 "2023-04-13T18:41:04Z")
Saying NPR should be “defunded” is even stupider than usual for those nitwits. If they’re choosing not to use a particular platform anymore, who gives a shit?! I don’t even see how it should be controversial to people who would normally dislike NPR. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4275 "2023-04-13T18:43:48Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > Tax incentives to build factories. Subsidy. Free money in the form of development grants. Subsidy. Subsidy programs to promote the purchase of electric cars or whatever. The hint is in the name. Right, and Musk companies received all those things. Money is fungible. All those subsidies free up money for Musk companies to spend on other things, thanks to the US and state taxpayers. The hypocrisy is enormous that Musk should rail against government funding while sucking so hard on that tit. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4276 "2023-04-13T18:53:02Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > But offering your services to the government at a lower cost than your competition? Not a subsidy, and ridiculous to label it that. The post that you replied to didn’t mention the word subsidies, so I’m not sure what your point is trying to make. Even if Musk’s companies didn’t get subsidies to build factories or development grants as well as programs promoting the purchase of electric cars, it would still be government funded, which is what was said. And then the fact that they are actually highly subsidized to build factories and development grants and promotion of electric vehicles means that he does get subsidies. So, please point at what was ridiculously mislabeled as a subsidy in what you replied to, thankyouverymuch. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4277 "2023-04-13T19:05:00Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > Winning a competitive contract to provide services is not a subsidy. The article doesn’t say that, nor does the post you responded to. It claims Tesla, SpaceX, and SolarCity have “received billions of dollars from government loans, contracts, tax credits, and subsidies” and then goes on to list some of them. There is one sentence, out of the entire article, that is either poorly written or just wrong that says the list of projects is from subsidies, but the actual descriptions indeed list them as federal/state loans, subsidies, contracts, grants, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4278 "2023-04-13T19:06:20Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > The post that you replied to didn’t mention the word subsidies, so I’m not sure what your point is trying to make. The post I replied to was a news story whose first line, displayed in the preview, is “Musk’s companies benefited from subsidies as recently as April, when SpaceX won a $2.89 billion contract from NASA.” How are we supposed to interpret that sentence except as calling the award of the contract a subsidy? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4279 "2023-04-13T19:09:10Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > How are we supposed to interpret that sentence except as calling the award of the contract a subsidy? Maybe by reading the article rather than just the first line? ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4280 "2023-04-13T19:13:11Z")
Also: Agile hypocrisy! ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4281 "2023-04-13T19:13:31Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Maybe by reading the article rather than just the first line? I _did_ read the article. Did you? > [@](#): > > Here’s a look at some of the federal and state-level government subsidies that have contributed to building Musk’s empire. > In April, NASA [selected](https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/as-artemis-moves-forward-nasa-picks-spacex-to-land-next-americans-on-moon) Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX for a $2.89 billion contract to work toward landing “commercial” humans on the moon. > … > The US Air Force has [joined in](https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddawkins/2020/08/10/elon-musk-beats-jeff-bezos-to-us-air-force-contract-as-billionaire-space-race-blasts-off/?sh=575075c37ad0) on the SpaceX action as well. In 2020, Musk’s SpaceX and United Launch Alliance won two contracts for National Security Space “launch services” worth a combined $653 million, which they will provide between 2022 and 2027. The story then goes on to list actual subsidies provided to other Musk companies, but it leads by presenting as subsidies the two SpaceX items, neither of which are subsidies. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4282 "2023-04-13T19:54:30Z")
Has the Boring Company made a single dime that didn’t come from grifting the government? Or more specifically from the government of Las Vegas since they thankfully haven’t yet found another locale stupid enough to fall for the “I’ve invented the subway, only much, much less efficient” spiel? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/4283 "2023-04-13T19:57:56Z")
At least he’s not [Jared.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Fogle) 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442.md?page=213) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442.md?page=215)