Religion and Ethics Forum
General Category => Politics & Current Affairs => Topic started by: jeremyp on October 17, 2022, 11:47:36 AM
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Elon Musk has been in the news more than most recently. Rather than have a discussion specifically about his attempt to buy/not buy Twitter or the controversy surrounding Starling in Ukraine, I thought it would be more fun to have a poll.
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Twitter is effectively unusable unless you pay for it with this announcement, and not great even if you do.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66077195
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I think his action means that any twitter links I have put up to twitter on here in the past will no longer work for those who don't have a twitter account.
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Definitely a nympty! He spent 40 billion dollars to make Twitter worse and seems intent on turning it into an echo chamber for racists and conspiracy theorists.
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Clearly an entrepreneur who got lucky, but also a total numpty, and an obnoxious one to boot.
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So the links would now seem to work if you don't have an account but Musk's arsery has broken it for me. Deactivated account
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Are they mutually exclusive categories? He's probably both.
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https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/apr/04/britishidentity.features11
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Are they mutually exclusive categories? He's probably both.
That's true, except he's not a tech wizard.
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My account is effectively locked at the moment. I can tweet but I can't reply to, like or retweet others' tweets. Twitter is seriously broken.
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My account is effectively locked at the moment. I can tweet but I can't reply to, like or retweet others' tweets. Twitter is seriously broken.
And now I can't even tweet anymore.
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And now I can't even tweet anymore.
Try logging back out, and logging on a couple of times. When I was trying to sort out deactivating my account, that seemed to clear some of the issues - not that it stopped me deactivating the account
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Try logging back out, and logging on a couple of times. When I was trying to sort out deactivating my account, that seemed to clear some of the issues - not that it stopped me deactivating the account
I'll give it a try. Thanks.👍
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Just gets sillier
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/mark-zuckerberg-v-elon-musk-from-twitter-to-the-colosseum-how-cage-fight-plan-unfolded/ar-AA1dpLY5
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A very biased take but one that makes a lot of valid points
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/05/twitter-elon-musk-verge-of-collapse
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A very biased take but one that makes a lot of valid points
I don't know about 'biased' but 'deluded'. I read "...the service that not so long ago was the best way to take in breaking news and find audiences for serious conversations..." and had to check that I'd accessed the right article, because I don't recall a time when Twitter was not just a cesspool of people trying to shout hate louder than anyone else and police their own pet peeves.
O.
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I don't know about 'biased' but 'deluded'. I read "...the service that not so long ago was the best way to take in breaking news and find audiences for serious conversations..." and had to check that I'd accessed the right article, because I don't recall a time when Twitter was not just a cesspool of people trying to shout hate louder than anyone else and police their own pet peeves.
O.
I think it was the best for breaking news, simply for the size of it.
The points, I think, that he makes that are valid are the ones around Musk's decisions, his methods, or lack of in making them, and the problems with the 'business model'.
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I don't know about 'biased' but 'deluded'. I read "...the service that not so long ago was the best way to take in breaking news and find audiences for serious conversations..." and had to check that I'd accessed the right article, because I don't recall a time when Twitter was not just a cesspool of people trying to shout hate louder than anyone else and police their own pet peeves.
O.
That's never been my experience of Twitter. Maybe I just followed the wrong people.
It used to be useful to me mainly as a way to follow what my entertainment people were doing. It's especially important at festivals for announcing changes in the schedule and so forth. Not sure it's going to be any good this year.
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This is very funny
https://youtu.be/RkADWm8A6F0
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X marks the spot
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66296468
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X marks the spot
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66296468
Some of the ideas I have read about this:
You won't tweet anymore, you'll X-crete. And your posts will be known as X-cretions. We won't have threads but X-crement.
An X is just a sans serif Swastika.
There will no longer be Twitter users but X-users (not to be confused with ex-users).
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Some of the ideas I have read about this:
You won't tweet anymore, you'll X-crete. And your posts will be known as X-cretions. We won't have threads but X-crement.
An X is just a sans serif Swastika.
There will no longer be Twitter users but X-users (not to be confused with ex-users).
https://youtu.be/vZw35VUBdzo
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.....er
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66300107
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.....er
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66300107
You couldn't make it up.
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Threads unravelling?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66336058
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/07/27/twitter-csam-dom-lucre-elon-musk/
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Saudis might be using private Twitter information for human rights abuses.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/04/twitter-saudi-arabia-human-rights-abuses
Musk considers suing ADL for loss of ad revenue.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.yahoo.com/amphtml/elon-musk-threatens-sue-anti-213118019.html
Perhaps not giving voices to Nazis might solve that problem.
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Threads unravelling?
Hopefully (sort of) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threads_(1984_film).a film which comes closest to representing the full horror of nuclear war and its aftermath, as well as the catastrophic impact that the event would have on human culture.
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https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/jan/30/elon-musk-tesla-pay-package-too-much-judge-rules
Judge ruled his pay – six times larger than the combined pay of the 200 highest-paid executives in 2021 – was set inappropriately
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https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/jan/30/elon-musk-tesla-pay-package-too-much-judge-rules
Difficult to tell from the report but it seems to compare a ridiculous set of stock options, though ones that when they were granted would not have been worth a set amount, with the 'basic' pay of the 200 highest paid executives. This may be making the number for those executives lower than a comparable figure. That is in no way to justify the Musk figure but to highlight that the figures for others may be higher.
It's not very good reporting from the Guardian but perhaps they are astounded, justifiably, by the 56bn figure.
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Elon Musk just let open neo-nazi Nick Fuentes (quite how he gets over his Hispanic name, I don't know) back on Twitter. I don't buy all this free speech bollocks. The only conclusion I can come to is that Musk actually has some sympathy for these views, because his track record is giving voices to conspiracy theorists and nazis. He's turned Twitter into 4chan.
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Another classic take from Apartheid Clyde and his favourite Malaysian incel.
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Another classic take from Apartheid Clyde and his favourite Malaysian incel.
That isn't parody?
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That isn't parody?
No. Musk is big on the problem low birthrates in the West and white replacement theory.
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No. Musk is big on the problem low birthrates in the West and white replacement theory.
So the implication is he thinks the IRA should bomb immigrants?
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So the implication is he thinks the IRA should bomb immigrants?
It would be easy to draw that conclusion, certainly.
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It would be easy to draw that conclusion, certainly.
He's such an edgy wee prick.
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So the implication is he thinks the IRA should bomb immigrants?
Not only that, the implication is that he thought that that is what they did back in the day, only the "immigrants" were the English.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy53vz1qpx1o
I can't help but think
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Musk also has an alt account "Adrian Dittman", which he uses to flatter himself.
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And now supporting racist thugs.
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Be interesting to see just how long it takes after Trump is inaugurated for a stramash to occur involving Musk's role - I'm betting not very long.
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Moderator We've just merged a topic started by SteveH on Musk because it was more about the issue of 'grooming gangs' and there was already a thread. We discussed there being a set thread for Musk, the man, but are conscious that he's involved with so many issues that that that may be difficult. However, given this thread already existed we're bumping it up for use should there be something to discuss about Musk that doesn't fit into an existing topic, or deserve a new thread.
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A tale of two tweets
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Moderator merged this with another couple of threads, and moved to the Politics Board. As covered above the intention is to have this as a Musk specific topic though he will undoubtedly appear frequently on others
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.
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Can't we just change the poll to - is EM a fascist or a Nazi (3 answers, definitely a facist; definitely a nazi; or Yes)?
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/20/trump-elon-musk-salute (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/20/trump-elon-musk-salute)
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a history professor at New York University, said (https://bsky.app/profile/ruthbenghiat.bsky.social): “Historian of fascism here. It was a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too.”
https://liveapp.inews.co.uk/category/elon-musk-performs-gesture-resembling-a-nazi-salute-at-speech-after-inauguration/content.html
Elon Musk performs gesture resembling a Nazi salute at speech after inauguration
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Can't we just change the poll to - is EM a fascist or a Nazi (3 answers, definitely a facist; definitely a nazi; or Yes)?
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/20/trump-elon-musk-salute (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/20/trump-elon-musk-salute)https://liveapp.inews.co.uk/category/elon-musk-performs-gesture-resembling-a-nazi-salute-at-speech-after-inauguration/content.html
Definitely weird.
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Can't we just change the poll to - is EM a fascist or a Nazi (3 answers, definitely a facist; definitely a nazi; or Yes)?
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/20/trump-elon-musk-salute (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/20/trump-elon-musk-salute)https://liveapp.inews.co.uk/category/elon-musk-performs-gesture-resembling-a-nazi-salute-at-speech-after-inauguration/content.html
Lol. He's not a fascist. He was doing a gesture "my heart [hand on heart] goes out to you [gesture outwards]". He just doesn't understand what he was doing. Probably somebody who is a fascist, taught him that and said it would be a good gesture.
The real problem is that he doesn't have a clue what he is doing and he has no principles beyond "give me your money and adulation". I laugh when people say Musk adheres to a certain political ideology (same applies to Trump). He just does what he perceives is better for him.
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Can't we just change the poll to - is EM a fascist or a Nazi (3 answers, definitely a facist; definitely a nazi; or Yes)?
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/20/trump-elon-musk-salute (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/20/trump-elon-musk-salute)https://liveapp.inews.co.uk/category/elon-musk-performs-gesture-resembling-a-nazi-salute-at-speech-after-inauguration/content.html
I'll go with the ADL's take. And note there are other Jewish history professors who see it differently
https://time.com/7208614/elon-musk-nazi-salute-reactions-debate-controversy-adl-trump-inauguration/
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I'm beginning to think the salute was a Freudian slip. In any case, he's not making it any easier on himself. Read his tweet below and think about what he's saying. At the very least, he's as dumb AF, his security clearance should be revoked, and he should be deported back to South Africa.
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I'm beginning to think the salute was a Freudian slip. In any case, he's not making it any easier on himself. Read his tweet below and think about what he's saying. At the very least, he's as dumb AF, his security clearance should be revoked, and he should be deported back to South Africa.
Trump's going to invade Russia? That sounds really scary.
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It's a joke to him.
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It's a joke to him.
Yes.
What did you expect? At this point he is trolling.
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Bingo!
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Bingo!
I'm pretty tired of labelling everybody who has right wing political views "Nazis".
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Well this is a thing
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/musk-aides-lock-government-workers-out-computer-systems-us-agency-sources-say-2025-01-31/
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I'm pretty tired of labelling everybody who has right wing political views "Nazis".
You know the duck analogy.
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You know the duck analogy.
The Nazis herded up groups of people they felt were inferior to them and systematically genocided them. They weren't just about making silly Roman salutes.
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The Nazis herded up groups of people they felt were inferior to them and systematically genocided them. They weren't just about making silly Roman salutes.
Not initially though.
I think it would be prudent to look at where we are now and see what might be coming down the track.
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme."
I'm very much afraid of what the next few stanzas of this epic hold.
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Not initially though.
It's clear from Hitler's writings that he was always about eradicating the Jews and the Slavs.
I think it would be prudent to look at where we are now and see what might be coming down the track.
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme."
I'm very much afraid of what the next few stanzas of this epic hold.
Things do look very grim, but it's not because Elon Musk is a Nazi.
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Not initially though.
I think it would be prudent to look at where we are now and see what might be coming down the track.
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme."
I'm very much afraid of what the next few stanzas of this epic hold.
And where does that tie in with my wife being called a nazi and given death threats for standing up for women's single sex spaces?
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And where does that tie in with my wife being called a nazi and given death threats for standing up for women's single sex spaces?
Well, you'd have to ask the people who called her a Nazi.
I wouldn't say they had any grounds for making that accusation, but you knew that already.
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Well, you'd have to ask the people who called her a Nazi.
I wouldn't say they had any grounds for making that accusation, but you knew that already.
The point though is that Nazi is effectively meaningless because it's so frequent. It's become a go to accusation for pretty well anything that disagrees with many who see themselves on the left.
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The point though is that Nazi is effectively meaningless because it's so frequent. It's become a go to accusation for pretty well anything that disagrees with many who see themselves on the left.
Yes I get that. You will note I never made the initial accusation that he was a Nazi.
My point is that history repeats itself imperfectly and we need to be aware of that. So even if Musk isn't exactly a Nazi, he isn't exactly not a Nazi.
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Yes I get that. You will note I never made the initial accusation that he was a Nazi.
My point is that history repeats itself imperfectly and we need to be aware of that. So even if Musk isn't exactly a Nazi, he isn't exactly not a Nazi.
No, I think that using the term becomes a distraction in opposing what is done.
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Yes, but "power-crazed monster who spreads disinformation and engages in othering on a global scale" isn't a very catchy title.
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Yes, but "power-crazed monster who spreads disinformation and engages in othering on a global scale" isn't a very catchy title.
Megalomanic works for me.
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..
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'Tesla shares slump after European sales fall' - my heart bleeds
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgd9v3r69qo
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Here's something interesting.
For a long time Elon Musk has been persona non grata at Ars Technica, except in one area: space flight. Commenters could pile on Elon as much as they liked in threads about Tesla or TwittXer or whatever, but in the area of space flight, people trying to do that in the comments would get voted to oblivion.
Not anymore.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/02/spacex-readies-a-redo-of-last-months-ill-fated-starship-test-flight/?comments-page=1#comments
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You were saying...?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/06/spacex-starship-explodes-musk (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/06/spacex-starship-explodes-musk)
SpaceX’s Starship explodes in second failure for Musk’s Mars program
...maybe it's a better way to destroy Trump’s documents than stuffing them into a toilet?
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You were saying...?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/06/spacex-starship-explodes-musk
SpaceX’s Starship explodes in second failure for Musk’s Mars program
...maybe it's a better way to destroy Trump’s documents that stuffing them into a toilet?
It's the second failure this year. It's the eighth failure of Starship in total.
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.
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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/18/donald-trump-president-america-great-nation-builder (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/18/donald-trump-president-america-great-nation-builder)
Musk no longer a Nazi, now a numptyst.
Elon Musk, Tesla’s share price has halved over the past three months, with the FT reporting today that hedge fund short sellers have made $16.2bn betting against it. Last week a JP Morgan note attempted to contextualise their grimly downgraded outlook for the firm: “We struggle to think of anything analogous in the history of the automotive industry, in which a brand has lost so much value so quickly.”
...and strangly now Alone Musk, isn't ... erm,....alone.
Yesterday, Karoline Leavitt could be found declaring: “It’s only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now.” Bless!
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Interesting article about Starship.
https://www.planetearthandbeyond.co/p/starship-was-doomed-from-the-beginning
If true, it means it's just a giant con.
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The failure of the cybertruck
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2025/04/03/elons-edsel-tesla-cybertruck-is-the-auto-industrys-biggest-flop-in-decades/