Mastodawn

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Recently, Elon Musk made headlines when he allegedly refused to enable Starlink—a satellite internet service from SpaceX—to support a Ukrainian attack on Russia, thwarting military plans. Has one civilian's power grown too immense? With no elected position, military training, or official diplomatic role, his access and influence raise important concerns. When is 'enough' truly enough? https://thinkbigpicture.substack.com/p/elon-musk-spacex-starlink-ukraine

Elon Musk Under Scrutiny After Not Allowing Starlink For Ukraine Mission

The level of power Elon Musk wields as owner of SpaceX, Tesla and X is under newfound scrutiny after recent revelations in Isaacson biography.

The Big Picture

Stu Duerson, machina exo deus Sep 14, 2023

It all starts with Eat The Rich. Excess money yields excess power.

We gave him the power thru subsidies and contracts, we being the US government. We gave him the power by not pursuing punishment for him when he violated SEC rules, when he welched on debts, when he engaged in rank anit-semitism...

Wait, was I talking about Elon? Yeah, him, too!

SigmundFreudsBartender Sep 14, 2023

@georgetakei A system that allows for such accumulation of capital, which means command of other people's lives, is broken.

Texasfourplex Sep 14, 2023

@georgetakei
Cannot look at EM without seeing his OVERWEENING EGO.

U.Lancier Sep 14, 2023

@georgetakei there is a simple rule if any inftrastructure becomes dependent on a single company or a group of people with similar interest (e.g. a family or political party) that has to be given to the public as a whole. Be it drinking water, streets, commnunication, ports, electricity grids,… It has to be organized by the public for the public and may not be used to generate profits.

Pablo Rrrrrrr Sep 14, 2023

@georgetakei Eat the Rich, Tax the Rich, Deport the Rich to Mars in his Own Damned Rocket.

WarmasterPalak Sep 14, 2023

Is he a shitheel for doing that? Yes.
Is he within his rights to deny access to his property to anyone for any reason? Yes.
Do we need to like it? No.
Can/Should we do anything about it? No.

Anything we think we can/should do to Elon for not supporting the Ukraine will be used against us by other fascists using the justification that we did it first. It is also entirely possible that this is why he did it. Admittedly, that is giving him far too much credit...

Stefan Karstens Sep 14, 2023

@georgetakei Small but important note: It was not about an attack on Russia. Starlink was deactivated/not turned on/whatever by Musk to prevent an attack against occupying forces on the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.

Russ Wright Sep 14, 2023

@StefanKarstens @georgetakei Never activated according to Musk. That was due to the fact that the US considered it Russia and it would have been illegal for him to do so.

Stefan Karstens Sep 14, 2023

@russwright @georgetakei
Sorry, this is simply not true.

"The United States does not recognize Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea"

Source: https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/ukraine/

Musk is most likely a criminal (but that's for the courts to decide), but supporting the military self-defence of an ally would certainly not have been a crime.

Ukraine - United States Department of State

United States Department of State

ArdentSlacker Sep 16, 2023

@StefanKarstens @georgetakei You serious? https://washingtonpress.com/2023/08/21/unlinked-how-elon-musk-extorted-the-u-s-military-over-ukraine/ It was extortion. What I find weird is how people seem to have forgotten for a *year*. He was absolutely never throttling the internet to *help* Ukraine. Where did you hear something so obviously false?

UNLINKED: How Elon Musk EXTORTED the U.S. military over Ukraine

A new expose in The New Yorker reveals how Elon Musk leveraged his Star-Link satellite communications systems to benefit his pal Vladimir Putin.

Washington Press

Mike Turner Sep 14, 2023

@georgetakei take a look at The Sovereign Individual…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sovereign_Individual

The Sovereign Individual - Wikipedia

DressToKILT Sep 14, 2023

@miketurner @georgetakei Ahh yes, Mein Kampf for techbros.

John Yates Sep 14, 2023

@georgetakei! I think Starlink needs to be taken over by the US Military! At least be under tight government regulation #Politics

Amish Super Model Sep 15, 2023

@georgetakei There’s a reason that some public services should remain in public hands.

Arandmoor Sep 15, 2023

@georgetakei Civilian power? No.

Billionaire power? Yes.

Elon Musk belongs to a class of humanity that should not exist.

72mz Sep 15, 2023

@georgetakei
With enough money you can do whatever harm to our country that you want to. Murdoch and others have proved that repeatedly.

mtnrunner2 Sep 15, 2023

@georgetakei It's Musk's company, so it's not for me to say. What is for me to say is not supporting his companies, including moving away from Twitter. Glad you are here @georgetakei

Nobody In Particular Sep 15, 2023

@georgetakei
He did not "turn it off". Crimea is under US sanctions because of the Russian occupation, and thus Starlink is not authorized to operate in that area. The Ukrainians asked for it to be turned on, but the request has to come from the US, stating an exception to the sanctions.

Greg Spradlin Sep 15, 2023

1. Not “allegedly”. It’s well-documented.
2. He didn’t just refuse to enable access; he actively turned it off.
3. Anyone who posts regularly on Xitter acts as M**k’s accomplice. Even if they mean well

sigmund213123 Sep 15, 2023

@georgetakei no worries, the financial inflationary policy of the world, which allowed the rise of Elon Musk with sheer unlimited money for all sorts of fantasies, is soon coming to an end and Elon will receive his reward: being in prison as a Theranos-style scam-artist

Nicole Parsons Sep 15, 2023

Ron Baron is a Musk investor.
GOP billionaire donors really live in delusional bubbles.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/04/op-ed-investor-ron-baron-on-investing-during-periods-of-entropy.html

On a planet where resources, air, water, & arable land does not "double every five years", how does Ron Baron expect to double his money?

Freezing wages in 1970's?
Doubling prices during crises?
Ending democracy?
Supporting genocidal wars on Ukraine?
Playing both sides & getting paid by both?
Prolonging a profitable pandemic in hopes of more taxpayer bailouts?

Susan Cornutt Sep 15, 2023

Captainrob Sep 15, 2023

@georgetakei
This is a dumb issue. If you don't want a capitalist to turn off their cool space toys that you need to do your war killing, maybe use your own space toys and don't rely on things you don't own. Or nationalize them. Or don't do war things. #capitalism #warpigs

ArdentSlacker Sep 16, 2023

@captainrob @georgetakei If it were not for government contracts, Musk would not have income from his only successful business. And he provided the equipment before extorting money to keep using it. Yanno, once lives were at stake. Providing the service was intended to net him free advertising. Then he got even more greedy.

The Free Internet Guy Sep 16, 2023

@georgetakei What I do not get - is why not use all the other alternatives?
What would the military use high speed low latency network for?
What is it that StarLink can do that they need to bad?
Decent Radio Modems have existed for 40+ year. Other satellite providers exist - ships use them.
We are giving Elon the power - he is not taking it or creating it.

Lori Sep 17, 2023

@georgetakei for real. this is fucking insane.