Via Carole Cadwalladr:

America needs to learn the terrifying lesson of the British riots. This was #Musk’s trial balloon for the US election.

The prospect of political violence is real. And Musk’s behaviour is a warning shot of what’s to come. My piece for ObserverUK:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/18/inciting-rioters-in-britain-was-a-test-run-for-elon-musk-just-see-what-he-plans-for-america

Inciting rioters in Britain was a test run for Elon Musk. Just see what he plans for America

The presidential election is three months away. What if the billionaire contests the result? What if he decides democracy is overrated?

The Guardian

@GottaLaff eep! That's a thought that's going to fester.

"But this is Britain, where extremist political violence is someone carrying a brick and throwing a chair leg. In America, there aren’t just automatic weapons and rights to openly carry firearms, there are actual militias."

@derek @GottaLaff Not to be overly pedantic, but shouldn't militias be in quotes here? An actual militia is recognized by the government as a group that can be called on in case of invasion by another country, not a group of cosplaying racist incels with guns.
@Mayor_of_Smartarse @derek @GottaLaff That’s an entire constitutional can of worms. I’m 100% on board with militias being regulated and folded into the actual military, or being defined as the National Guard. Unfortunately, regulating militias would be difficult to do without stacking the SCOTUS.