Elon Musk Is Out of Control. Here Is How to Rein Him in

Saturday, August 31, 2024

Robert Reich, The Guardian: Elon Musk is rapidly transforming his enormous wealth -- he's the richest person in the world - into a huge source of unaccountable political power that's now backing Trump and other authoritarians around the world.

Posted by retort at 04:30 PM | 14 COMMENTS | permalink

Comments

More from the cited article...

... Musk owns X, formerly known as Twitter. He publicly endorsed Donald Trump last month. Before that, Musk helped form a pro-Trump super political action committee. Meanwhile, the former US president has revived his presence on the X platform.

Musk just hired a Republican operative with expertise in field organizing to help with get-out-the-vote efforts on behalf of Trump.

Trump and Musk have both floated the idea of governing together if Trump wins a second term. "I think it would be great to just have a government efficiency commission," Musk said in a conversation with Trump earlier this month streamed on X. "And I'd be happy to help out on such a commission."

Musk reposted a faked version of Kamala Harris's first campaign video with an altered voice track sounding like Harris and saying she doesn't "know the first thing about running the country" and is the "ultimate diversity hire". Musk tagged the video "amazing". It's got hundreds of millions of views, so far.

The Michigan secretary of state has accused the Musk-supported America Pac of tricking people into sharing personal data. Although the Pac's website promises to help users register to vote, it allegedly asks users in battleground states to give their names and phone numbers without directing them to a voter registration site " and then uses that information to send them anti-Harris and pro-Trump ads. ...

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-08-31 06:31 PM

Yet, you folks can't quit Twitter(X). I'm sure Musk appreciates all the X followers, conversations, retweets, etc.

#2 | Posted by gracieamazed at 2024-08-31 08:20 PM

Feed him to homeless dogs?

#3 | Posted by DarkVader at 2024-08-31 08:37 PM

@#2 ... Yet, you folks can't quit Twitter(X). ...

In actuality, I am not, nor have I ever been, registered with X (Twitter).

So, what's yer point?

#4 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-08-31 08:42 PM

@#1

As an aside...

I do appreciate that someone else seems to find Mr Musk joining a potential Trump administration as being "funny."

But the serious aspect of that is that it may not be the only "funny" thing in a future Trump administration.

And do note I type this as Frank Zappa's song, Don't Eat The Yellow Snow is playing here.

Frank Zappa - Don't Eat The Yellow Snow (1974)
www.youtube.com

"watch out where the huskies go, don't you eat that yellow snow...."

#5 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-08-31 08:47 PM

Yeah #5 was intended to be funny. :)

Here's another for ye...

Ideology - Billy Bragg (1986)
www.youtube.com

Lyrics excerpt...

genius.com

...
When one voice rules the nation
Just because they're on top of the pile
Doesn't mean their vision is the clearest
The voices of the people
Are falling on deaf ears

Our politicians all become careerists
They must declare their interests
But not their company cars
Is there more to a seat in parliament
Then sitting on your arse
And the best of all this bad bunch
Are shouting to be heard
Above the sound of ideologies clashing

Outside the patient millions
Who put them into power
Expect a little more back for their taxes
Like school books, beds in hospitals
And peace in our bloody time

All they get is old men grinding axes
Who've built their private fortunes
...

#6 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-08-31 10:44 PM

This is exactly why he bought Twitter.

He who controls the means of information can control the future.

Nothing can be done.

Nothing will be done.

#7 | Posted by ClownShack at 2024-08-31 10:58 PM

Throw that illegal immigrant in prison with Fat Donnie Felon.

#8 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2024-08-31 11:31 PM

I wonder if Reich would be complaining about Musk if Musk had endorsed Harris?

#9 | Posted by madbomber at 2024-09-01 01:56 AM

And here is one of the greatest dangers in American weakening the "public" in our "public and private" collection of for profit and not for profit companies.
Those owned by a few billionaires are not running them for the good of the country, or for their workers, but for themselves and their astounding egos. I think there is a lot of promise in AI, but have absolutely no confidence in Musk or Tiel or other billionaires to keep Americans safe from intrusive prying.

#10 | Posted by Hughmass at 2024-09-01 06:42 AM

#9 - Nope

#11 | Posted by homerj at 2024-09-01 06:02 PM

Re: #9 #11

Harris isn't a traitor to the country and a threat to democracy like Trump and Musk. Duh.

#12 | Posted by hamburglar at 2024-09-01 07:35 PM

- a traitor to the country and a threat to democracy

Trump's best assets as the Republican candidate.

Thugs vote for thugs... well, and the thug wannabes like we have around here do to.

#13 | Posted by Corky at 2024-09-01 08:00 PM

I wonder if Reich would be complaining about Musk if Musk had endorsed Harris?

#9 | Posted by madbomber