3 ms·

I mean… yeah…? They’re basically a government contractor with a side hustle, and it doesn’t take a politics wonk to figure the American government spends more o

by bbor 3y ago

I mean… yeah…? They’re basically a government contractor with a side hustle, and it doesn’t take a politics wonk to figure the American government spends more on the military than on NASA. > hundreds of satellites… $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)… The contract signals growing trust by the intelligence establishment of a company whose owner has clashed with the Biden administration and sparked controversy, opens new tab over the use of Starlink satellite connectivity in the Ukraine war, the sources said. Uhhhh I meaaaaan kinda? It’s from 2021, and I doubt the NRO is open to switching partners for any reason, much less ephemeral foreign policy ones. Plus who would they even switch to, blue origin? They presumably are already behind 90% of existing NRO satellites. As far as national security is concerned, I’m only slightly worried that the obvious Russian asset that is Elon Musk would be able to do any damage via this contract. To say the least, the NRO is a secretive and security-conscious organization. If I trust anyone to institute proper information security protocols, it’s them. Well, other than that one time the president leaked their tech for fun at a press conference lol

dotnet00 3y ago
The Russian asset claims are so incredibly overblown, the entire reason SpaceX exists is because the Russians pissed Musk off. All of the reporting surrounding Starlink in Ukraine has been misleadingly presented by the media for the sake of clicks, and Musk is hardly the only non-Russian person to suggest potentially compromising as a solution.
- JumpCrisscross 3y ago
  > Musk is hardly the only non-Russian person to suggest potentially compromising as a solution He is probably one of the few to have fed Ukrainian tactical positions and plans to the Russians. Musk isn’t a Russian asset. I prefer he be here than our sympathiser in China. But the reporting is far from overblown.
  - rightbyte 3y ago
    > He is probably one of the few to have ... Really? Did he say so him self or how is that known.
  - dotnet00 3y ago
    Exactly when has he fed Ukrainian positions and plans to Russia? The only headlines that show up on searching are about document leaks where the only thing that Musk had to do with them was that he tweeted in response to the news.
    - JumpCrisscross 3y ago
      Under-Secretary of Defense Kahl told the New Yorker that “Musk volunteered that he had spoken with Putin personally,” with another Defense source saying “that [Musk] was looking at his laptop and could see ‘the entire war unfolding’ through a map of Starlink activity. ‘This was, like, three minutes before he said, ‘Well, I had this great conversation with Putin,’’“ [1]. Musk retracted the claim that he spoke to Putin at all. But the view among Senate Armed Services Committee staffers I know is Musk, in an attempt at playing a diplomat, inadvertently gave up tactical information to the Kremlin. [1] https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/28/elon-musks-shadow-rule https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/28/elon-musks-sha... https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/28/elon-musks-shadow-rule https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/28/elon-musks-sha...
      - inemesitaffia 3y ago
        That's the view. That's not evidence. Hence $1.8 billion. I've still seen no evidence of an actual call with Putin. Only the Ambassador
- bbor 3y ago
  lol “potentially compromising as a solution” is not the extent of his commentary on US-Russia relations. I’ll leave it there to avoid a political discussion, as I’m likely biased anyway after spending 8 years convinced that the Russian government is engaged in cyberwarfare through western influencers and social media. So confirmation bias is very possibly leading me to libel! Either way we agree that SpaceX is definitely 100% American no doubt.

by bbor 3y ago

dotnet00 3y ago

The Russian asset claims are so incredibly overblown, the entire reason SpaceX exists is because the Russians pissed Musk off. All of the reporting surrounding Starlink in Ukraine has been misleadingly presented by the media for the sake of clicks, and Musk is hardly the only non-Russian person to suggest potentially compromising as a solution.

JumpCrisscross 3y ago
> Musk is hardly the only non-Russian person to suggest potentially compromising as a solution He is probably one of the few to have fed Ukrainian tactical positions and plans to the Russians. Musk isn’t a Russian asset. I prefer he be here than our sympathiser in China. But the reporting is far from overblown.
- rightbyte 3y ago
  > He is probably one of the few to have ... Really? Did he say so him self or how is that known.
- dotnet00 3y ago
  Exactly when has he fed Ukrainian positions and plans to Russia? The only headlines that show up on searching are about document leaks where the only thing that Musk had to do with them was that he tweeted in response to the news.
  - JumpCrisscross 3y ago
    Under-Secretary of Defense Kahl told the New Yorker that “Musk volunteered that he had spoken with Putin personally,” with another Defense source saying “that [Musk] was looking at his laptop and could see ‘the entire war unfolding’ through a map of Starlink activity. ‘This was, like, three minutes before he said, ‘Well, I had this great conversation with Putin,’’“ [1]. Musk retracted the claim that he spoke to Putin at all. But the view among Senate Armed Services Committee staffers I know is Musk, in an attempt at playing a diplomat, inadvertently gave up tactical information to the Kremlin. [1] https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/28/elon-musks-shadow-rule https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/28/elon-musks-sha... https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/28/elon-musks-shadow-rule https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/28/elon-musks-sha...
    - inemesitaffia 3y ago
      That's the view. That's not evidence. Hence $1.8 billion. I've still seen no evidence of an actual call with Putin. Only the Ambassador
bbor 3y ago
lol “potentially compromising as a solution” is not the extent of his commentary on US-Russia relations. I’ll leave it there to avoid a political discussion, as I’m likely biased anyway after spending 8 years convinced that the Russian government is engaged in cyberwarfare through western influencers and social media. So confirmation bias is very possibly leading me to libel! Either way we agree that SpaceX is definitely 100% American no doubt.