6 ms·

Elon Musk Didn't Want His Latest Deposition Released. Here It Is.

19 points by davidbarker 3y ago

1oooqooq 3y ago
so that's why musk is causing noise all over the place right now.
- ZeroGravitas 3y ago
  This used to be a popular explanation for Trump being a loud, weird idiot. It was kind of reassuring to think he was really an evil genius using chaotic BS to cover up his crimes. Turned out the reality was far more depressing and openly doing cringe racist stuff and openly committing crimes was actually what attracted his fans and followers, not something he had to hide from them.
  - rsynnott 3y ago
    I blame Boris's buses. At one point, Boris Johnson, apropos of nothing, claimed that he made models of buses to relax. This very likely _was_ an attempt to distract from/mess up search engines for the embarrassing Brexit bus. This somehow metastasized into "all weird embarrassing things that Boris does are actually a masterplan to distract from something else", and, presumably on the theory that all oafish politicians with weird hair are pretty much the same, transferred to Trump. In this particular case, the revelations in the deposition aren't all _that_ damaging; they just make Musk look stupid, irresponsible, and confused. So doing other embarrassing stuff to distract from them feels counterproductive.
    - red-iron-pine 3y ago
      but Boris' antics did carry over -- Trump used them a lot. during the impeachments anytime something especially damming or annoying would pop up he'd tweet something silly. when the Magninsky Act was discussed he sent a big ole screed about how he was banning transgender folks in the military -- an issue the military didn't care about and had mostly solved. this may be just that Elon is losing his filter and doesn't have to care -- TSLA still hasn't cratered for some freakin reason...
jqpabc123 3y ago
Musk's idea of "free speech" and it's role in democracy is a common misunderstanding and distortion. "Free speech" doesn't guarantee no repercussions for what you choose to say --- particularly when what you're saying is not true. Bottom line: If you have no idea if something is true or not, the best plan is probably just to remain silent --- otherwise, you may end up with legal trouble like Musk. Lies won't save democracy and may just make you look like a fool --- for either telling or believing them.
- EMIRELADERO 3y ago
  > "Free speech" doesn't guarantee no repercussions for what you choose to say --- particularly when what you're saying is not true. It does in the abstract sense. It's about "freedom from government-imposed consequences".
  - jqpabc123 3y ago
    This deposition was in a lawsuit which asks government to impose consequences against Musk for spreading untruths in the name of "free speech".
    - LastTrain 3y ago
      No it isn't. This is a civil suit between two citizens.
      - jqpabc123 3y ago
        Who will impose any judgment in this case?
      - hn_acker 3y ago
        > This is a civil suit between two citizens. On their own, whether a case is civil and whether the case is between only regular citizens has nothing to do with free speech. The First Amendment applies to government enforcement of civil lawsuits. In the US, if I write a social media post "John Doe is a bad person." with no other context (opinion, not a statement of fact [1]), then my post would be not defamation and also would be free speech, even if my post were to damage John Doe's reputation. Defamation is not protected speech i.e. is not free speech. Elon Musk's party is arguing that Musk didn't defame Ben Brody. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation#Defences https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation#Defences
_8j50 3y ago
I can't believe people buy or use his products. It's crazy that he's openly racist and far-right now yet spaceX still has NASA contracts.
- defrost 3y ago
  The far right and NASA go back a long way: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paperclip https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paperclip
- inemesitaffia 3y ago
  Have you thought of what would happen if the contracts were terminated today. Right now?
  - _8j50 3y ago
    I think it would be best if the government just bought majority shares and kicked him out. Sort of like with General Motors. For the contracts, they can try to transition to blueorigin over time instead of an immediate termination.
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
    - inemesitaffia 3y ago
      So who's going to appropriate the money? GM was bankrupt BTW
- Shawnj2 3y ago
  I mean NASA launches through SpaceX because they’re the cheapest provider of mass to orbit. NASA is making a lot efforts to not use SpaceX for everything like the lunar lander program but is limited by the fact no one else is seriously competing with SpaceX
consumer451 3y ago
What's really shocking to me is how bad Musk, a self-professed "seeker of truth," is at identifying false information. He consistently promotes theories which can be proven false with just cursory research.
- red-iron-pine 3y ago
  only so many ounces of brainpower available to spend per day, and his seem to be focused on cars and rockets, mostly. no reason to challenge ideas and assumptions if they don't stroke your ego or improve you bottom line. and that leaves out deliberate signaling / "4-D chess", if he's sober enough to play that game -- and he might be.

19 points by davidbarker 3y ago

1oooqooq 3y ago

so that's why musk is causing noise all over the place right now.

ZeroGravitas 3y ago
This used to be a popular explanation for Trump being a loud, weird idiot. It was kind of reassuring to think he was really an evil genius using chaotic BS to cover up his crimes. Turned out the reality was far more depressing and openly doing cringe racist stuff and openly committing crimes was actually what attracted his fans and followers, not something he had to hide from them.
- rsynnott 3y ago
  I blame Boris's buses. At one point, Boris Johnson, apropos of nothing, claimed that he made models of buses to relax. This very likely _was_ an attempt to distract from/mess up search engines for the embarrassing Brexit bus. This somehow metastasized into "all weird embarrassing things that Boris does are actually a masterplan to distract from something else", and, presumably on the theory that all oafish politicians with weird hair are pretty much the same, transferred to Trump. In this particular case, the revelations in the deposition aren't all _that_ damaging; they just make Musk look stupid, irresponsible, and confused. So doing other embarrassing stuff to distract from them feels counterproductive.
  - red-iron-pine 3y ago
    but Boris' antics did carry over -- Trump used them a lot. during the impeachments anytime something especially damming or annoying would pop up he'd tweet something silly. when the Magninsky Act was discussed he sent a big ole screed about how he was banning transgender folks in the military -- an issue the military didn't care about and had mostly solved. this may be just that Elon is losing his filter and doesn't have to care -- TSLA still hasn't cratered for some freakin reason...

jqpabc123 3y ago

Musk's idea of "free speech" and it's role in democracy is a common misunderstanding and distortion. "Free speech" doesn't guarantee no repercussions for what you choose to say --- particularly when what you're saying is not true. Bottom line: If you have no idea if something is true or not, the best plan is probably just to remain silent --- otherwise, you may end up with legal trouble like Musk. Lies won't save democracy and may just make you look like a fool --- for either telling or believing them.

EMIRELADERO 3y ago
> "Free speech" doesn't guarantee no repercussions for what you choose to say --- particularly when what you're saying is not true. It does in the abstract sense. It's about "freedom from government-imposed consequences".
- jqpabc123 3y ago
  This deposition was in a lawsuit which asks government to impose consequences against Musk for spreading untruths in the name of "free speech".
  - LastTrain 3y ago
    No it isn't. This is a civil suit between two citizens.
    - jqpabc123 3y ago
      Who will impose any judgment in this case?
    - hn_acker 3y ago
      > This is a civil suit between two citizens. On their own, whether a case is civil and whether the case is between only regular citizens has nothing to do with free speech. The First Amendment applies to government enforcement of civil lawsuits. In the US, if I write a social media post "John Doe is a bad person." with no other context (opinion, not a statement of fact [1]), then my post would be not defamation and also would be free speech, even if my post were to damage John Doe's reputation. Defamation is not protected speech i.e. is not free speech. Elon Musk's party is arguing that Musk didn't defame Ben Brody. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation#Defences https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation#Defences

_8j50 3y ago

I can't believe people buy or use his products. It's crazy that he's openly racist and far-right now yet spaceX still has NASA contracts.

defrost 3y ago
The far right and NASA go back a long way: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paperclip https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paperclip
inemesitaffia 3y ago
Have you thought of what would happen if the contracts were terminated today. Right now?
- _8j50 3y ago
  I think it would be best if the government just bought majority shares and kicked him out. Sort of like with General Motors. For the contracts, they can try to transition to blueorigin over time instead of an immediate termination.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - inemesitaffia 3y ago
    So who's going to appropriate the money? GM was bankrupt BTW
Shawnj2 3y ago
I mean NASA launches through SpaceX because they’re the cheapest provider of mass to orbit. NASA is making a lot efforts to not use SpaceX for everything like the lunar lander program but is limited by the fact no one else is seriously competing with SpaceX

consumer451 3y ago

What's really shocking to me is how bad Musk, a self-professed "seeker of truth," is at identifying false information. He consistently promotes theories which can be proven false with just cursory research.

red-iron-pine 3y ago
only so many ounces of brainpower available to spend per day, and his seem to be focused on cars and rockets, mostly. no reason to challenge ideas and assumptions if they don't stroke your ego or improve you bottom line. and that leaves out deliberate signaling / "4-D chess", if he's sober enough to play that game -- and he might be.