3 ms·
I want to live in times when I don't know too much or care too much about the politics of a CEO. But that's also a mutual thing: they need to not be waving it a
by davidw 3y ago
I want to live in times when I don't know too much or care too much about the politics of a CEO. But that's also a mutual thing: they need to not be waving it around in everyone's faces either. Maybe show up to talk about taxes or this or that regulation... that seems fair if they feel it's material to the company; but he has been so in your face about it. It's no surprise that it turns people off.
- bearjaws 3y agoWealthy individuals have always influenced politics, we just talk about it a lot more now.
- davidw 3y agoYes, of course they have, but I guess I just discount that more when it's "I want tax breaks for the wealthy like me". It's regular old self-interest on their part. Some of the stuff he's on about... it's much broader (and nastier, IMO) than that, and since he bought Twitter, he gets to broadcast it far and wide so that people are sure to have seen or heard about it. As opposed to having dinner with his congressperson or more traditional ways the wealthy might lean on things.
- ttfkam 3y agoPretty sure John D. Rockefeller talked politics. William Randolph Hearst had his own newspaper and gave rise to the term "yellow journalism". Henry Ford was a fascist, complete with glowing admiration for Hitler. Wealthy individuals have always opened their mouths, were quite loud, and quite often spewed sewage through said orifices. Far too many equated economic success with comprehensive intelligence and expertise in all things. Musk is nothing new among the extremely wealthy, but has the potential to do just as much damage to the social fabric as his predecessors.