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Musk really seems to have lost his mind and any kind of filter. He hears about something and tweets it without any thought. Pretty much the same approach he is

Musk really seems to have lost his mind and any kind of filter. He hears about something and tweets it without any thought. Pretty much the same approach he is using with DOGE. Look at something for five minutes max and if you don’t like it understand it, cancel it. My theory is that anybody who engages a lot on X for a while gets their perception of reality totally distorted. If US leadership keeps passing off the whole world I think the real winner of “America first” will be China and Russia.

ziddoap 2y ago
>I think the real winner of “America first” will be China and Russia. Indeed. >An hour later, Slim announced that he would transfer his projects for the next 5 years with Starlink, an investment of 22 billion dollars, to companies in China and Europe.
- nozzlegear 2y ago
  Brings to mind a meme that's quickly become a favorite of mine since Jan 20th. It's a picture of a "gigachad" Xi Jinping with the caption "Do nothing. Win." https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/002/352/212/95b.jpg https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/002/352/212/95b...
  - r00fus 2y ago
    I find that meme super funny - because China is doing a LOT of things that simply aren't getting noticed by (or being ignored by) the media in the West. Belt & Road, New Silk Road, solar panels everywhere, etc. They're not doing nothing - they're just not being idiots.
walrus01 2y ago
There's plenty of evidence now based on his aberrant behavior in public that he has a serious drug problem. Look at the video of him on the stage at the event where he told all the x advertisers "fine, don't advertise, go fuck yourself". If you are wealthy enough you can certainly find enough licensed medical professionals to provide you with basically whatever substance you want, and in unlimited quantities. Exact same sort of thing that ended in the death of Michael Jackson.
- techorange 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - ziddoap 2y ago
    The net worth increase was not because of him telling advertisers to fuck themselves.
- bloomingkales 2y ago
  The onset of some prescription stimulants is extremely euphoric and leads to immediate mania in some.
contemporary343 2y ago
Definitely seems like a drug problem to me. He seems strung out of his mind if this article's sourcing is correct: https://www.wired.com/story/katie-stephen-miller-elon-musk-takeover/ https://www.wired.com/story/katie-stephen-miller-elon-musk-t...
- mrcode007 2y ago
  How did you draw the connection between being babysat and drugs?
- Gigachad 2y ago
  Yeah I don’t think he was just always like this and hiding it. The drugs have cooked his brain.
pygar 2y ago
I think he's trying to generate engagement on X through controversy. The recent change to search, which now shows posts from people you've blocked (with no options to turn it off) suggests this too. The problem with this strategy is that you have to keep escalating otherwise it gets boring fast, and it attracts people no one wants to advertise to. My feed is full of racebaiters and anti-woke culture crap despite telling the algorithm I’m not interesting. I’m not sure there's much else left.
- MyOutfitIsVague 2y ago
  > My feed is full of racebaiters and anti-woke culture crap despite telling the algorithm I’m not interesting. I’m not sure there's much else left. Why even keep using the platform?
  - pygar 2y ago
    I read the timelines of people who only use twitter. Local journalists and people who talk about about specific issues.
    - UncleOxidant 2y ago
      If enough people leave Xitter then those people "who only use twitter" will either leave as well, or it indicates that they're just fine being on a "racebaiting" platform. I really don't get why people are staying there other than it means they're just fine with Musk's antics and the rage farming.
  - dlivingston 2y ago
    There are circles of people that I like still on the platform. Plus, lots of great discussion on AI and entrepreneurship, both of which BlueSky takes a hostile attitude towards. In addition, I take the general zeitgeist of X to be something like the Freudian id of the MAGA coalition, which is a useful thing to be tuned into, given that they run the country currently.
- rangerelf 2y ago
UncleOxidant 2y ago
The problem is that when someone gets to that level of wealth there's really nobody left to say "no". Likely nobody in his circle has the guts to tell him what he needs to hear. This in addition to the alleged drug issues and his excessive time on X (which is also kind of a drug) is how we got here.
disqard 2y ago
Perhaps you've seen this, or maybe not. It's worth mentioning that you're not the only one to make that connection -- Jaron Lanier called it "Twitter Poisoning": https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/11/opinion/trump-musk-kanye-twitter.html https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/11/opinion/trump-musk-kanye-...
- duxup 2y ago
  That was interesting. I certainly see similar situations where people I knew seem terrified of trans related topics, one couple I knew are on a sort of anti porn crusade. I ask them all and they have ZERO personal run ins with what they fear and tweet / post about… but it doesn’t end and when the topics come up they can’t imagine that you’re not deep in the middle of their social media memes and conversations and so on. It’s a wild situation, there’s nothing in their life that supports their ideas and fears but they’re all in.
techorange 2y ago
[flagged]
- disqard 2y ago
  Musk apologist are rampant on HN.
  - method_capital 2y ago
    [flagged]
    - zfg 2y ago
      > Do we hate him because of DOGE? Musk wants Ukraine to submit to Russia: https://www.npr.org/2022/10/04/1126714896/elon-musk-ukraine-peace-plan-zelenskyy https://www.npr.org/2022/10/04/1126714896/elon-musk-ukraine-... He wants Taiwan to submit to China: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/oct/08/elon-musk-taiwan-china-special-administrative-zone-hong-kong https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/oct/08/elon-musk... He thinks America is full of complacency and entitlement whereas China rocks: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/31/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-china-rocks-us-full-of-entitlement.html https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/31/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-china-ro... He has pledged his commitment to China's core socialist values: https://www.mediaite.com/news/elon-musk-signs-letter-pledging-teslas-commitment-to-chinas-core-socialist-values/ https://www.mediaite.com/news/elon-musk-signs-letter-pledgin... And so on and so on. There's lots to choose from. China and Russia used to think they had to beat America. Then they hoped America would beat itself. I bet they never expected America to turn into an ally.
    - dylan604 2y ago
      > Where are they in this thread mirror mirror on the wall... Sibling commenter has provided a list of links, but there are plenty of reasons to dislike Musk. I personally think he is not someone we should be putting on a pedestal for others to look up to. Just because someone has made money does not make them a good person. Al Capone and Pablo Escobar made a lot of money as intentionally extreme examples. He does however fit hand-and-glove with this administration for those very same reasons
scotty79 2y ago
Some people postulate his mental decline might be drug related.
darth_avocado 2y ago
Or maybe, just maybe, someone who obsesses over hardcore work and tries to manage 20 different companies, while also trying to be perpetually online, is probably sleep deprived and/or is on medications to keep up with everything. That kind of lifestyle would do that to you long term.
- Braxton1980 2y ago
  That would be a cause but he's been like this for over two years. Wouldn't there be a point where he reflects on the past and analyzes his behavior?
  - darth_avocado 2y ago
    When you’re in it, you can’t reflect unless you’re no longer in it.
qingcharles 2y ago
He's Tweeting >500 times a day. There is almost no hour of the day he does not Tweet now. He is either paying someone to Tweet or he's literally no longer sleeping. Here's a graph about third of the way down: https://www.natesilver.net/p/elon-musk-and-spiky-intelligence https://www.natesilver.net/p/elon-musk-and-spiky-intelligenc... (Elon Musk's Tweets by time of day)
- bloomingkales 2y ago
  Anecdotal, but I've noticed some men lose the need for sleep as they get older.
  - Marsymars 2y ago
    It's typically not that people lose the need for sleep as they older, but that aging negatively impacts the ability to sleep, which leads to individuals suffering from both age-related decline along with the impacts of their sleep's impaired restoration.

ziddoap 2y ago

>I think the real winner of “America first” will be China and Russia. Indeed. >An hour later, Slim announced that he would transfer his projects for the next 5 years with Starlink, an investment of 22 billion dollars, to companies in China and Europe.

nozzlegear 2y ago
Brings to mind a meme that's quickly become a favorite of mine since Jan 20th. It's a picture of a "gigachad" Xi Jinping with the caption "Do nothing. Win." https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/002/352/212/95b.jpg https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/002/352/212/95b...
- r00fus 2y ago
  I find that meme super funny - because China is doing a LOT of things that simply aren't getting noticed by (or being ignored by) the media in the West. Belt & Road, New Silk Road, solar panels everywhere, etc. They're not doing nothing - they're just not being idiots.

walrus01 2y ago

There's plenty of evidence now based on his aberrant behavior in public that he has a serious drug problem. Look at the video of him on the stage at the event where he told all the x advertisers "fine, don't advertise, go fuck yourself". If you are wealthy enough you can certainly find enough licensed medical professionals to provide you with basically whatever substance you want, and in unlimited quantities. Exact same sort of thing that ended in the death of Michael Jackson.

techorange 2y ago
[flagged]
- ziddoap 2y ago
  The net worth increase was not because of him telling advertisers to fuck themselves.
bloomingkales 2y ago
The onset of some prescription stimulants is extremely euphoric and leads to immediate mania in some.

contemporary343 2y ago

Definitely seems like a drug problem to me. He seems strung out of his mind if this article's sourcing is correct: https://www.wired.com/story/katie-stephen-miller-elon-musk-takeover/ https://www.wired.com/story/katie-stephen-miller-elon-musk-t...

mrcode007 2y ago
How did you draw the connection between being babysat and drugs?
Gigachad 2y ago
Yeah I don’t think he was just always like this and hiding it. The drugs have cooked his brain.

pygar 2y ago

I think he's trying to generate engagement on X through controversy. The recent change to search, which now shows posts from people you've blocked (with no options to turn it off) suggests this too. The problem with this strategy is that you have to keep escalating otherwise it gets boring fast, and it attracts people no one wants to advertise to. My feed is full of racebaiters and anti-woke culture crap despite telling the algorithm I’m not interesting. I’m not sure there's much else left.

MyOutfitIsVague 2y ago
> My feed is full of racebaiters and anti-woke culture crap despite telling the algorithm I’m not interesting. I’m not sure there's much else left. Why even keep using the platform?
- pygar 2y ago
  I read the timelines of people who only use twitter. Local journalists and people who talk about about specific issues.
  - UncleOxidant 2y ago
    If enough people leave Xitter then those people "who only use twitter" will either leave as well, or it indicates that they're just fine being on a "racebaiting" platform. I really don't get why people are staying there other than it means they're just fine with Musk's antics and the rage farming.
- dlivingston 2y ago
  There are circles of people that I like still on the platform. Plus, lots of great discussion on AI and entrepreneurship, both of which BlueSky takes a hostile attitude towards. In addition, I take the general zeitgeist of X to be something like the Freudian id of the MAGA coalition, which is a useful thing to be tuned into, given that they run the country currently.
rangerelf 2y ago

UncleOxidant 2y ago

The problem is that when someone gets to that level of wealth there's really nobody left to say "no". Likely nobody in his circle has the guts to tell him what he needs to hear. This in addition to the alleged drug issues and his excessive time on X (which is also kind of a drug) is how we got here.

disqard 2y ago

Perhaps you've seen this, or maybe not. It's worth mentioning that you're not the only one to make that connection -- Jaron Lanier called it "Twitter Poisoning": https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/11/opinion/trump-musk-kanye-twitter.html https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/11/opinion/trump-musk-kanye-...

duxup 2y ago
That was interesting. I certainly see similar situations where people I knew seem terrified of trans related topics, one couple I knew are on a sort of anti porn crusade. I ask them all and they have ZERO personal run ins with what they fear and tweet / post about… but it doesn’t end and when the topics come up they can’t imagine that you’re not deep in the middle of their social media memes and conversations and so on. It’s a wild situation, there’s nothing in their life that supports their ideas and fears but they’re all in.

techorange 2y ago

[flagged]

disqard 2y ago
Musk apologist are rampant on HN.
- method_capital 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - zfg 2y ago
    > Do we hate him because of DOGE? Musk wants Ukraine to submit to Russia: https://www.npr.org/2022/10/04/1126714896/elon-musk-ukraine-peace-plan-zelenskyy https://www.npr.org/2022/10/04/1126714896/elon-musk-ukraine-... He wants Taiwan to submit to China: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/oct/08/elon-musk-taiwan-china-special-administrative-zone-hong-kong https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/oct/08/elon-musk... He thinks America is full of complacency and entitlement whereas China rocks: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/31/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-china-rocks-us-full-of-entitlement.html https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/31/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-china-ro... He has pledged his commitment to China's core socialist values: https://www.mediaite.com/news/elon-musk-signs-letter-pledging-teslas-commitment-to-chinas-core-socialist-values/ https://www.mediaite.com/news/elon-musk-signs-letter-pledgin... And so on and so on. There's lots to choose from. China and Russia used to think they had to beat America. Then they hoped America would beat itself. I bet they never expected America to turn into an ally.
  - dylan604 2y ago
    > Where are they in this thread mirror mirror on the wall... Sibling commenter has provided a list of links, but there are plenty of reasons to dislike Musk. I personally think he is not someone we should be putting on a pedestal for others to look up to. Just because someone has made money does not make them a good person. Al Capone and Pablo Escobar made a lot of money as intentionally extreme examples. He does however fit hand-and-glove with this administration for those very same reasons

scotty79 2y ago

Some people postulate his mental decline might be drug related.

darth_avocado 2y ago

Or maybe, just maybe, someone who obsesses over hardcore work and tries to manage 20 different companies, while also trying to be perpetually online, is probably sleep deprived and/or is on medications to keep up with everything. That kind of lifestyle would do that to you long term.

Braxton1980 2y ago
That would be a cause but he's been like this for over two years. Wouldn't there be a point where he reflects on the past and analyzes his behavior?
- darth_avocado 2y ago
  When you’re in it, you can’t reflect unless you’re no longer in it.

qingcharles 2y ago

He's Tweeting >500 times a day. There is almost no hour of the day he does not Tweet now. He is either paying someone to Tweet or he's literally no longer sleeping. Here's a graph about third of the way down: https://www.natesilver.net/p/elon-musk-and-spiky-intelligence https://www.natesilver.net/p/elon-musk-and-spiky-intelligenc... (Elon Musk's Tweets by time of day)

bloomingkales 2y ago
Anecdotal, but I've noticed some men lose the need for sleep as they get older.
- Marsymars 2y ago
  It's typically not that people lose the need for sleep as they older, but that aging negatively impacts the ability to sleep, which leads to individuals suffering from both age-related decline along with the impacts of their sleep's impaired restoration.