7 ms·

Elon Musk says he'll form the 'America Party' if 'insane' spending bill passes

44 points by MilnerRoute 1y ago

quantified 1y ago
This will split MAGA and Republicans apart. Go for it! Let oceans of money flow.
ggm 1y ago
Political parties suck money, time and energy. It's one of those "harder than it looks" things. It's not like running a PAC or a company.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
pinewurst 1y ago
While I think there is a need for a center party, Musk is the last person I’d trust with its parentage.
- ggm 1y ago
  Musk is anti union. Do you think an anti union position can be described as centrist?
  - pinewurst 1y ago
    No, I don’t. I believe Musk used the term ‘center’ in misdescribing his efforts but he’s hardly the definer of it.
    - kermatt 1y ago
      It would be a party where Musk is the center of its universe.
- techpineapple 1y ago
  Do center parties work? I guess the problem is center what, I think it would be hard for people to agree on what Center means, I'm probably relatively center compared to some set of ideals, but certainly to left socially for a lot of people. . Center also somewhat implies a balance of two sides, but there aren't just two sides. Is FP center? Center as in halfway between the Democratic Party and Republican party? Center as in halfway between the women's studies department at Reed College and Alex Jones? In which case sometimes I think modern centrists are nuttier than either of the two sides.
  - pinewurst 1y ago
    I’d like to think of it as the fusion of the evershrinking rational parts of the existing parties who want to get mutually advantageous things done in a productive, constructive way. We can happily ditch the extreme Left and fascist, religious and libertarian Rights.
    - clipsy 1y ago
      I can't help but notice a distinct lack of actual policy coming from the people who advocate for a "center" party.
      - AnimalMuppet 1y ago
        It's mostly discarding the insane ideas of both the Democrats and Republicans. What's left isn't sexy or cutting edge, but it's probably better policies than the more extreme platforms...
        techpineapple 1y ago
        Which insane ideas, usually the insane ideas are the most popular.
        clipsy 1y ago
        Still no actual policies.
- Finnucane 1y ago
  Musk is a centrist in the way that Albert Speer was a centrist.
- const_cast 1y ago
  We already have a center party, it's the democratic party. It's 90% moderate neo-liberal politicians who favor the status-quo like their life depends on it.
techpineapple 1y ago
It would be funny if this is what ended citizens united.
clipsy 1y ago
> Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle? Where "the 80% in the middle" are assumed to agree with whatever Musk's political opinions happen to be today.
lofaszvanitt 1y ago
Watch next starship as it goes up in flames...
MentatOnMelange 1y ago
The thing is that nobody actually wants a centrist party. There are 2 problems I see: 1. The leaders now pushing for a centrist party are the same people who got us to this point of polarization. Whether by actively exploiting it (Musk) or by failing to recognize people wanted change (centrist democrats, small government republicans etc). 2. Voting is a hassle, having to wait in line or go to the drop off box, or deal with paperwork with mail-in ballots. Plenty of people may have very strong opinions when they get riled up, they may hate or fear the opposition, or talk abou how much they care about civic duty, but that doesn't always translate into actual votes. The second problem is why highly motivated supporters are more important than walking on eggshells around people outside the base. Best example I can think of is Mamdani (and I think this applies to Trump's 2016 campaign too). He has a lot of poralizing ideas, and there are vanishingly few people who agree with everything he says. So you'd think maybe Cuomo would be the obvious victor, since people knew him and he wasn't really doing anything on the campaign trail, staying quiet with a cery curated message. But not only did Mamdani beat him, but more people voted for Mamdani in a 5 way primary than voted republican in the last general mayoral election.
GeekyBear 1y ago
I think Americans (on the left, right, and center, regardless of race) are ready to support a populist party that prioritizes policies that are favorable towards members of the working class.
- clipsy 1y ago
  > policies that are favorable towards members of the working class Such as? What positions will this party take on other (eg "culture war") issues?
  - jauntywundrkind 1y ago
    Taxing the rich. A strong FTC making big anti-trust moves. Improving affordability of (pharma) drugs & improving the pipeline for generics. Keeping banks from screwing over customers with outrageous fees & other excellent CFPB pursuits.
    - clipsy 1y ago
      I personally agree, but you’re just describing moderate Democrats, and they aren’t exactly doing gangbusters lately.
      - GeekyBear 1y ago
        > you’re just describing moderate Democrats The moderate Democrats are the ones who voted with the establishment Republicans to kill the bank reforms put into place after the financial collapse during the first Trump term. They definitely aren't populists.
      - jauntywundrkind 1y ago
        Trying to win with good policy alone is nightmare mode hard. The Democrats have been utterly unwilling to go towards popularism– to calling out the capitalist classes–as the problem, as exploiters. Also the Democrats havent gotten a ton of chance to actually do much. The last time they had a trifecta was 2011. We got the ACA, which Dems attempted very very hard to make bipartisan, and ended up passing on their own anyways after making concession after concession in failed attempts to woo in some Republicans. The ultra conservative supreme court and court shopped to high hell 5th district have also kept any possible progress from happening. Running on talk alone is hard, in a system set up to only enable obstruction & de-governance.
tonetheman 1y ago
[dead]
k310 1y ago
Trump was always anti-tech. He just promised big tech all kinds of de-regulation and so on, but his budget bill takes a ton away from big tech. Trump got his (allegedly) hacked election and entry to the wild west world of crypto, from which he has made billions. And goodbye, back to his maga anti-intellectual base. Posted yesterday. (my goodness, the OP was flagged!) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44409844 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44409844 3 points by k310 1 day ago | parent | context | prev | next [–] | on: Elon Musk says Senate bill would destroy jobs and ... You bought it; you own it. Tech bro's were used, then abused. Let's ask Michael Moritz. Musk vs Trump is a cautionary tale for Silicon Valley [0] Story by Michael Moritz The writer is a longtime Silicon Valley investor, former board member of PayPal and an investor in SpaceX > While Musk has left Washington with his reputation tarnished and his businesses impaired, the president’s family has inked deals for new hotels and golf courses around the world. Membership fees at Mar-a-Lago, his Floridian sanctuary, ballooned last year. And he is milking the enthusiasm of his supporters with his own controversial memecoin, launched days before his inauguration. > One word of advice for those in Silicon Valley who followed Musk’s lead and sided with Trump. Leave. Don’t delude yourself that you are working to make crypto a part of global finance, minimising artificial intelligence regulation, helping start-up companies or protecting the interests of Silicon Valley. You have no sway. You are just cannon fodder. [0] https://www.ft.com/content/c779b3b6-e989-4277-91fd-d724682918be https://www.ft.com/content/c779b3b6-e989-4277-91fd-d72468291... https://archive.is/hnPQC#selection-136.5-136.6 https://archive.is/hnPQC#selection-136.5-136.6
tim333 1y ago
While I can see the appeal of a more sane political party, Musk's time at DOGE didn't give me great hopes of him doing a good job there.

44 points by MilnerRoute 1y ago

This will split MAGA and Republicans apart. Go for it! Let oceans of money flow.

ggm 1y ago

Political parties suck money, time and energy. It's one of those "harder than it looks" things. It's not like running a PAC or a company.

deleted 1y ago
[deleted]

pinewurst 1y ago

While I think there is a need for a center party, Musk is the last person I’d trust with its parentage.

ggm 1y ago
Musk is anti union. Do you think an anti union position can be described as centrist?
- pinewurst 1y ago
  No, I don’t. I believe Musk used the term ‘center’ in misdescribing his efforts but he’s hardly the definer of it.
  - kermatt 1y ago
    It would be a party where Musk is the center of its universe.
techpineapple 1y ago
Do center parties work? I guess the problem is center what, I think it would be hard for people to agree on what Center means, I'm probably relatively center compared to some set of ideals, but certainly to left socially for a lot of people. . Center also somewhat implies a balance of two sides, but there aren't just two sides. Is FP center? Center as in halfway between the Democratic Party and Republican party? Center as in halfway between the women's studies department at Reed College and Alex Jones? In which case sometimes I think modern centrists are nuttier than either of the two sides.
- pinewurst 1y ago
  I’d like to think of it as the fusion of the evershrinking rational parts of the existing parties who want to get mutually advantageous things done in a productive, constructive way. We can happily ditch the extreme Left and fascist, religious and libertarian Rights.
  - clipsy 1y ago
    I can't help but notice a distinct lack of actual policy coming from the people who advocate for a "center" party.
    - AnimalMuppet 1y ago
      It's mostly discarding the insane ideas of both the Democrats and Republicans. What's left isn't sexy or cutting edge, but it's probably better policies than the more extreme platforms...
      - techpineapple 1y ago
        Which insane ideas, usually the insane ideas are the most popular.
      - clipsy 1y ago
        Still no actual policies.
Finnucane 1y ago
Musk is a centrist in the way that Albert Speer was a centrist.
const_cast 1y ago
We already have a center party, it's the democratic party. It's 90% moderate neo-liberal politicians who favor the status-quo like their life depends on it.

techpineapple 1y ago

It would be funny if this is what ended citizens united.

clipsy 1y ago

> Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle? Where "the 80% in the middle" are assumed to agree with whatever Musk's political opinions happen to be today.

lofaszvanitt 1y ago

Watch next starship as it goes up in flames...

MentatOnMelange 1y ago

The thing is that nobody actually wants a centrist party. There are 2 problems I see: 1. The leaders now pushing for a centrist party are the same people who got us to this point of polarization. Whether by actively exploiting it (Musk) or by failing to recognize people wanted change (centrist democrats, small government republicans etc). 2. Voting is a hassle, having to wait in line or go to the drop off box, or deal with paperwork with mail-in ballots. Plenty of people may have very strong opinions when they get riled up, they may hate or fear the opposition, or talk abou how much they care about civic duty, but that doesn't always translate into actual votes. The second problem is why highly motivated supporters are more important than walking on eggshells around people outside the base. Best example I can think of is Mamdani (and I think this applies to Trump's 2016 campaign too). He has a lot of poralizing ideas, and there are vanishingly few people who agree with everything he says. So you'd think maybe Cuomo would be the obvious victor, since people knew him and he wasn't really doing anything on the campaign trail, staying quiet with a cery curated message. But not only did Mamdani beat him, but more people voted for Mamdani in a 5 way primary than voted republican in the last general mayoral election.

GeekyBear 1y ago

I think Americans (on the left, right, and center, regardless of race) are ready to support a populist party that prioritizes policies that are favorable towards members of the working class.

clipsy 1y ago
> policies that are favorable towards members of the working class Such as? What positions will this party take on other (eg "culture war") issues?
- jauntywundrkind 1y ago
  Taxing the rich. A strong FTC making big anti-trust moves. Improving affordability of (pharma) drugs & improving the pipeline for generics. Keeping banks from screwing over customers with outrageous fees & other excellent CFPB pursuits.
  - clipsy 1y ago
    I personally agree, but you’re just describing moderate Democrats, and they aren’t exactly doing gangbusters lately.
    - GeekyBear 1y ago
      > you’re just describing moderate Democrats The moderate Democrats are the ones who voted with the establishment Republicans to kill the bank reforms put into place after the financial collapse during the first Trump term. They definitely aren't populists.
    - jauntywundrkind 1y ago
      Trying to win with good policy alone is nightmare mode hard. The Democrats have been utterly unwilling to go towards popularism– to calling out the capitalist classes–as the problem, as exploiters. Also the Democrats havent gotten a ton of chance to actually do much. The last time they had a trifecta was 2011. We got the ACA, which Dems attempted very very hard to make bipartisan, and ended up passing on their own anyways after making concession after concession in failed attempts to woo in some Republicans. The ultra conservative supreme court and court shopped to high hell 5th district have also kept any possible progress from happening. Running on talk alone is hard, in a system set up to only enable obstruction & de-governance.

tonetheman 1y ago

[dead]

k310 1y ago

Trump was always anti-tech. He just promised big tech all kinds of de-regulation and so on, but his budget bill takes a ton away from big tech. Trump got his (allegedly) hacked election and entry to the wild west world of crypto, from which he has made billions. And goodbye, back to his maga anti-intellectual base. Posted yesterday. (my goodness, the OP was flagged!) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44409844 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44409844 3 points by k310 1 day ago | parent | context | prev | next [–] | on: Elon Musk says Senate bill would destroy jobs and ... You bought it; you own it. Tech bro's were used, then abused. Let's ask Michael Moritz. Musk vs Trump is a cautionary tale for Silicon Valley [0] Story by Michael Moritz The writer is a longtime Silicon Valley investor, former board member of PayPal and an investor in SpaceX > While Musk has left Washington with his reputation tarnished and his businesses impaired, the president’s family has inked deals for new hotels and golf courses around the world. Membership fees at Mar-a-Lago, his Floridian sanctuary, ballooned last year. And he is milking the enthusiasm of his supporters with his own controversial memecoin, launched days before his inauguration. > One word of advice for those in Silicon Valley who followed Musk’s lead and sided with Trump. Leave. Don’t delude yourself that you are working to make crypto a part of global finance, minimising artificial intelligence regulation, helping start-up companies or protecting the interests of Silicon Valley. You have no sway. You are just cannon fodder. [0] https://www.ft.com/content/c779b3b6-e989-4277-91fd-d724682918be https://www.ft.com/content/c779b3b6-e989-4277-91fd-d72468291... https://archive.is/hnPQC#selection-136.5-136.6 https://archive.is/hnPQC#selection-136.5-136.6

tim333 1y ago

While I can see the appeal of a more sane political party, Musk's time at DOGE didn't give me great hopes of him doing a good job there.