4 ms·

Elon Musk stirred the pot in the UK during the summer riots of 2024 posting on twitter: > civil war is inevitable as the owner of a key media platform in the

Elon Musk stirred the pot in the UK during the summer riots of 2024 posting on twitter: > civil war is inevitable as the owner of a key media platform in the world that sort of statement is indefensible. He's also picked a side in Germany by weighing in with as much support as possible for AfD. Don't pick this as a hill to die on, that man isn't worth it.

graemep 1y ago
I do not know about Germany, but I would characterise Elon's attempts to gain political influence in the UK as failed. He tried to bribe one party to accept an extremist as a member in return for a huge bribe, and he failed. He does not seem to have much influence on public opinion. I do not think its accurate to say he was fighting countries either. He was trying to buy influence. Its not the same thing.
- Quarrelsome 1y ago
  The man owns twitter ffs. The only way his attempts to gain political influence will ever fail is if the UK government block access to twitter or British people decide to stop using it. Until then he has significant capacity to sway political opinion. As an example: there is significant power in cultivating the default UK experience of twitter for new accounts, which he's already had significant impact on by culling Twitter's internal moderation team. I've experienced it myself and its a an absolute disaster zone of disinformation and bot accounts trying to stoke internal divisions.
  - graemep 1y ago
    You would think so, but he seems to have had remarkably little impact so far.
    - Quarrelsome 1y ago
      you're focusing too much on him personally instead of the impact of his platform and how he runs it. Twitter has had significant impact on UK politics and will continue to do so, especially in spreading disinformation[0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Leicester_unrest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Leicester_unrest
      - graemep 1y ago
        The platform does spread disinformation, but he does not have much ability to direct it. Yes, its a different issue from what influence he has personally.
        Quarrelsome 1y ago
        > he does not have much ability to direct it. This is like saying Steve Jobs didn't have much ability in making Apple devices so small you could fit them between your buttcheeks. Compared to anyone else in the entire world: Elon Musk has the most agency in cultivating what people see on twitter because he owns it. That your statement is so far divorced from reality as is possible, makes me think you are not taking this conversation seriously.
FirmwareBurner 1y ago
>Don't pick this as a hill to die on, that man isn't worth it. What are you talking about? Are you making up strawmen?
- Quarrelsome 1y ago
  Im saying he's not worthy of defending. Its clear that he intends to wield his fortune to enact political change.
  - FirmwareBurner 1y ago
    Pointing out the truth doesn't mean you're defending anyone but the truth. Not everything is partisan.
    - Quarrelsome 1y ago
      You're obfuscating the truth. I'm a Brit and clearly more aware than you on how Elon likes to try to interfere with the democratic choices this country has made. In the past day or two, his personal account has been attempting to buoy up Tommy fucking Robinson (for the umpteenth time) who is a violent thug, convicted criminal and renowned Islamophobe. Your "facts" are just sea-lioning misdirection that takes us away from the blatently obvious. Elon Musk has made his political intentions entirely clear, in writing, on his personal account. Anyone still trying to give him the benefit of the doubt is either being insincere or is a useful idiot.
      - FirmwareBurner 1y ago
        Again, I wasn't defending him. Also, shouldn't you be more concerned with little girls in the UK needing to carry knives and axes to defend themselves from migrant rape gangs, than with what Elon is saying? Especially since he's not causing those issues, he's just reading the room and calling it out as it is. I feel like you're getting worked up for the wrong things.
        1y ago

graemep 1y ago

I do not know about Germany, but I would characterise Elon's attempts to gain political influence in the UK as failed. He tried to bribe one party to accept an extremist as a member in return for a huge bribe, and he failed. He does not seem to have much influence on public opinion. I do not think its accurate to say he was fighting countries either. He was trying to buy influence. Its not the same thing.

Quarrelsome 1y ago
The man owns twitter ffs. The only way his attempts to gain political influence will ever fail is if the UK government block access to twitter or British people decide to stop using it. Until then he has significant capacity to sway political opinion. As an example: there is significant power in cultivating the default UK experience of twitter for new accounts, which he's already had significant impact on by culling Twitter's internal moderation team. I've experienced it myself and its a an absolute disaster zone of disinformation and bot accounts trying to stoke internal divisions.
- graemep 1y ago
  You would think so, but he seems to have had remarkably little impact so far.
  - Quarrelsome 1y ago
    you're focusing too much on him personally instead of the impact of his platform and how he runs it. Twitter has had significant impact on UK politics and will continue to do so, especially in spreading disinformation[0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Leicester_unrest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Leicester_unrest
    - graemep 1y ago
      The platform does spread disinformation, but he does not have much ability to direct it. Yes, its a different issue from what influence he has personally.
      - Quarrelsome 1y ago
        > he does not have much ability to direct it. This is like saying Steve Jobs didn't have much ability in making Apple devices so small you could fit them between your buttcheeks. Compared to anyone else in the entire world: Elon Musk has the most agency in cultivating what people see on twitter because he owns it. That your statement is so far divorced from reality as is possible, makes me think you are not taking this conversation seriously.

FirmwareBurner 1y ago

>Don't pick this as a hill to die on, that man isn't worth it. What are you talking about? Are you making up strawmen?

Quarrelsome 1y ago
Im saying he's not worthy of defending. Its clear that he intends to wield his fortune to enact political change.
- FirmwareBurner 1y ago
  Pointing out the truth doesn't mean you're defending anyone but the truth. Not everything is partisan.
  - Quarrelsome 1y ago
    You're obfuscating the truth. I'm a Brit and clearly more aware than you on how Elon likes to try to interfere with the democratic choices this country has made. In the past day or two, his personal account has been attempting to buoy up Tommy fucking Robinson (for the umpteenth time) who is a violent thug, convicted criminal and renowned Islamophobe. Your "facts" are just sea-lioning misdirection that takes us away from the blatently obvious. Elon Musk has made his political intentions entirely clear, in writing, on his personal account. Anyone still trying to give him the benefit of the doubt is either being insincere or is a useful idiot.
    - FirmwareBurner 1y ago
      Again, I wasn't defending him. Also, shouldn't you be more concerned with little girls in the UK needing to carry knives and axes to defend themselves from migrant rape gangs, than with what Elon is saying? Especially since he's not causing those issues, he's just reading the room and calling it out as it is. I feel like you're getting worked up for the wrong things.
      - 1y ago