• psmgx@lemmy.world
      1·
      2 days ago

      that may have been entirely or mostly intentional, because it’s now 100% a right-wing propaganda machine and it got Trump elected

    • LaLuzDelSol@lemmy.world
      1·
      3 days ago

      Look I don’t like Musk either but even starting off wealthy becoming the richest man in the world takes some doing. He was way ahead of the curve on reusable rockets and EVs and succeed there where a bunch of people failed. I think where he fails is when it comes to protecting his image and maintaining relationships. He’s a thin-skinned narcissist who thinks he’s humanity’s savoir and eventually that got to him.

  • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    3 days ago

    Centrist democrats are already warming to him. Then again, they have been waiting for this moment ever since he performed his nazi salute.

        • Reddfugee42@lemmy.worldEnglish
          0·
          2 days ago

          You’re misreading the article if you think it shows Democrats are “warming” to Elon Musk. No one quoted in the piece says they like him, trust him, or think he’s a decent person. In fact, what it shows is the exact opposite: many Democrats are still deeply skeptical of him and consider his behavior and politics dangerous. What’s happening here isn’t about admiration or trust—it’s about strategy and necessity. They’re engaging with him not because they want to, but because they feel they have to, given his immense influence over major technologies like EVs, space infrastructure, and social media.

          Take Rep. Robert Garcia, for example. He doesn’t praise Musk or suggest he’s come around to liking him. He says, “Musk has clearly gone down a right-wing rabbit hole,” and openly criticizes his platforming of extremists. The article quotes him as seeing Musk as someone who “lets people say hateful, violent, racist things.” That doesn’t sound like someone warming to him—that’s someone holding their nose while trying to work with him for practical reasons.

          The same goes for the White House. Yes, they’ve met with Musk and engaged him in policy discussions, but that’s because he controls major assets that intersect with government priorities: EV manufacturing, satellite internet, space tech. Musk is essentially a utility at this point—a problematic one, but one that’s too entangled with federal initiatives to ignore. It’s not about warming up to him. It’s about needing him to cooperate because of the role he’s carved out for himself, not because anyone thinks he’s a good actor.

          This is politics, not personal affection. Democrats engaging with Musk doesn’t mean they like him—it means they’re being realistic. They’re dealing with a man they see as dangerous and ideologically aligned with Trump, but who unfortunately holds keys to several important doors. The article reflects that tension. If anything, it paints a picture of wariness and pragmatism, not warmth.

          Whippersnapper.

    • spacecadet@lemm.ee
      0·
      3 days ago

      Makes sense considering Cory Booker did the same Nazi salute and he is a centrist democrat

      • Reddfugee42@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        3 days ago

        Got a video of that, buddy, where he hits his chest and then goes to a straight arm with no wave, twice?

        • spacecadet@lemm.ee
          0·
          2 days ago

          https://x.com/greenbergnation/status/1928917909088211440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1928917909088211440%7Ctwgr%5E90d752f4e65d34dca49e7a491ddada96bb105838%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnypost.com%2F2025%2F06%2F01%2Fus-news%2Fnew-jerey-sen-cory-booker-roasted-for-nazi-salute-at-california-democratic-convention%2F

          • Reddfugee42@lemmy.worldEnglish
            0·
            1 day ago

            🤣 you could just say you didn’t have the video of him striking his chest and doing it perfectly straight arm twice in a row.

            Thanks for this, I needed a laugh

  • nomad@infosec.pub
    0·
    3 days ago

    Somehow nobody has mentioned the drugs? And obvious signs of mental illness? Obviously high functioning, but that does not make the decisions less nuts.

    Has anybody seen the Johnny Harris video on musk? It was all fun and games until the drugs came out to play.

      • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
        0·
        2 days ago

        I’m convinced that Thiel is spared this fate solely by his homosexuality and shame in it. He understands the value of keeping some things close to the chest and the risks of being the face of anything. He just came to it in a sad and fucked up way.

        Comparatively, Musk thinks himself a glorious hero who should be the face of everything.

        Thiel rarely puts himself in any spotlight unless he’s either curated it, or drugged up, freaked out, and kinda losing it.

  • ceenote@lemmy.world
    0·
    3 days ago

    Nobody has done more to disprove the “Rich people are smarter than everyone else” idea.

    • Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee
      1·
      3 days ago

      I genuinely think he’s had some sort of cognitive decline.

      He went from being merely wealthy to the richest man in the world, and nearly everyone thinking he’s a genius, to being hated by nearly everyone and losing money fast.

    • GeeDubHayduke@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      0·
      3 days ago

      Literally had someone saying that earlier today. Something along the lines of “you don’t become the richest person in the world without some competency.” Just ignore the fact he started on third base…

      • jacksilver@lemmy.world
        0·
        3 days ago

        I mean, yeah he had a lot of advantage, but he did have to do something right to become the richest man. But making some good gambles doesn’t make you a good person nor does it mean you’re great at everything.

        Maybe he was good at finding companies at the right time to invest, but that means jack about any economic or political acumen. Same reason why we don’t want businessmen in politics, being good at one thing does not mean you’re good at everything.