The news thread

[Key]

I don't deny that he's smart. I don't deny that he's made positive contributions to the world. I also believe he uses his intelligence to advance anti-human rights causes and uses his platform to promote and reward literal white supremacist hate speech and calls for violence. I personally don't think there's a practical distinction between "Musk" and "Musk's politics" at this point, his actions are informed by his views. And even beyond that, Mindy was specifically announcing support for him in a political context, so that was what I was making my cases against.

I've been trying to give Mindy grace and pick his brain a bit by way of presenting facts and taking his responses into account to learn about his viewpoint. But at the end of the day, some people (not talking about anyone specific here) just have fundamental moral differences and I believe it's perfectly reasonable for anyone to set boundaries and draw lines in the sand. At any rate I'm not sure that's even that relevant at this stage of the thread; I don't think anyone here is shunning Mindy or shutting him out, I think their reactions have all been perfectly understandable ones given we're talking about someone saying they'd vote for the Nazi salute guy. Jimmy, TH and I have all posed questions, I don't think anyone here is unwilling to have a conversation.

Yeah but there's also those same people in this thread that show support for Kanye in the Kanye West thread and nobody really seems to be flipping their lid over that and he's been actively more dangerous in terms of racism and anti semitism. I'm not saying you're off base, in fact I agree with much of what you're saying, but the people in here that are speaking against Musk while also supporting Kanye comes off a bit odd.

[SGR]

Elon Musk sticks his nose into British politics and hasn't got a clue what he's on about. He was tweeting shit about Tommy Robinson being wrongfully imprisoned for exposing nonces. It was not true. He was just going along with the crowd.

When it comes to meddling in foreign elections, we (the USA) are some of the best of the best. That being said, there's been plenty of instances of the UK meddling in our elections as well (and when I refer to 'meddling', I don't necessarily mean anything illegal has been done, but rather simple influence campaigns). I'm reminded of a very humorous effort from the Guardian back in 2004 urging their readership to write letters to US voters to try and bolster support for John Kerry. Of course, the humor of it all was in the letters/e-mails that the Guardian received back from Americans with their thoughts on the effort (some of which were encouraging and thankful, but those weren't the funny ones):

Dear Limey assholes

"American responses to 2004 UK Guardian readership outreach effort"

Have you not noticed that Americans don't give two shits what Europeans think of us? Each email someone gets from some arrogant Brit telling us why to NOT vote for George Bush is going to backfire, you stupid, yellow-toothed pansies ... I don't give a rat's ass if our election is going to have an effect on your worthless little life. I really don't. If you want to have a meaningful election in your crappy little island full of shitty food and yellow teeth, then maybe you should try not to sell your sovereignty out to Brussels and Berlin, dipshit. Oh, yeah - and brush your goddamned teeth, you filthy animals.
Wading River, NY

KEEP YOUR FUCKIN' LIMEY HANDS OFF OUR ELECTION. HEY, SHITHEADS, REMEMBER THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR? REMEMBER THE WAR OF 1812? WE DIDN'T WANT YOU, OR YOUR POLITICS HERE, THAT'S WHY WE KICKED YOUR ASSES OUT. FOR THE 47% OF YOU WHO DON'T WANT PRESIDENT BUSH, I SAY THIS ... TOUGH SHIT!
PROUD AMERICAN VOTING FOR BUSH!

Real Americans aren't interested in your pansy-ass, tea-sipping opinions. If you want to save the world, begin with your own worthless corner of it.
Texas, USA

My dear, beloved Brits,
I understand the Guardian is sponsoring a service where British citizens write to Americans to advise them on how to vote. Thank heavens! I was adrift in a sea of confusion and you are my beacon of hope!

Feel free to respond to this email with your advice. Please keep in mind that I am something of an anglophile, so this is not confrontational. Please remember, too, that I am merely an American. That means I am not very bright. It means I have no culture or sense of history. It also means that I am barely literate, so please don't use big, fancy words.

Set me straight, folks!
Dayton, Ohio

Gentle folks at the Guardian,
In your plea to get your non-American readers to write to voters in Clark County, Iowa, you are correct that events in the US have had, and will have, effects on world events. For example, we have pulled your chestnuts out of the fire in two world wars that were occasioned by European diplomacy. Maybe you'd like a vote in which American president will oversee the next rescue. The next time you have elections in Great Britain, I shall endeavour to send names of your citizens to people in France, Iraq, India, the United Arab Emirates, Botswana, Pakistan, China and Argentina so that they may attempt to influence your election. It's only fair that everybody in the world should have a say in the selection of the prime minister.

Who in the hell do you think you are??? Well, I'll tell you, you're a bunch of meddling socialist pricks! Stay the hell out of our country and politics. And another thing, John Kerry is a worthless lying sack of crap so it doesn't surprise me that a socialist rag like yours would back him. I hope your cynical ploy blows up in your cowardly faces, you bunch of mealy-mouthed morons!

Hey England, Scotland and Wales,
Mind your own business. We don't need weenie-spined Limeys meddling in our presidental election. If it wasn't for America, you'd all be speaking German. And if America would have had a president, then, of the likes of Kerry, you'd all be goose-stepping around Buckingham Palace. YOU ARE NOT WANTED!! Whether you want to support either party. BUTT OUT!!!
United States

[close]

   

[jimmy jazz]

Yeah but there's also those same people in this thread that show support for Kanye in the Kanye West thread and nobody really seems to be flipping their lid over that and he's been actively more dangerous in terms of racism and anti semitism. I'm not saying you're off base, in fact I agree with much of what you're saying, but the people in here that are speaking against Musk while also supporting Kanye comes off a bit odd.

Who is doing that? Name names.

[jimmy jazz]

When it comes to meddling in foreign elections, we (the USA) are some of the best of the best. That being said, there's been plenty of instances of the UK meddling in our elections as well (and when I refer to 'meddling', I don't necessarily mean anything illegal has been done, but rather simple influence campaigns). I'm reminded of a very humorous effort from the Guardian back in 2004 urging their readership to write letters to US voters to try and bolster support for John Kerry. Of course, the humor of it all was in the letters/e-mails that the Guardian received back from Americans with their thoughts on the effort (some of which were encouraging and thankful, but those weren't the funny ones):

Dear Limey assholes

   

They have a point tbf   

[Buck_Mulligan]

In addition to all the usual shit said about Elon Musk, have you seen that weird jump he does on stage where he spreads his arms and legs out to look like an X? Weird prick. It's really annoying. I don't know why it annoys me so much but it does.

Maybe you're just intolerant. 

[Buck_Mulligan]

I've been a fan of Elon since at least 2010. 2024 changed my view of him on one level, but there is still no disputing he's got great biz and tech foresight.

[jimmy jazz]

Maybe you're just intolerant. 

Only to weird people who jump in the shape of an X.

Also I tolerate you 

[Guybrush]

He seems like a fascist rich person whose politics serve big companies and the wealthy and then undermine things like public services and unions that would benefit the working class.

What's there to like? Yuck.

[Trollheart]

I mean, liking Musk is not the worst thing you can do, tbh. Dude is wicked smart but he's just gone down a path that isn't in line with what people expected out of him prior to politics. The other thing to, is that if you are all really against Musk like you say you are, I don't wanna see any of you talking pro electric vehicles / Tesla, because guess who was one of the main people behind that.

And to basically say "I've lost all respect for you" based on who someone likes is not much better. We have to get out of that line of thinking when conversing with people otherwise we'll keep finding ourselves in situations where nobody can even have a conversation.

And yes, im saying this fully knowing I've been one to speak loudly towards others beliefs, but even I am trying to step back and realize that people will have opposing opinions. It doesn't always mean they should be shunned or shut out.

I like Musk as well, but I hate his politics. Say what you want about that.

I've lost all respect for you.

Actually, checking back, what I said was "I've lost a lot of respect for you." I can do that. So far, we're not compelled to conform to any behavioural standard, and if someone says something that makes me think "Aw shit dude? Really?" and I know it's real and not just trolling or innocent confusion or whatever, then yeah, I will lose respect for that person. Not all, but it definitely makes me see them in a different light (usually green with white stripes). People have to realise that in our present climate, loose lips may not sink ships - unless they're really huge and have the capability to launch cruise missiles or torpedoes - but loose talk about supporting those who would be The New World Order is going to, as I said, get you pushback. I won't apologise for that. I'm not fighting with Mindy, but I am disappointed.

[Mindy]

I said I was sorry for liking how elon is smart yall damnnnnn. I will think how you think, I am sorry.


I was not serious about voting for him in the 2028 election....and I did not vote for trump 

really disappointed in y'all thinking I would too 

[SGR]

I will think how you think, I am sorry.

[Mindy]

[SGR]

[Lexi of the Dawn]

I don't think anyone told you to think how we think. I certainly didn't.

I appreciate you clearing things up that you weren't serious. It can be hard, certainly for me, to glean satirical or otherwise non-serious intent from just a few brief text posts. I hope you can empathize that, as a trans person from a Jewish upbringing and thus someone who is a target of the rhetoric Musk platforms, I tend to take ostensibly genuinely worded statements of support for him more seriously by default, and I hope you can grant me some grace for that.

[jimmy jazz]

I said I was sorry for liking how elon is smart yall damnnnnn. I will think how you think, I am sorry.


I was not serious about voting for him in the 2028 election....and I did not vote for trump 

really disappointed in y'all thinking I would too 

It was just the logical conclusion based off how you answered mate.

I asked if you liked Trump or Harris more but you kind of dodged it instead of answering.

I personally don't care if you like them both, but if you just came out swinging and said 'I like Elon and if you don't like it you can suck my cock' I'd be like 'fair enough'.