I'm going to like it while defining Musk as an online troll, just wealthier than the rest. He says some really dumb and/or inflammatory things just to get a rise out of people.
I'm a big fan of Yglesias. I've been reading him since I was a senior in high school back in the halcyon days of 2003. He's probably influenced my political viewpoints (for better or worse) more than any other political writer over the past 20 years. One thing that bothers me with him is he doesn't always seem to grasp the emotional aspect of politics. People aren't purely rational when forming judgements of political and cultural actors. In addition to Musk, he often lauds Joe Manchin and says progressives should be thankful for them. I both 100% agree with this and think it's kind of a useless point. If you are a fan of the child tax credit that died at the beginning of 2022 and you know that Joe Manchin oppossed it saying that parents would use it to buy drugs - it's completely understandable and I would argue, rational to be angry about that. You can be angry at Manchin about that while simultaneously being thankful that there is a Dem senator in one of the most red states in the union.
I guess my point is that Yglesias is great but he seems to either not understand basic human nature (we aren't vulcans!) or gaslights about it.
The biggest issue for me regarding whether or not I support Musk isn't his trolling, but where he stands on the security of the 2020 Presidential Election. To me this is the most important issue in 2022, where we have widely supported candidates whose entire platform was that the election was "rigged". The demagogue who started the lie, and the media platform(s) that propagated it (e.g. Fox News) have convinced a shockingly large percentage of the country that the 2020 election was illegitimate. In 2022 truth is on the ballot.
Musk now owns the largest online platform in the country. He has said "Twitter needs to become by far the most accurate source of information about the world. That's our mission." If he truly believes this, I support that endeavor. He has the power and influence to convince people of the truth. I've really been hoping to see him come out against The Big Lie. However instead, he does things like tweeting a wildly false conspiracy theory about Nancy Pelosi's husband. Also, the fact that he's voting Republican this year, makes me think he either doesn't believe Trump's lies are a big deal, or he doesn't think they're lies.
Misinformation is on the ballot this year. Musk has the power to fight it, but so far he hasn't. I will continue to hope he has it within himself to change, but for now I just can't support someone who wants to put people in power who tacitly endorse Trump's blatantly false lies. Which sucks, because rockets and electric cars are pretty cool.
P.S. If he actually has come out against the Election Deniers, please tell me - I'm new to Twitter.
The big issue for many of us cranky old-fashioned liberals is that Musk is vaporware salesman who sells broken products to rich, empty-headed douche-nozzles so they can feel virtuous. Or gain clout. It helps if one has an understanding of the viability and scalability (or, mostly, lack thereof) of Musk’s empty promises and shitty products.
Musk is a fake green signaler who sells $70,000 cars, fake solar & shitty Internet to Silicon Valley assholes so they can feel good about their lifestyles.
I'm going to like it while defining Musk as an online troll, just wealthier than the rest. He says some really dumb and/or inflammatory things just to get a rise out of people.
I'm a big fan of Yglesias. I've been reading him since I was a senior in high school back in the halcyon days of 2003. He's probably influenced my political viewpoints (for better or worse) more than any other political writer over the past 20 years. One thing that bothers me with him is he doesn't always seem to grasp the emotional aspect of politics. People aren't purely rational when forming judgements of political and cultural actors. In addition to Musk, he often lauds Joe Manchin and says progressives should be thankful for them. I both 100% agree with this and think it's kind of a useless point. If you are a fan of the child tax credit that died at the beginning of 2022 and you know that Joe Manchin oppossed it saying that parents would use it to buy drugs - it's completely understandable and I would argue, rational to be angry about that. You can be angry at Manchin about that while simultaneously being thankful that there is a Dem senator in one of the most red states in the union.
I guess my point is that Yglesias is great but he seems to either not understand basic human nature (we aren't vulcans!) or gaslights about it.
The biggest issue for me regarding whether or not I support Musk isn't his trolling, but where he stands on the security of the 2020 Presidential Election. To me this is the most important issue in 2022, where we have widely supported candidates whose entire platform was that the election was "rigged". The demagogue who started the lie, and the media platform(s) that propagated it (e.g. Fox News) have convinced a shockingly large percentage of the country that the 2020 election was illegitimate. In 2022 truth is on the ballot.
Musk now owns the largest online platform in the country. He has said "Twitter needs to become by far the most accurate source of information about the world. That's our mission." If he truly believes this, I support that endeavor. He has the power and influence to convince people of the truth. I've really been hoping to see him come out against The Big Lie. However instead, he does things like tweeting a wildly false conspiracy theory about Nancy Pelosi's husband. Also, the fact that he's voting Republican this year, makes me think he either doesn't believe Trump's lies are a big deal, or he doesn't think they're lies.
Misinformation is on the ballot this year. Musk has the power to fight it, but so far he hasn't. I will continue to hope he has it within himself to change, but for now I just can't support someone who wants to put people in power who tacitly endorse Trump's blatantly false lies. Which sucks, because rockets and electric cars are pretty cool.
P.S. If he actually has come out against the Election Deniers, please tell me - I'm new to Twitter.
The big issue for many of us cranky old-fashioned liberals is that Musk is vaporware salesman who sells broken products to rich, empty-headed douche-nozzles so they can feel virtuous. Or gain clout. It helps if one has an understanding of the viability and scalability (or, mostly, lack thereof) of Musk’s empty promises and shitty products.
Musk is a fake green signaler who sells $70,000 cars, fake solar & shitty Internet to Silicon Valley assholes so they can feel good about their lifestyles.