Is Elon Musk the greatest visionary or the greatest snake oil salesman of our age?

[andysays]

The truth is that he doesn't want people exposed to unregulated political ideas.

If you really think Xitter is a genuine example of "unregulated political ideas", you're an even greater idiot than I already took you for

 

[andysays]

No, he's doing it for profit not politics.

Not doing a great job so far then, is he?

 

[Rimbaud]

OK, evidently you don't know about the Taibbi files. They reveal how the FBI censored Twitter before Musk. I understand that they weren't widely publicized in the UK (for obvious reasons) but you can easily Google them. Spend an hour or so browsing through them and your mind will change.

Your Hero of Socialist Labour Comrade Musk who is totally on your side has acquiesced with more censorship requests than ever (motivated frequently by his own business interests in various countries) and state-sponsored bots spreading misinformation are more rife than ever as well.

Twitter fulfilling more government censorship requests under Musk

Twitter has complied at least partially with 98.8 percent of takedown requests under Elon Musk’s ownership, data shows.

www.aljazeera.com

Bots on X worse than ever according to analysis of 1m tweets during first Republican primary debate

Researchers identify sprawling bot network of 1,305 accounts active during Republican debate and Donald Trump interview

www.theguardian.com

 

[Serge Forward]

Examples schmexamples... more deep state misinformation.

 

[NoXion]

If you really think Xitter is a genuine example of "unregulated political ideas", you're an even greater idiot than I already took you for

Phil is the ultimate contrarian dipshit. That's why he's regurgitating MAGA talking points while claiming to be on the left; it enables him to posture against the entire length of the political spectrum.

 

[two sheds]

That's true, and he's hardly coherent. He goes on about Biden all the time about how Biden can't speak or walk or hold his bowels all the time. He does it again and again, he repeats it, says the same thing over and over, hardly varies what he's saying all the time.

Did I mention that he does this all the time.

 

[phildwyer]

FBI censorship is bad Musk censorship is allowing free speech for the far right so good

Non sequitor.

 

[phildwyer]

Pretty underwhelming stuff as far as I have read. Sounds like one long hair pulling day for content moderation bods rather than any secretive plot to influence the election by the fbi

Well, to take just one example, the files show that the FBI used to send Twitter lists of accounts they wanted banned, and Twitter would acquiesce.

 

[Rob Ray]

Well, to take just one example, the files show that the FBI used to send Twitter lists of accounts they wanted banned, and Twitter would acquiesce.

Of course it did, it still does. That's what everyone's trying to drill into the block of wood you call a brain.

 

[phildwyer]

Still reading, this was the FBIs response btw:

“The correspondence between the FBI and Twitter show nothing more than examples of our traditional, longstanding and ongoing federal government and private sector engagements, which involve numerous companies over multiple sectors and industries. As evidenced in the correspondence, the FBI provides critical information to the private sector in an effort to allow them to protect themselves and their customers. The men and women of the FBI work every day to protect the American public. It is unfortunate that conspiracy theorists and others are feeding the American public misinformation with the sole purpose of attempting to discredit the agency.“

Yes, the FBI say that it's normal for the security state to censor the media, and no doubt it is. There are three major factor that make this case different. First, the untested and unprecedentedly powerful nature of the media in question. Second, the fact that Musk is not letting them operate in this way. Third (and most important in my view) they have been caught red-handed and forced to publicly admit their meddling in the media--for the first time ever afaik.

 

[phildwyer]

BTW - I would be astounded if this stuff is not happening right now at Twitter

There's a struggle going on, of that I'm sure. I think the best way for outsiders to gauge its progress is to see how the MSM treats Musk. The more hostile they are towards him, the more we assume he's pissing off the FBI by refusing to co-operate. And tbf he did buy Twitter specifically to stop government censorship. I don't trust him, but the spooks were obviously happier when Dorsey ran things.

 

[phildwyer]

Who's profits? Musk offered to buy Twitter for way too much, and then got strong-armed into completing the deal when he tried to back out. Twitter was only ever profitable for a couple of years pre-Musk, so he's now still bleeding money even after paying 44 billion smackaroonies for the privilege of being the world's most divorced shitposter.

Well since he's losing money maybe he is doing it out of principle. He's a strange man and I don't claim to understand him. But he's pissing the feds off for sure, and that's never a bad thing.

 

[JimW]

Clearly Musk is a front for the FBI and the state are underwriting his losses.

 

[phildwyer]

It doesn't seem like the Deep State people are very good at their job, tbh

Comically incompetent is the phrase that springs to mind. I've met some FBI recruits and trust me they are very far from being geniuses. They got caught with their hand in the till over this, when there was really no need. But what they lack in guile they make up for in vindictiveness, as Musk is now discovering.

 

[phildwyer]

If you really think Xitter is a genuine example of "unregulated political ideas", you're an even greater idiot than I already took you for

Which political ideas do you think Musk is repressing (or regulating if you prefer)?

 

[phildwyer]

Phil is the ultimate contrarian dipshit. That's why he's regurgitating MAGA talking points while claiming to be on the left;

I don't really claim to be on the left any more. The left that I used to belong to was anti-capitalist above all, and that's what I am too. Since you ask like.

 

[andysays]

I don't really claim to be on the left any more. The left that I used to belong to was anti-capitalist above all, and that's what I am too. Since you ask like.

Bigging up Elon Musk while claiming to be anti-capitalist

 

[two sheds]

Non sequitor.

Exactly - you have the ability to hold two incompatible beliefs at the same time while being unaware of it.

You've criticized FBI for censoring twitter, then praised Musk for allowing free speech while he's censoring twitter.

You do it all the time.

 

[phildwyer]

You've criticized FBI for censoring twitter, then praised Musk for allowing free speech while he's censoring twitter.

What material do you think Musk is censoring on Twitter?

 

[Storm Fox]

Yes, the FBI say that it's normal for the security state to censor the media, and no doubt it is. There are three major factor that make this case different. First, the untested and unprecedentedly powerful nature of the media in question. Second, the fact that Musk is not letting them operate in this way. Third (and most important in my view) they have been caught red-handed and forced to publicly admit their meddling in the media--for the first time ever afaik.

So you are ignoring Rimbaud's post Is Elon Musk the greatest visionary or the greatest snake oil salesman of our age? and you seem to be happy to support a man who is know for grandiose lies.

1 million people on Mars by 2050
FSD has been going to work 'next year' since at least 2015.
Owning anything other than a Telsa will be economically stupid.
Starship point to point.

Things Musk has done:

Flagrant breaches of environmental laws
Failing to adhere to the license terms of the Boca Chica launch site.
Racism at Telsa factories
Ignoring COVID restrictions,
Spewing right-wing talking points.
Transphobia.
Taking massive government subsidies for SpaceX


Those are the things I can remember off the top of my head.

But he says vague anti-government statements [which are normally about 'over-regulation' that is harmful to his hyper-capitalist / Anarcho-capitalist ideals] and add a pinch of pro-Russia rhetoric and it's all

 

[phildwyer]

Of course it did, it still does.

What kind of accounts do you think Musk bans on the instructions of the FBI?

You see, everyone is saying that Musk is censoring Twitter. And I'm quite willing to believe it, but I'd like to see some evidence or at least a bit of informed speculation. What kind of ideas is he banning?

 

[two sheds]

Have you not even heard of this?

Elon Musk threatens to sue Anti-Defamation League over lost X revenue

World’s richest man claims civil rights group has falsely accused site formerly known as Twitter of being antisemitic

www.theguardian.com

 

[Rob Ray]

What kind of accounts do you think Musk bans on the instructions of the FBI?

You see, everyone is saying that Musk is censoring Twitter. And I'm quite willing to believe it, but I'd like to see some evidence or at least a bit of informed speculation. What kind of ideas is he banning?

I imagine similar ones to those old Twitter agreed to, primarily law enforcement requests with a smattering of political ones. But that's the thing isn't it. Your boy doesn't say - he's happy for people to see the notes of what happened when he wasn't there, but you're completely incurious, to the point of blatantly ignoring evidence people are posting, about what's happening now he is.

 

[NoXion]

Well since he's losing money maybe he is doing it out of principle. He's a strange man and I don't claim to understand him. But he's pissing the feds off for sure, and that's never a bad thing.

Alternative explanation: he's a drug-addled fuckwit who's got way more money than sense. He tried to pull off his usual pump-and-dump scheme (like he did with Dogecoin), but got rapped on the knuckles and is now flailing to make the best of a bad situation.

Also, if Musk were really pissing off the feds, then he wouldn't be receiving so much money from them.

 

[BigMoaner]

From the skim read of those files, there is no evidence of the FBI controlling anything at twitter. I ask in good faith phildwyer, enlighten us please? The journalists musk used even said that there was no evidence of that. Maybe I skimmed too lightly to that part

 

[BigMoaner]

Love how the Deep State is so shit that they can take on Russel Brand and ruin him on YouTube, but they can’t ruin him on telegram. Telegram too mighty for the Deep State.

 

[two sheds]

And I think has already been posted but:

Elon Musk fires back at Twitter censorship critic: ‘You’re such a numbskull’

Report finds Twitter has approved 83% more censorship requests from authoritarian governments under Musk’s leadership

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Storm Fox]

Love how the Deep State is so shit that they can take on Russel Brand and ruin him on YouTube, but they can’t ruin him on telegram. Telegram too mighty for the Deep State.

It is always the way. Organisation X is all-powerful and can affect everything while at the same time being so incompetent they leave easy-to-spot clues for those big-branes in the know.

See
Pretty much anything Nasa does
FBI
9/11
Flat Earth
Chem-Trails

 

[PTK]

It is always the way. Organisation X is all-powerful and can affect everything while at the same time being so incompetent they leave easy-to-spot clues for those big-branes in the know.

See
Pretty much anything Nasa does
FBI
9/11
Flat Earth
Chem-Trails

Those inconsistencies are there to divert your attention from the deeper conspiracy, by means of which the Andromedans control every aspect of every society in our galaxy.

 

[Storm Fox]

Those inconsistencies are there to divert your attention from the deeper conspiracy, by means of which the Andromedans control every aspect of every society in our galaxy.

So UFOs are not misidentified aircraft or birds, but actually, authorised inter-stellar spacecraft piloted by Zeta Reticulian Frat boys on a pledge-hazing to actually get spotted by Earth's inferior technology.
It all makes sense now.

See also Douglas Adams and Teasers.