Elon Musk: The Space Capitalist or the Bureaucratic Baddie?
Ah, Elon Musk. The man, the myth, the meme. He’s like a real-life Tony Stark, if Tony Stark had a penchant for Twitter rants and an inability to keep his foot out of his mouth. Just yesterday, he found himself embroiled in yet another spat, this time with the outgoing Czech European Commissioner, Věra Jourová, who had the audacity to call out ol’ Elon as a “propagator of evil.” Well, if that’s the case, I suppose vaccines must be seeing a drop in sales with his name being thrown around like confetti! How delightful.
In a moment straight out of an internet drama series, Musk took to the platform he bought (because what’s more fun than spending billions on a social media site?) and responded to Jourová’s jab by declaring her “the embodiment of banal, bureaucratic evil.” A bold statement from a man who tweets like he’s trying to win a gold medal in online trolling.
Drama for the Ages: A Teflon-Tweeting Tycoon
It’s not the first time Musk has flexed his digital muscles. He’s famous for his direct—some might say chaotic—style of communication. Remember when Brazil temporarily banned his beloved X network? Exactly. They threw the biggest tantrum over disinformation you’ve ever seen, and Musk had to face the consequences of his treasure hunt for attention. It’s almost like watching a kid with a new toy who just can’t help but break it within the first hour.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get juicier, let’s talk about his previous Twitter blunders. This includes a whimsical little post joking about the assassination attempts on U.S. politicians, which he later labeled as a “failed attempt at a joke.” 🍿 Because when you’re racing to space, why not throw a bit of danger into the mix, right? His knack for inappropriate humor seems to lift him beyond the gravity of sane discourse.
Star Wars and Peace Plans: Musk’s International Intrigue
But wait, there’s more! Musk’s involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict gave us classic Elon moments. In one of his peace plans, he proposed that Ukraine simply hand over Crimea to Russia, kind of like suggesting a friend gives you the last slice of pizza. Newsflash, Elon: That’s not how sharing works. Ukraine’s collective eye roll must have been audible all the way from Kyiv to California.
“Redefine borders? Yeah, let’s just smooth over that little annexation situation.”
Stirring the Cauldron: From Tweets to Treachery
Musk has also danced precariously close to controversy with his remarks on the Holocaust. Calling the statement that “Jews hate white people” as “absolute truth” isn’t just a misstep; it’s a tumble down a steep hill with spiked shoes. His ability to provoke public outrage is nearly as substantial as his bank account—impressive, yet often questionable in taste.
Let’s not forget the “pedophile” accusation he tossed at British diver Vern Unsworth—another shining example of Musk’s grace under pressure. At that moment, instead of standing tall amidst the crisis of a rescue operation, Musk decided to unleash a jab that would make any Twitter troll proud. Bravo, Musk. Bravo. What’s next? An apology tweet that’s also a meme?
Conclusion: Should We Laugh or Cry?
So, what do we make of our dear billionaire space cowboy? Is he a visionary or merely a digital menace? At this point, who’s keeping track? What’s certain is that Elon Musk’s escapades keep us entertained while perhaps also reminding us of the “spooky” dangers of social media. Like the universe, one can only imagine where he’ll go next—perhaps outer space or possibly right back to the headlines.
As Věra Jourová might say, “Distinguishing good from evil? Well, that’s easy—just look at Elon Musk’s Twitter feed!” Honestly, that’s a bookmark moment if I’ve ever seen one.
Billionaire, founder of the space company SpaceX, head of the Tesla car company and owner of the X company Elon Musk yesterday leaned on the outgoing Czech European Commissioner Věra Jourová. She described him in an interview for the Politico server as “a person who is unable to distinguish between good and evil” and is said to be a “propagator of evil”.
The American conqueror of the universe did not like this and commented on Věra Jourová’s remark on the X social network by name: “Věra Jourová is the embodiment of banal, bureaucratic evil.”
Elon Musk had more similar shootouts. He is very famous for his direct and often problematic communication through the X network he owns. The network itself, which Musk took over in 2022, is often associated by some media and politicians with the disinformation scene.
For example, Brazil blocked the X network across the board in early September due to the alleged spread of disinformation. She unblocked it only last week after Musk paid a fine of 117 million crowns and blocked the accounts of disinformers.
Insults and missteps by Elon Musk
Musk himself called his post about “no one trying to kill US President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris” a “failed attempt at a joke.” He made this unfortunate joke after news of another assassination attempt on Donald Trump appeared. After a massive wave of criticism, Musk deleted the post, but the statement is still being investigated by the US security service.
Elon Musk is also involved in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. For example, it provides Ukraine with the Starlink Internet satellite network free of charge, although in the past, for example, it threatened to turn it off for Ukrainians. He got into an uncomfortable situation by publishing the “Peace Plan for Ukraine”, when he was subsequently accused of promoting Russian narratives.
His plan proposed that Ukraine leave the Crimean peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, to Russia. And that referendums on joining Russia be announced in the occupied regions. This was strongly rejected by Ukraine and its allies. He has also been criticized for downplaying the conflict, having hosted a series of polls about the war on the X Network.
Ukraine-Russia Peace:
– Redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision. Russia leaves if that is will of the people.
– Crimea formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (until Khrushchev’s mistake).
– Water supply to Crimea assured.
– Ukraine remains neutral.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2022
His anti-Jewish statements were also problematic. For example, a year ago he called the statement that “Jews hate white people” as “absolute truth”. These words, with which Musk agreed, were promoted on the Internet by Robert Bowers, who murdered 11 Jews in a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018.
Public uproar was also caused by Musk’s promotion of an interview by American journalist Tucker Carlson. An interview with Darryl Cooper was about the Holocaust and World War II. According to the public, the interview shows Cooper’s sympathy for the Nazi leader. Musk quickly deleted the post, in which he called the interview “very interesting and worth watching.”
In 2018, Musk called the British diver Vern Unsworth a “pedophile”, who was then involved in the rescue of twelve young footballers and their coach who were stuck in a flooded cave in Thailand. At that time, Musk offered his submarine to the rescuers, but they refused. Musk responded at the time by saying, “Well, you said it, pedophile.” His claims of pedophilia have never been proven.
