Top | Newest First | Oldest First
i197818202223i · 22-25, F
@SunshineGirl “He has destroyed over three quarters of the value of his asset by allowing it to become an unsafe and unhealthy forum where illegal activity proliferates under the pretence of “free speech.”
Adeptlinguist blocked me for some reason, so I am responding to you by making a new comment.
I don't think it matters that X is being valued at less when its worth and potential resale appears to be irrelevant to Elon Musk. This is not why he bought X. Musk clearly wanted an established platform with many users, a site he could then make his own and use for what he wanted. His plan seems to be working well. In buying X, Musk received more publicity and he has gained more fans after talking about the prior issues with free speech on the site.
The progressives can go away to their safe spaces if they don't like it. A place where you can challenge other viewpoints is never unsafe and unhealthy. The belief that people should not be able to say what they want is what is unhealthy.
Adeptlinguist blocked me for some reason, so I am responding to you by making a new comment.
I don't think it matters that X is being valued at less when its worth and potential resale appears to be irrelevant to Elon Musk. This is not why he bought X. Musk clearly wanted an established platform with many users, a site he could then make his own and use for what he wanted. His plan seems to be working well. In buying X, Musk received more publicity and he has gained more fans after talking about the prior issues with free speech on the site.
The progressives can go away to their safe spaces if they don't like it. A place where you can challenge other viewpoints is never unsafe and unhealthy. The belief that people should not be able to say what they want is what is unhealthy.
View 30 more replies »
PicturesOfABetterTomorrow · 41-45, M
@i197818202223i That is just objectively false. Trump and Elon are billionaires. And woke is a made up fear mongering nonsense word on the right that they can't even define.
Trump is not even successful himself. 26 failed businesses is not exactly success.
Trump is not even successful himself. 26 failed businesses is not exactly success.
Thrust · 56-60, M
PicturesOfABetterTomorrow · 41-45, M
@Thrust Look it up. I am not wasting my time. If you are too lazy that is a you problem.
But lets be real. You will just make excuses anyway. The cult leader is always right.
But lets be real. You will just make excuses anyway. The cult leader is always right.
Adeptlinguist · M
Obviously not.
He is indeed very rich but is also clueless and has extreme and obsessive objectionable views. He seems to have no self-awareness and is single-handedly destroying Twitter.
Governing and administering a country as large and complex as the US is non-trivial, and putting a simpleton who seems to believe ”if it’s government, it’s bad” in charge of “restructuring” will not end well.
Mark my words.
He is indeed very rich but is also clueless and has extreme and obsessive objectionable views. He seems to have no self-awareness and is single-handedly destroying Twitter.
Governing and administering a country as large and complex as the US is non-trivial, and putting a simpleton who seems to believe ”if it’s government, it’s bad” in charge of “restructuring” will not end well.
Mark my words.
Adeptlinguist · M
@Confined You may wish to ponder why “free speech absolutist” Musk suppresses speech he does not like.
Please point me to the commitments you claim were made by Biden and Harris.
Please point me to the commitments you claim were made by Biden and Harris.
zonavar68 · 56-60, M
@Adeptlinguist Musk and Trump are identical - megalomaniacals who think 'free speech' only extends to the boundaries of their own world view(s). Anything beyond that is censored/supressed/hidden/vanquished.
PatKirby · M
Absolutely! An intelligent (brilliant actually), immensely successful man whatever he puts his mind to, a genius in any era! A fitting addition to Trump's cabinet and 'get it done' duty profile. My favorite South African! The Beltway will smell 'musky' real soon as the Hammer of Efficiency is on its way! Excellent choice!
REMsleep · 41-45, F
@dale74 He mostly became wealthy from his book sales and until 2015 he was still worth less than 700K including all 3 houses.
The man is over 80 years old and had been paying on mortgages that were extremely cheap by today's standards then remortgaging to buy a second home and so on.
It's not Clinton or Trump style excess at all.
It's crazy to me that in 2012 ( the latest year that I could find quickly) the average net worth of a senator was 8 million.
Today after more than 1 million in book sales the man has less than 2 million and people want to cry shame on him.
It's hypocrisy and it's sick.
The man is over 80 years old and had been paying on mortgages that were extremely cheap by today's standards then remortgaging to buy a second home and so on.
It's not Clinton or Trump style excess at all.
It's crazy to me that in 2012 ( the latest year that I could find quickly) the average net worth of a senator was 8 million.
Today after more than 1 million in book sales the man has less than 2 million and people want to cry shame on him.
It's hypocrisy and it's sick.
Ynotisay · M
Even the consideration of that man in any kind of governmental capacity should be shot out of the water immediately. And on the phone with Trump and Zelensky? A man who is tight with Putin? Add in Gabbard, who a lot of smart people believe is a Russian asset, to head national intelligence?
Putin's fingerprints will be all over this administration. They already are. They worked very hard to get Trump elected. For a reason.
Putin's fingerprints will be all over this administration. They already are. They worked very hard to get Trump elected. For a reason.
This comment is hidden.
Show Comment
swirlie · 31-35, F
@dale74
Dale, that is twice I've asked you the same question and that is also twice that you've been unable to answer a very simple question. The reason you cannot answer my question about rural Kansas having cable TV service is because rural cable TV service doesn't exist in rural Kansas.
Dale, that is twice I've asked you the same question and that is also twice that you've been unable to answer a very simple question. The reason you cannot answer my question about rural Kansas having cable TV service is because rural cable TV service doesn't exist in rural Kansas.
LeopoldBloom · M
@swirlie People in those areas have satellite TV.
Elon Musk should be on the head of one of his rockets
uikakarotuevegeta · 26-30
@metaldog did you just make a death threat?
The draining of the swamp continues.
LeopoldBloom · M
@jackjjackson So now you love immigrants.
jackjjackson · 61-69, M
Legal immigration pursuant to a H1B visa for a STEM job for sure. @LeopoldBloom
This comment is hidden.
Show Comment
Crazywaterspring · 61-69, M
More grift at society's expense.
Zaphod42 · 51-55, M
I’ve decided just not to worry about things like that for the next four years. Either the country burns down, or it doesn’t. Nothing I can do either way, so I’m not giving myself an ulcer over it. Stay informed, keep calm, and carry on 🤷♂
cherokeepatti · 61-69, F
Can’t trust a career politician to head up an agency like that, can we? They don’t seem to understand the concept of efficiency so long as they can tax the citizens to pay for anything they want.
Adstar · 56-60, M
He is a very intelligent man who has reduced the cost of space flight significantly.. I can think of a lot of less able people that could have been given the position..
I think the other guy Vivek Ramaswamy will be the main full time guy running the show.. Elon is probably way to busy with other things to be a full time person on the job..
I think the other guy Vivek Ramaswamy will be the main full time guy running the show.. Elon is probably way to busy with other things to be a full time person on the job..
LeopoldBloom · M
@Adstar They’re both frauds. I’ll be surprised if they last until the inauguration.
Adstar · 56-60, M
@LeopoldBloom We shall see.. What will happen is going to happen, The way it was always going to happen..
akindheart · 61-69, F
Absolutely. he went in and cleaned up twitter. he is a successful businessman. he has started spacex and tesla which is running fantastic. elon said that if he can clean up the govt, he can reduce our deficit. you have to admit our govt is too top heavy. too many career employees
Briggett · T
@akindheart not say how he showed china to make battery technology for electric vehicles.
akindheart · 61-69, F
@Briggett that is before he got into politics. business decision
LeopoldBloom · M
Only if he is willing to make cuts in government spending he personally profits from. Don’t hold your breath.
He and Ramaswamy have no place in government. Imagine the reaction if Biden had appointed George Soros to a similar position. Conservatives would have screamed until they lost their voices.
He and Ramaswamy have no place in government. Imagine the reaction if Biden had appointed George Soros to a similar position. Conservatives would have screamed until they lost their voices.
Fa8393 · 41-45, M
Well at this point wither you disagree or not its going to happen .
ElwoodBlues · M
@Fa8393 Actually, it's against the law for a government worker to be in a position where they might have a conflict of interest. So it's not a question of "slander," it's a question of adhering to the laws of the land.
P.S. you say
Government rules against conflict of interest, primarily codified under 18 U.S.C. § 208, prohibit government employees from participating in any official matter where they, their spouse, or immediate family have a personal financial interest that could be directly and predictably affected by their decision, essentially meaning they cannot use their position to benefit themselves financially in a specific matter.
P.S. you say
I know trump is going to lower the us debt
He SURE missed the boat on that LAST TIME, didn't he?? In 2020, tRump set a RECORD by adding about $4 trillion to the debt in one year!!
JSul3 · 70-79
@ElwoodBlues EB! Stop with the facts.
They can't handle the truth.
They can't handle the truth.
jackjjackson · 61-69, M
He can’t stop what he has not started. @JSul3
BlueVeins · 22-25
Yes. An important-sounding title with absolutely no real power attached to it is the perfect role for Elon Musk.
This comment is hidden.
Show Comment
This comment is hidden.
Show Comment
dale74 · M
Well let's see he can put a rocket into space for less than 5% the cost for NASA. So apparently he knows how to find the most efficient way to spend money or to get the best use out of the dollars you have.
dale74 · M
@swirlie no it is not involving medical stuff and yes most government employees in the United States should be laid off why because most don't care about the people they are lazy and they can't make it in a non government job because they are that bad of employees. Most are also over paid.
MartinII · 70-79, M
Why not. Let's see how he does, at a very difficult job.
LeopoldBloom · M
@MartinII What job?
Convivial · 26-30, F
Well he was efficient at getting his cars made in China so he could make more money..
Convivial · 26-30, F
There's always room for improvement... It just depends on whether it's ideology driving the change or a genuine desire to make things "better"
Roundandroundwego · 61-69
@Convivial not politics? Then you didn't read the category. You're just against politics, of course - ecocide and genocides like the dark and so does suburban Nature destruction as a lifestyle. Most Americans for the wara hate politics and say war isn't political. We know.
Convivial · 26-30, F
@Roundandroundwego you've really stepped into rambling mode....
Roundandroundwego · 61-69
@Convivial that's so meaningful.
whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M
Sure.. What could possibly go wrong? No employees means nothing happens. No control. No regulation. And if it turns out some places are needed, they will be filled by people who will swear personal loyalty to Trump. Its all good..😷
ian2watt · 61-69, M
@whowasthatmaskedman god help us all
whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M
@ian2watt Suddenly English weather and the NHS dont seem so bad..😷
wildbill83 · 41-45, M
Yep, if nothing else, because it annoys all the racist commenters (He actually is an African-American...) 😉
This comment is hidden.
Show Comment
This comment is hidden.
Show Comment
This comment is hidden.
Show Comment
ElwoodBlues · M
A man whose businesses receive $2 to 3 billion per year in government contracts will be in charge of allocating government spending!! What could go wrong???
Also,
SpaceX alone got a whopping $2.8 billion in government contracts last year, according to The Information, and has gotten a total of $15.3 billion from the government since 2003.Apr 15, 2023
Also,
Musk owns an estimated 42% of SpaceX. He also controls voting rights for 78.3% of the shares.
REMsleep · 41-45, F
@ElwoodBlues I totally agree. It's just sad. Elon does have some expertise I would say in efficiencies running that many companies but for other reasons he's not the man for the job I don't think.
SunshineGirl · 36-40, F
I would not trust him to be classroom milk monitor.
SunshineGirl · 36-40, F
@MartinII He has concluded in advance that there is waste in federal government and pledged to cut $2tn of spending. Embarking on a task before defining the "problem" is not terribly smart.
In the UK the civil service has been subjected to 14 years of austerity. HMRC staff have been cut back to the point that it lacks the capability to collect democratically approved taxes . . on a conservative estimate £16bn of VAT is fraudulently witheld each year. Even the most ardent neo-liberal would be hard pressed to find any "fat to trim".
In the UK the civil service has been subjected to 14 years of austerity. HMRC staff have been cut back to the point that it lacks the capability to collect democratically approved taxes . . on a conservative estimate £16bn of VAT is fraudulently witheld each year. Even the most ardent neo-liberal would be hard pressed to find any "fat to trim".
MartinII · 70-79, M
@SunshineGirl 14 years of austerity? You really must be joking! Look at the public expenditure figures. Look at the size of the public sector. Those 14 years have seen a considerable amount of incompetence and drift, but "austerity" is a figment of the imagination of politicians, of both parties.
My own view, based on a lifetime's experience of government and business, is that there are always savings to be made. It's not just that there are too many people for the work, though there is usually some of that. It's also that some things are done that don't need to be done, things that can be done differently etc. There's a natural drift in big organisations which has to be attacked from time to time.
Going back to the US, it is the President-elect who has concluded that the government sector needs to be reduced in size, and has tasked Musk and Vereswamy to deliver. Let's see how they get on.
My own view, based on a lifetime's experience of government and business, is that there are always savings to be made. It's not just that there are too many people for the work, though there is usually some of that. It's also that some things are done that don't need to be done, things that can be done differently etc. There's a natural drift in big organisations which has to be attacked from time to time.
Going back to the US, it is the President-elect who has concluded that the government sector needs to be reduced in size, and has tasked Musk and Vereswamy to deliver. Let's see how they get on.
SunshineGirl · 36-40, F
@MartinII Increases in public spending during that period were exclusively confined to the NHS, welfare benefits (mainly in the form of pensions), education, and sorting out Brexit. Good luck finding savings there. All other government departments experienced severe real term cuts. Public sector salaries were frizen for 7 years.
I think anybody who is faintly in touch with the reality of growing social inequality in Britain will tell you that austerity is far from fictional.
I think anybody who is faintly in touch with the reality of growing social inequality in Britain will tell you that austerity is far from fictional.
MarkPaul · 26-30, M
Well to be super-efficient a group that didn't exist should be set-up and called a Department even though it won't be a real Department, but instead a group reporting to an established and real Department. And, instead of having only 1 executive head of the group that is being a called a Department, it should have 2 executive heads who will fight each other for social media views and attention. Furthermore, both executives should call for some unreasonable amount of cost cutting that would be achievable within the self-imposed deadline of 18 months for producing results.
TheOneyouwerewarnedabout · 46-50, MVIP
PicturesOfABetterTomorrow · 41-45, M
No. Elon should not be trusted with organizing a bake sale.
whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M
@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow I think we can use his "twitter" model as an example. Fire most of the actual workers, find out it doesnt work at all without them, hire some back, using his ideas and end up with something worth a whole lot less than you paid for it.. But no one is left to tell you that you f**ked it up.. No wonder Trump admires him..😷
eMortal · M
Well why not. He's more qualified than all current candidates.
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
Well someone has got to do it.
I think that's a great idea
Wait ...what is that entail ?
Wait ...what is that entail ?
Convivial · 26-30, F
@pripyatamusementpark exactly....trickle down always works
DonaldTrumpet · 70-79, M
exexec · 70-79, C
I haven't been a fan of Elon Musk for years, but he probably won't screw things up too much.
walabby · M
NO!
swirlie · 31-35, F
@zonavar68
I don't know about you, but I've been getting vibes since Nov. 6th that the entire Republican over-powered Party will self-implode without the Dems being held responsible for causing any of it.
I believe this will occur as a direct result of Trump being unable to deliver the goods as promised prior to the election because there is really no clear path on making anything happen that he has otherwise advertised would happen under his leadership.
Under International Law for example, no country is allowed to round up illegal immigrants in their country and return them to their country of origin unless that country-of-origin AGREES to accept them back, in which case those illegals must remain in the care and custody of the country who is trying to evict them.
What this would entail for the USA would be the construction of massive detention centers located at the southern border just to house those illegals until their fate is learned, but which means that they must remain in the USA until that all happens. That is why it is SO important to prevent illegals from entering in the first place, because once they're inside the border, they've found a new home!
This means that it was up to the USA to secure their southern border to prevent this illegal migration from ever happening, which the USA has never done over the last 250 years!
Your thoughts?
I don't know about you, but I've been getting vibes since Nov. 6th that the entire Republican over-powered Party will self-implode without the Dems being held responsible for causing any of it.
I believe this will occur as a direct result of Trump being unable to deliver the goods as promised prior to the election because there is really no clear path on making anything happen that he has otherwise advertised would happen under his leadership.
Under International Law for example, no country is allowed to round up illegal immigrants in their country and return them to their country of origin unless that country-of-origin AGREES to accept them back, in which case those illegals must remain in the care and custody of the country who is trying to evict them.
What this would entail for the USA would be the construction of massive detention centers located at the southern border just to house those illegals until their fate is learned, but which means that they must remain in the USA until that all happens. That is why it is SO important to prevent illegals from entering in the first place, because once they're inside the border, they've found a new home!
This means that it was up to the USA to secure their southern border to prevent this illegal migration from ever happening, which the USA has never done over the last 250 years!
Your thoughts?
This comment is hidden.
Show Comment
zonavar68 · 56-60, M
So musk is the new Paula White
Justenjoyit · 61-69, M
I think business people should run countries and make decisions on how the country is run. It works in Germany.
REMsleep · 41-45, F
@Justenjoyit maybe Germany is less tolerant of corruption but the USA is built on pure capitalism so to put the ultimate capitalist in charge of government which does not have a purely capital gains function hasn't worked well for us in the past. It mostly inspires greed and corruption.
SW-User
Yes, hes a great man
Shybutwilling2bfriends · 61-69
No way
Briggett · T
@Shybutwilling2bfriends he showed BYD and the other car manufacturer the inside details on how to build a battery. He’s response you couldn’t even do it in a million years. They accepted his challenge and he bought some batteries from them and even to this very day.
You can always search web for the facts. I thought it was very interesting reading.
You can always search web for the facts. I thought it was very interesting reading.
TexChik · F
Why not?
HannahSky · F
Jfc
swirlie · 31-35, F
Elon Musk was born in South Africa, not the USA.
Elon never stepped foot in the USA until he was about 24 years old with good intentions of enrolling in Stanford University which he did, but he never attended any classes there.
Why would anyone except the likes of Donald J. Trump expect Elon Musk of all US immigrants, to know anything about being the Head of US Efficiency?
Elon never stepped foot in the USA until he was about 24 years old with good intentions of enrolling in Stanford University which he did, but he never attended any classes there.
Why would anyone except the likes of Donald J. Trump expect Elon Musk of all US immigrants, to know anything about being the Head of US Efficiency?
swirlie · 31-35, F
@whowasthatmaskedman
Absolutely! Why would Trump actually fill that 'Head of Efficiency' roll with a government employee? To do so would be counter-intuitive when we think about it! And besides, the government may become SO efficient that it disqualifies people like Musk and Trump from actually doing business anywhere in the USA!
Absolutely! Why would Trump actually fill that 'Head of Efficiency' roll with a government employee? To do so would be counter-intuitive when we think about it! And besides, the government may become SO efficient that it disqualifies people like Musk and Trump from actually doing business anywhere in the USA!
whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M
@swirlie That used to be called a conflict of interests. Now its called a convergence of interests and Americans are OK with it..😷
This comment is hidden.
Show Comment
swirlie · 31-35, F
No, I think Elon's mom should be the Head of US Efficiency because he takes her everywhere he goes and she pretty much tells him what to do all the time anyway, so why not just get it straight from her instead of going through Elon first?
This comment is hidden.
Show Comment
This comment is hidden.
Show Comment
MarkPaul · 26-30, M
@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow Back to projecting, I see. I take great care in checking my word usage; you don't. And, I appreciate you acknowledging your mistake that capitalism and democracy can't co-exist. I feel like I am finally getting through to you. At least, it's a start.
This comment is hidden.
Show Comment
MarkPaul · 26-30, M
@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow I don't think that is true and I don't appreciate you insinuating that I am superficial like that. Because I am not. It seems like with every step of progress I make with you, it's then 2 steps back. Why do you think you are so prone to self-sabotage like that?
This comment is hidden.
Show Comment
This comment is hidden.
Show Comment
MarkPaul · 26-30, M
@Roundandroundwego Well, transportation is important.
This comment is hidden.
Show Comment