Elon Musk Has Too Much Power
Published in Der Standard
(Austria) on 14 October 2024
by Andreas Proschofsky (link to original)
(Austria) on 14 October 2024
by Andreas Proschofsky (link to original)
Translated from
by Mallory Matsumoto.
Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.
The purported champion of free speech and verbose critic of political influence has long since mutated into the greatest Trump propagandist.
Elon Musk’s achievements are undeniable: No one has garnered more attention for electric cars than the Tesla CEO. When it comes to space travel, Space X increasingly makes NASA look dated. The satellite network Starlink helps hurricane victims and the Ukrainian military alike.
At the same time, Musk is an example of how drastically political standards have shifted. For years, those in right-wing circles in the U.S. have fantasized about corporations like Google and Facebook exerting influence over elections. Their CEOs sometimes have had to face absurd questions in hearings. Evidence of influence to date? None. Musk presented himself in these settings as a “critic,” a hero of free speech. Someone who bought Twitter to free it from “liberal bias” and to resurrect it as the “objective” platform X.
The Revelation
The reality is different. Musk has long since mutated into Trump’s greatest propagandist. He is not only pumping millions into Trump’s presidential campaign but also doing exactly what he accused others of doing. The New York Times reported that X is working directly with the Trump campaign to delete undesirable content.
This shows one thing above all else: Musk has too much power — way too much. Changing that should be in the interest of everyone who is serious about fighting political interference. Really.
Elon Musk’s achievements are undeniable: No one has garnered more attention for electric cars than the Tesla CEO. When it comes to space travel, Space X increasingly makes NASA look dated. The satellite network Starlink helps hurricane victims and the Ukrainian military alike.
At the same time, Musk is an example of how drastically political standards have shifted. For years, those in right-wing circles in the U.S. have fantasized about corporations like Google and Facebook exerting influence over elections. Their CEOs sometimes have had to face absurd questions in hearings. Evidence of influence to date? None. Musk presented himself in these settings as a “critic,” a hero of free speech. Someone who bought Twitter to free it from “liberal bias” and to resurrect it as the “objective” platform X.
The Revelation
The reality is different. Musk has long since mutated into Trump’s greatest propagandist. He is not only pumping millions into Trump’s presidential campaign but also doing exactly what he accused others of doing. The New York Times reported that X is working directly with the Trump campaign to delete undesirable content.
This shows one thing above all else: Musk has too much power — way too much. Changing that should be in the interest of everyone who is serious about fighting political interference. Really.
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