> The last time I wrote an article that was critical of Elon Musk, nearly half of my audience here came to his defense.
It has been clear for years that he is off his rocker. He did a great job of crafting his image, and it takes a while for people to be able to see through the smoke screen. Sometimes, people never see through it. But, he's blown that smoke screen away with his batshit crazy behavior in 2025.
There is no "smoke screen" to be seen through by the members of the Musk Defense Force (MDF); these people are not going to suddenly wake up and smell the coffee and realize that Musk is a lying fuckboi. The MDF loves him and accepts him for exactly what he is, because they are committed Kool-Aid drinkers.
No amount of flip flopping, disassembling or erratic behavior from Musk is going to change the hivemind of the MDF - they are misguided (at best) true believers. Much like the rubes and marks who voted for Trump, the MDF has created their own mental model of the world and reason and rationality are not going to be able to reshape that model.
Unfortunately, these are dark, dark days that we live in.....
> Second, cutting off a key ally in the middle of a war would be a PR disaster for both Musk and Washington — although admittedly, Trump seems to be fine with this at the government level. A private company is a different matter.
To expand on this, cutting off Ukraine would lead foreign governments and militaries to prefer more reliable satellite internet providers. And perhaps foreign companies and individuals as well. Nobody wants to use a service which may be shut off in their moment of need.
Another reason, as you indicated, Poland is paying for the bulk of Ukraine's Starlink access, and Donald Tusk has warned Musk not to turn it off.
I don't think Musk can afford to offend most foreign customers of his satellite service, although he has demonstrated an inability or unwillingness to consider the future consequences of his actions.
The shift has already started. But it will be 18-36 months before fElon fully appreciates/experiences the full consequences of his flippant. He's lost Carlos Slim and Europe is at the starting line of finding and investing in a service not beholden to an America that's lost its way.
I seriously hope Slim and Europe combine resources.
> The last time I wrote an article that was critical of Elon Musk, nearly half of my audience here came to his defense.
It has been clear for years that he is off his rocker. He did a great job of crafting his image, and it takes a while for people to be able to see through the smoke screen. Sometimes, people never see through it. But, he's blown that smoke screen away with his batshit crazy behavior in 2025.
I was done with him when he moved to Texas. Something didn't smell kosher. I was right.
There is no "smoke screen" to be seen through by the members of the Musk Defense Force (MDF); these people are not going to suddenly wake up and smell the coffee and realize that Musk is a lying fuckboi. The MDF loves him and accepts him for exactly what he is, because they are committed Kool-Aid drinkers.
No amount of flip flopping, disassembling or erratic behavior from Musk is going to change the hivemind of the MDF - they are misguided (at best) true believers. Much like the rubes and marks who voted for Trump, the MDF has created their own mental model of the world and reason and rationality are not going to be able to reshape that model.
Unfortunately, these are dark, dark days that we live in.....
Cutting Starlink to Ukraine would put a target on Musks back.
> Second, cutting off a key ally in the middle of a war would be a PR disaster for both Musk and Washington — although admittedly, Trump seems to be fine with this at the government level. A private company is a different matter.
To expand on this, cutting off Ukraine would lead foreign governments and militaries to prefer more reliable satellite internet providers. And perhaps foreign companies and individuals as well. Nobody wants to use a service which may be shut off in their moment of need.
Another reason, as you indicated, Poland is paying for the bulk of Ukraine's Starlink access, and Donald Tusk has warned Musk not to turn it off.
I don't think Musk can afford to offend most foreign customers of his satellite service, although he has demonstrated an inability or unwillingness to consider the future consequences of his actions.
The shift has already started. But it will be 18-36 months before fElon fully appreciates/experiences the full consequences of his flippant. He's lost Carlos Slim and Europe is at the starting line of finding and investing in a service not beholden to an America that's lost its way.
I seriously hope Slim and Europe combine resources.
When did the flight of Trascists take place?