Musk is as much about s**t disturbing and throwing out red meat as anything else.

CNN
“I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump, I think that was a mistake," Musk said. "I would reverse the perma-ban.”

Trump has already taken the posture that he won’t return to Twitter even if he is unbanned, saying that he will continue to use his own, apparently failing, social media platform “Truth“.

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National Suicide Prevention Hotline tel:1-800-273-8255

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/10/2022 12:58PM by Blankity Blank.

It will be interesting to see if there’s an employee exodus.

Or a coherent content strategy

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If this stands, Trump will reverse course.

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RgrF
If this stands, Trump will reverse course.

He'll ask to be paid for his tweets.

And for serial tweeters of dangerous miss-information (such as Mr. Trump) his plan is…?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/10/2022 02:00PM by jonny.

What he's saying makes sense. It's not crazy. But he's a guy that doesn't get crushed under Trumps bootheel. I'm not sure if he realizes trum3ps madness and what he represents as a a symbol. Musk needs to address this in mixed company.

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vision63
What he's saying makes sense. It's not crazy. But he's a guy that doesn't get crushed under Trumps bootheel. I'm not sure if he realizes trum3ps madness and what he represents as a a symbol. Musk needs to address this in mixed company.

Not seeing it. Elucidate, Jackson.

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National Suicide Prevention Hotline tel:1-800-273-8255

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

Both are hype artists not to be believed at any particular time.

A smart jerk.

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Blankity Blank

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vision63
What he's saying makes sense. It's not crazy. But he's a guy that doesn't get crushed under Trumps bootheel. I'm not sure if he realizes trum3ps madness and what he represents as a a symbol. Musk needs to address this in mixed company.

Not seeing it. Elucidate, Jackson.

I think it's the other way. Musk is saying this as a wedge issue, but I don't understand the long term goal.

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In tha 360. MRF User Map

I don't understand this either. For someone (Musk) who claims he's buying Twitter to save democracy, reinstating Trump is the complete opposite. Musk should really be smart to understand this. Either he is just dumb in this area, or there's an ulterior motive for unbanning Trump (and the Twitter acquisition in general). I suspect the latter.

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Carnos Jax
I don't understand this either. For someone (Musk) who claims he's buying Twitter to save democracy, reinstating Trump is the complete opposite. Musk should really be smart to understand this. Either he is just dumb in this area, or there's an ulterior motive for unbanning Trump (and the Twitter acquisition in general). I suspect the latter.

Musk doesn’t have a broad range of “smarts”.

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Carnos Jax
I don't understand this either. For someone (Musk) who claims he's buying Twitter to save democracy, reinstating Trump is the complete opposite. Musk should really be smart to understand this. Either he is just dumb in this area, or there's an ulterior motive for unbanning Trump (and the Twitter acquisition in general). I suspect the latter.

He's either high... or crazy... or both.

With Elon, this could literally be a true statement.

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It is what it is.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2022 03:23AM by N-OS X-tasy!.

Musk just wants to do whatever will make headlines and win him more fans. He happens to think letting Trump back on will do this. Because his head is really quite far up his bum and he can't see straight.

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Carnos Jax
I don't understand this either. For someone (Musk) who claims he's buying Twitter to save democracy, reinstating Trump is the complete opposite. Musk should really be smart to understand this. Either he is just dumb in this area, or there's an ulterior motive for unbanning Trump (and the Twitter acquisition in general). I suspect the latter.

Ummm, how about the obvious, $$$ ?

The more tweets, the more users, and the more advertising, the more money Musk makes. Reinstating Trump increases the controversy/acrimony and therefore potentially the number of tweets, the number of users, and therefore ad revenue. Create chaos, rake in the bucks.

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Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)

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samintx

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Carnos Jax
I don't understand this either. For someone (Musk) who claims he's buying Twitter to save democracy, reinstating Trump is the complete opposite. Musk should really be smart to understand this. Either he is just dumb in this area, or there's an ulterior motive for unbanning Trump (and the Twitter acquisition in general). I suspect the latter.

Musk doesn’t have a broad range of “smarts”.

I agree.

In general, I'm all for free speech, except in the case of harmful hate speech (direct threats). So, I can understand this quite easily. But it's clear also that Musk really has no idea of what he's doing. And I'm beginning to believe that this whole thing is a bluff and he'll end up finding a back door out of the deal. This just helps that end.

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PeterB

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Carnos Jax
I don't understand this either. For someone (Musk) who claims he's buying Twitter to save democracy, reinstating Trump is the complete opposite. Musk should really be smart to understand this. Either he is just dumb in this area, or there's an ulterior motive for unbanning Trump (and the Twitter acquisition in general). I suspect the latter.

Ummm, how about the obvious, $$$ ?

The more tweets, the more users, and the more advertising, the more money Musk makes. Reinstating Trump increases the controversy/acrimony and therefore potentially the number of tweets, the number of users, and therefore ad revenue. Create chaos, rake in the bucks.

This can’t be financially motivated, at least directly. Whatever money Musk intends to make off Twitter is negligible compared to his current (and especially more so future) wealth. Given the plans Musk has for Tesla and SpaceX (you ain’t seen nothing yet!), Musk will probably become the world’s first trillionaire.

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Carnos Jax

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PeterB

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Carnos Jax
I don't understand this either. For someone (Musk) who claims he's buying Twitter to save democracy, reinstating Trump is the complete opposite. Musk should really be smart to understand this. Either he is just dumb in this area, or there's an ulterior motive for unbanning Trump (and the Twitter acquisition in general). I suspect the latter.

Ummm, how about the obvious, $$$ ?

The more tweets, the more users, and the more advertising, the more money Musk makes. Reinstating Trump increases the controversy/acrimony and therefore potentially the number of tweets, the number of users, and therefore ad revenue. Create chaos, rake in the bucks.

This can’t be financially motivated, at least directly. Whatever money Musk intends to make off Twitter is negligible compared to his current (and especially more so future) wealth. Given the plans Musk has for Tesla and SpaceX (you ain’t seen nothing yet!), Musk will probably become the world’s first trillionaire.

I think it's both direct and indirect: when you control the media, you control the message.

"He who controls the spice, controls the universe."

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Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)

I'd be impressed if he would solve this baby formula shortage and get every parent what they need.

He’s got no time for that, or Twitter.

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Lemon Drop
I'd be impressed if he would solve this baby formula shortage and get every parent what they need.

At least we know he won’t be suggesting bleach as a solution…

’Its amazing how fast it stops the baby from crying. Like, a minute. No more crying.’

---

National Suicide Prevention Hotline tel:1-800-273-8255

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

glad i didn't buy a tesla.

Elon Musk says Twitter banning Trump was “morally wrong and flat-out stupid”


wooo woooo, is that a clown car I see back on the tracks .....

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!#$@@$#!




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2022 08:36AM by Fritz.

I guess blatant lying is morally "okay" with Musk.

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Carnos Jax
I don't understand this either. For someone (Musk) who claims he's buying Twitter to save democracy, reinstating Trump is the complete opposite. Musk should really be smart to understand this. Either he is just dumb in this area, or there's an ulterior motive for unbanning Trump (and the Twitter acquisition in general). I suspect the latter.

I think like most of us that Musk's motives are a combination of what feels like righteous principles and personal emotional factors, but in Musk's case the combination of those factors is probably mushed up more than usual because of his immense ego and some mental instability.

On the principles side, he probably shares an inclination that I think of as techno-libertarianism where the thinking tends to be that technology best serves us if there is very limited constraints on it - especially information technology. [snark] That limited constraints usually leads to greater profits for the owners of the technology is just an incidental natural positive consequence as far as those believers/owners are concerned. Just a coincidence that has little to do with their libertarian views on the matter.[/snark] But that doesn't necessarily imply that their views are not sincerely held.

But what techno-libertarians usually come to realize is that pure libertarianism is not practical or even possible. Even if it weren't illegal, I doubt any of them would agree that their technologies should be used to advance child sex trafficking. Lines need to be drawn that constrain the technology for the greater social benefit. But where to draw the lines? And how do you implement the restrictions when you draw the lines? I doubt Musk has a robust and coherent set of ideas on how to do those things but is instead more driven by his id seat-of-the-pants internal decider. But, maybe not. I guess we'll see.

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e pluribus unum



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2022 09:56AM by Ted King.

He also grew up in wealthy enclaves of apartheid South Africa but thinks he has no problem with race. (He does)

Has no one else concluded - as I have - that Musk's goal is path of least resistance for his dream of Mars colonization?

Yes the Twitter acquisition is partly about his SEC troubles.

But he may have done the calculus - the FAA is still determining whether or not to do a full environmental review of the Boca Chica Starship factory / launchpad (which suggests that they probably will do it - which will add years of delay to Starship launches from that site). A switch in administrations that he facilitates via twitter - esp to the neolibertarian idiocy that Trump stands in place of any actual policy agenda - puts him in the literal driver's seat.

His motive has always been the Mars colony. He's likely thinking once that's operational it doesn't matter if he's left the US and Earth to go to hell in a handbasket because he's put humanity's eggs in another basket.

It's misguided, but logically consistent with his childish take on politics.

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g=

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gabester
Has no one else concluded - as I have - that Musk's goal is path of least resistance for his dream of Mars colonization?

Yes the Twitter acquisition is partly about his SEC troubles.

But he may have done the calculus - the FAA is still determining whether or not to do a full environmental review of the Boca Chica Starship factory / launchpad (which suggests that they probably will do it - which will add years of delay to Starship launches from that site). A switch in administrations that he facilitates via twitter - esp to the neolibertarian idiocy that Trump stands in place of any actual policy agenda - puts him in the literal driver's seat.

His motive has always been the Mars colony. He's likely thinking once that's operational it doesn't matter if he's left the US and Earth to go to hell in a handbasket because he's put humanity's eggs in another basket.

It's misguided, but logically consistent with his childish take on politics.

Sounds plausible.