Elon Musk: The oligarch who tweets democracy away

“America has indeed had enough,” declares a post retweeting a claim that corporate America’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are a “tumour”.

“Is 24% of Britain on acid,” reads another tweet with the results of a “survey” on United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s apparent approval ratings.

The world’s richest man has spoken. Again. And again.

These are just a few of the many posts by Elon Musk between January 14 and 15.

Musk, the self-proclaimed free speech warrior, has evolved from Silicon Valley’s enfant terrible into a global political disruptor. His tools: an enormous trillion-dollar fortune eclipsing the gross domestic product of small countries, a satellite network hovering the earth, a social media empire and an insatiable appetite for inserting himself into matters far beyond his expertise that he has made it his business to be involved in.

Unelected, he participates in high-level diplomatic calls with US President Donald Trump and other world leaders, shaping policy on issues ranging from trade to the Russia-Ukraine war. He nominates candidates and dictates terms for the United States budget.

He even directs American lawmakers on the selection of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate Majority Leader, a role that should have no input from unelected tech moguls. What makes Musk’s rise particularly insidious is the absence of checks and balances.

Musk represents…

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