Putin's comments come after Musk said last week that he refused an emergency request by Ukraine to extend coverage of Starlink satellites to Crimea.
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday praised Elon Musk, calling the Tesla and SpaceX founder a “talented businessman.”
  • Putin was discussing Russia’s space program after a failed moon landing last month.
  • His comments come after Musk said last week that he refused an emergency request by the Ukrainian government to extend coverage of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites to Sevastopol in Crimea.
  • exohuman@programming.devEnglish
    2295·
    11 months ago

    Can we define Musk as a traitor now? He is actively interfering in a conflict in an active combat zone the USA has already picked sides in and sided with the enemy.

    • katy ✨@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      1091·
      11 months ago

      At the very least, all government contracts and grants should be pulled from SpaceX, Tesla, Starlink, and any other Musk run businesses.

      • Chainweasel@lemmy.worldEnglish
        774·
        11 months ago

        I say nationalize anything with a government contract. Starlink could be extremely useful to the military and musk shouldn’t be in charge of anyone’s Internet connection, defense contract or not. Military would still get to use it and people would have a taxpayer funded alternative to companies like Comcast.

    • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      362·
      11 months ago

      If he actually did tell his company to take an action that effectively contravened official US policy (and it looks like he did), he broke the law. Specifically, 18 U.S. Code § 953 - Private correspondence with foreign governments:

      Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

      I am willing to bet that someone in the Ukrainian foreign ministry was aware of this law, and then had some pointed questions for the US State Department on whether or not Elon’s refusal to share intelligence should be taken as an official US position on the matter, and if not, why Elon/SpaceX’s behavior is effectively contradicting official US policy.

      This should get interesting, and it could put Elon in some real legal jeopardy on a matter that the US tends to not fuck around with.

      • Evie @lemmy.worldEnglish
        91·
        11 months ago

        I am praying so! I have my popcorn ready and I can’t afford to waste it. Lmao

        But seriously, I really do want to see some Justice here. He is one man, a private citizen who directly involved himself in foreign affairs and I would believe, he technically committed an act of war by aiding and abetting Russia.

      • DarthBueller@lemmy.worldEnglish
        51·
        11 months ago

        Violating the Logan Act is a felony, but since 1799 there have been precisely two indictments and zero convictions.

    • Echo71Niner@kbin.social
      142·
      11 months ago

      Dick Cheney is a war criminal and still walks free, and so does George W Bush, where the fuck do you think Elon learned that shit from? Ha!

      • exohuman@programming.devEnglish
        51·
        11 months ago

        Only thing about that though, is that they were all representing our country and had the right to influence policy since we elected them or they were appointed after an election. Elon has no such right. He hasn’t been elected or appointed for anything.

        • Echo71Niner@kbin.social
          22·
          11 months ago

          Congress did, when they started treating him like something special and he played them all. He knew he can influence Ukraine war by giving Ukraine free sat connection and then control it by taking it away from them, oldest game in the book.

          Elon has no such right. He hasn’t been elected or appointed for anything.

    • NekoKamiGuru@ttrpg.networkEnglish
      41·
      11 months ago

      If Putin were to say Biden was a great guy would that make Biden a traitor? No. Putin is full of shit and he is setting out to create as much trouble as he can to destabilize the western powers who he views as his enemies.

    • CCatMan@lemmy.oneEnglish
      33·
      11 months ago

      What if, we sieze his assets and pay off the US national debt 👍

      • Echo71Niner@kbin.social
        5·
        11 months ago

        Pfft… You and so many other people hear he is worth $200 billion plus and think that is his actual worth lmao. If you sold everything Elon has and liquidated it, it would not come up to $30 billion in cash. US national debt will never ever be paid.

        What if, we sieze his assets and pay off the US national debt

      • exohuman@programming.devEnglish
        81·
        11 months ago

        He immigrated here. His route went from SA, to Canada, to USA. As an immigrant citizen, I would expect more loyalty.

  • _dev_null@lemmy.zxcvn.xyzEnglish
    451·
    11 months ago

    If you’ve got a murderous autocrat praising you, it should trigger an “I’ve made a huge mistake” response.

    Not so for narcissists though - anything that boosts their ego is welcome, anything. Russia knows this, and plays the fuck out of it like a shit fiddle, Randy.

    And useful idiots fall for it, like really powerful idiots. It makes me sad for humanity that such depraved sociopaths can still win out in this day and age.

  • wick@lemm.eeEnglish
    35·
    11 months ago

    Praising Elon like a baby is part of Russia’s war plan. That’s the timeline we are in.

  • Kichae@kbin.social
    331·
    11 months ago

    I wonder how much Putin paid for Elon. I can’t help but imagine it was as little as a scratch behind the ear and telling him that “he’s a good boy, yes he is! Yes he is!”

    • chaogomu@kbin.social
      411·
      11 months ago

      Elon is a fragile narcissist, all Putin has to do is say nice things about Elon, and Elon will eat out of Putin’s hand.

      • gregorum@lemm.eeEnglish
        171·
        11 months ago

        Exactly. Elon’s loyalty comes cheap, just like Trump’s.

        • chaogomu@kbin.social
          151·
          11 months ago

          I wouldn’t call it loyalty, I don’t think Elon or Trump are actually capable of loyalty.

          I believe the term is favor. Putin has easily earned Trump and Elon’s favor, because all these rich assholes see themselves as modern day lords and ladies. Which is true in a way, it’s just that they also have all the stupidity, cruelty, and corruption of medieval lords.

    • PeleSpirit@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      11 months ago

      I think Putin is threatening to take Elon’s products to Russia because Elon is on his side now, right?

  • 332@feddit.nuEnglish
    312·
    11 months ago

    Actual traitor Elon Musk.

    And not just to something as banal as his country; to democracy, liberalism, international order and the value of human life.

  • dx1@lemmy.worldEnglish
    28·
    11 months ago

    When you do a job for someone and they only pay you in “exposure”

  • bloopernova@programming.devEnglish
    191·
    11 months ago

    pootin also mentioned, under his breath: “he’s also really naive and never checks for cameras before he does objectionable stuff!”

  • paddirn@lemmy.worldEnglish
    171·
    11 months ago

    I mean, what else is there to know now? If Vladimir Putin is giving a person praise, they’re likely a piece of shit.

  • avater@lemmy.worldEnglish
    172·
    11 months ago

    holy fuck now it’s highly official: Elon Musk is a greedy, degenerated cunt.