Tag: US Politics

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How the roots of the 'PayPal mafia' extend to apartheid South Africa – The Guardian

Elon Musk grew up with the privileges of a stratified racial order and Peter Thiel lived in a city that venerated Hitler
When Elon Musk’s arm shot out in a stiff arm salute at Donald Trump’s inaugural celebrations, startled viewers mostly drew the obvious comparison.
But in the fired-up debate about Musk’s intent that followed, as the world’s richest man insisted he wasn’t trying to be a Nazi, speculation inevitably focused on whether his roots in apartheid-era South Africa offered an […]
How the roots of the 'PayPal mafia' extend to apartheid South Africa – The Guardian

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Elon Musk now has an office in the White House. What's his political game plan?

Lecturer in Politics, Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney

Henry Maher does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
University of Sydney provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.
Elon Musk has emerged as one of the most influential and controversial powerbrokers in the […]
Elon Musk now has an office in the White House. What's his political game plan?

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Jewish non-profit chief says Musk will spur violence with his 'Nazi salute' – The Guardian

Amy Spitalnick of Jewish Council for Public Affairs warns far right will take action as ‘license for violent extremism’
The head of a prominent US Jewish civil rights body said Elon Musk’s repeated fascist-style salute during Donald Trump’s inauguration could act as a spur for violent extremists.
“The salute itself should be enough to warrant condemnation and attention,” said Amy Spitalnick, adding that so should “the ways extremists see an action like this and take it as license […]
Jewish non-profit chief says Musk will spur violence with his 'Nazi salute' – The Guardian

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What is Stargate and why is Elon Musk so angry about it? – Evening Standard

Few imagined the Musk-Trump bromance would unravel as promptly as Day Two of the administration. Then again, when one can issue executive orders at the drop of a hat and the other is in charge of government efficiency, it tracks. Things turned sour this Tuesday after Trump announced the launch of Stargate, a gargantuan infrastructure project involving seemingly everyone but Elon. It follows reports in December that Trump was getting fed up with the tech billionaire turning up uninvited to […]
What is Stargate and why is Elon Musk so angry about it? – Evening Standard

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Ethics watchdog issues conflict of interest warning to Musk's Doge agency – The Guardian

American Oversight has raised concerns over ‘department of government efficiency’ using encrypted apps
A leading ethics watchdog has issued warnings to Donald Trump’s billionaire ally Elon Musk and the “department of government efficiency” (Doge), an agency Trump has stated he will create, claiming its use of encrypted messaging apps potentially violates the Federal Records Act (FRA).
American Oversight, which uses litigation to obtain public records and expose government misconduct, […]
Ethics watchdog issues conflict of interest warning to Musk's Doge agency – The Guardian

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Elon Musk vs Wikipedia: a clash over how to describe 'Nazi salute'

Dust-up comes after billionaire Musk made a straight-arm gesture at a Trump inauguration event on Monday
Elon Musk causes stir with hand gesture at Trump inauguration
The fight pits two of the internet’s best-known tech giants against each other – and highlights the starkly different ethos behind Musk’s X social media site and Wikipedia, founded by American entrepreneur Jimmy Wales.
Musk, as the majority owner of X, is behind recent easing of content moderation rules, which has allowed […]
Elon Musk vs Wikipedia: a clash over how to describe 'Nazi salute'