Elon Musk's attack on UK government / democracy

[Earl Aelfheah]

His latest tirade of tweets, including questioning whether the US 'should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government' are all pretty concerning. Also massively disappointed that there hasn't been a more unified response from across the House in pushing back on such interreference in our democracy by a clearly unstable megalomaniac. Whilst David Davis has spoken out, Badenoch and Jenrick seem to siding with space Karen. 

The attacks on Jess Phillips seem particularly dangerous and misplaced. She's probably done more in terms of supporting women and girls who have been victims of abuse than most in parliament, and certainly more than Musk will ever do.

Edited Tuesday at 10:46 by Earl Aelfheah

[malumbu]

Starmer probably gave his best speech on this.  Catch up with Kuensberg (spelling?) in Sunday.  Farage does his usual talking around the subject without condemning either Musk or Trump for this populist nonsense.  Trump I expect is more focused on taking over Canada, and there was me thinking we were the 51st state.  The ex Tory SPAD on the panel was disgusted by Jenrick going down the demonising Pakistani men.  I used to blame Cameron for kicking much of the move to the right off, but Osbourne and others who increased to gap between rich and poor off is more guilty.  On the LDs watch if course.  Trump, Farage, Musk and the like capitalise on this.  Johnson plays it all ways but has much to do with the anti immigrant surge, when legal immigration rocketed. 

[HeadNun]

Sorry Malumbu, but to say that Pakistani men are being 'demonised' is disgraceful. The men in the rape gangs were predominantly from Pakistan - that is a fact.  To suggest pointing this out is victimisation totally undermines the horror that the predominantly white young girls suffered at their hands. The men exploited this, using their nationality as a shield, and told their victims they wouldn't be believed. And they were right - some of he brave people who did call it out lost their jobs. 

To deny there is a strong cultural element to this, so as to protect your fear of being seen as anything other than liberal and progressive, is disingenuous at the very least. And to suggest that calling it out is far right is insane, I'm sure plenty women and girls of Pakistani heritage would agree. 

That Jenrick and Badenoch have picked this up and used it as a political football is a really disappointing start to the year, though at least today's debate in PMQs was respectful in its tone. But for the victims to have this glibly brought up and used to bait the other side just goes to show how little some of the protagonists really care about them. 

 

[malumbu]

I am quoting what a Tory SPAD said about Jenrick.  I've not analysed Jenrick's exact words but it sounds like he is going down the GB News route which if true is rather sad.  This was picked up by the media so you can follow this up - an article below, the Mail and Telegraph may have alternative takes.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/05/badenoch-defends-jenricks-remarks-about-people-from-alien-cultures

I could stereotype and generalise about many cultures, races, nationalities and religions but I try not to.  I'd rather hear in more detail from a Pakistani community leader and the like rather than a white privileged politician.  

https://mcb.org.uk/the-muslim-council-of-britain-calls-for-jenrick-to-be-sacked/

[HeadNun]

Samuel Kasumu said Jenrick has the potential to be the most divisive figure in our political history (which is a slight over-reaction, when you look at the competition). 

"The ex Tory SPAD on the panel was disgusted by Jenrick going down the demonising Pakistani men" is your own summation of what Jenrick said. 

You also wrote, "I could stereotype and generalise about many cultures, races, nationalities and religions but I try not to.  I'd rather hear in more detail from a Pakistani community leader and the like rather than a white privileged politician". 

Saying Jenrick's "going down the GB news route" IS stereotyping. Immorality is immorality, so why is the opinion of a "Pakistani community leader" worth more than a person of any other skin colour or class?

As Wes Streeting said, this should be about the victims. Suggesting their rapists are being demonised for being Pakistani is the language of an apologist, who is afraid to confront the ugly truth of some cultural values towards women. Let's not be afraid to call this out. 

And, for what it's worth, I think Jenrick is a snake. 

Edited Wednesday at 19:24 by HeadNun

[alice]

You might have a point HN  but your logic and your linking of  almost random ideas just messes the  whole thing up 

[malumbu]

Jenrick saw an opportunity to take advantage.  If he has implied that all Pakistani men behave like this then that is wrong, unnecessary, and stirs up community friction. 

I was commenting on a news channel GB news, not a group of people.  What is wrong with that?  I could comment about the the Guardian, but I would not label all people who read the Guardian as the same, and there are some who use media sources of contrasting positions to get a more balanced view. I wouldn't include GB news in that sense.

[Sephiroth]

I see today that musk is blaming people of colour/ women/equality for the damages caused by wildfires 

 

anyone - from jenrick down to lost souls in south east London - who utters anything vaguely defensive of him is nothing but problematic 

[CPR Dave]

"Elon Musk has ripped the cloak of deceit off one of Britain’s most disgusting scandals"

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/01/07/elon-musk-has-ripped-cloak-of-deceit-off-britain-scandal/

[malumbu]

F'kin hell, even for the Torygraph that is one nasty journo.  They are obviously kowtowing to Trump, competing to be the ,51st state with Canada and Greenland.  

[Sue]

15 hours ago, CPR Dave said:

"Elon Musk has ripped the cloak of deceit off one of Britain’s most disgusting scandals"

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/01/07/elon-musk-has-ripped-cloak-of-deceit-off-britain-scandal/

To read that, I have to sign up to get some kind of communications from the Telegraph 🤬

[first mate]

It is a pain, I agree. Worrying times. The idea that these 'gentlemen' have the wellbeing of abuse victims at heart is nauseating.

Edited 10 hours ago by first mate

[Earl Aelfheah]

Musk is completely out of control. And Starmer is correct to say that he is spreading misinformation: How Elon Musk seized on baseless memo claim to create wave of misinformation - BBC News

This is worth a listen from the journalist who uncovered the Rotherham abuse and whose reporting led to the original inquiry:

https://www.globalplayer.com/podcasts/episodes/7DroPn9/

[Rockets]

Scary, scary times. We have all been brought up to fear the 1984-style dystopian world where governments control communication and use it to oppress and yet it seems that actually we needed to fear the people building the communication channels (although clearly Trump is pulling the strings). With news this week that Meta is also relaxing moderation and fact-checking we are heading into uncharted territory. 

Labour were very clever with their social media strategy in the run-up to the election and now social media is a huge threat to them and is disrupting and distracting. The concern with social media prior to this was with the threat from the likes of Tik-Tok because of their links to China. Perhaps the only outcome we can wish for is that Trump falls out with Musk (it will definitely happen at some point because those two big egos are like oil and water) and Musk turns the tables on him, but then who will Musk align himself with then.

Maybe this will actually end-up with people waking up to the fact that there is a generation of kids who believe everything they read on social media and that that was becoming a dangerous precedent because whomever controlled the platform controlled the narrative.

[Sephiroth]

strong agree rockets - not just the kids tho - the number of older people who seem to have been radicalised is more noticeable to me

[Rockets]

Agree and that is due to the echo-chamber nature of social media algorithms. Previously racists and other idiots wouldn't read stuff in traditional media that echoed their warped mindset but now they feel empowered because they think everyone thinks this and can easily reach those that do share the same ideology.

Cast your mind back to how Blackberry Messenger was blamed for its role in the London riots back in 2011. We now have that a thousand times worse.