Hey everybody. Welcome back to the Elon Musk
Podcast. This is a show where we discuss
the critical crossroads, the Shape, SpaceX, Tesla X, The
Boring Company, and Neurolink. I'm your host, Will Walden.
There's some subject matter in this episode that might not be
OK for some people. It's about Elon Musk and his
recent Nazi esque salutes and his arm movements, arm motions,
whatever you want to call them. That's what this episode is
about. So if you have a problem with
that, if it's going to make you upset, you don't need to listen
to this. There's there's not a lot going
on here reporting the news about anti defamation League and also
Tesla, some social media stuff and how the public's little bit
divided. So if that's going to offend
you, just, you know, just take that into consideration before
you listen to this episode. So Elon Musk was standing at a
podium bearing the seal of the United States president back on
Monday. And it was captured twice,
raising his arm in a way that some interpreted as resembling
the Nazi salute. This gesture, which is widely
recognized as a symbol of heat and historical atrocities, was
called out by scholars, journalists, and human rights
organizations. But despite the backlash,
neither Musk nor his company, Tesla, has faced any apparent
financial repercussions for this controversy.
Musk responded to the accusations with characteristic
defiance, laughing off claims that he intentionally made a
salute like that. He called the controversy dirty
tricks and sarcastically thanked the Anti Defamation League of
the ADL for initially defending him.
The ADL had stated that the gesture was likely just an
awkward moment rather than an intentional salute.
However, the billionaire's nonchalant dismissal of the
criticism and a few to the fire for those already scrutinizing
his associations with far right ideologies.
This isn't the first time that Elon Musk has faced accusations
of engaging with controversial or extremist viewpoints.
Musk has been under scrutiny for what critics call a growing
alignment with far right circles.
Notably, the publicity endorsed Germany's hard right Alternative
Fiora Deutschland Afd party, whose policies have been
condemned by numerous human rights organizations.
Now on X, Musk has allowed the proliferation of Nazi related
and anti-Semitic content after he took over and often amplifies
such accounts or failed to enforce moderation policies
against them. It's the free speech platform of
course, so he's not going to stop them doing what they do.
And it one particularly controversial incident, Musk
replied to an anti-Semitic post calling it the actual truth.
Now, just so you know, I am anti Nazi.
Any sort of racism, any sort of Nazi, people can suck it go
away. But I wanted to let you all know
that we're going to talk about this stuff a little bit more.
And following backlash over this incident, Musk offered a public
apology, describing it as literally the worst and dumbest
post I've ever done. He subsequently visited
Auschwitz, a symbolic gesture meant to demonstrate contrition.
Yet critics argue that Musk's actions, including his dismissal
of concerns over the alleged Nazi salute, suggest a pattern
of courting controversy while showing limited accountability.
We all know Elon Musk is a troll.
But despite the public outrage and growing concern about Musk's
behavior, Tesla's financial performance remains unaffected.
On Tuesday, Tesla's stock closed virtually unchanged, signaling
investors apparent indifference to the controversy.
They either just didn't see it or they don't care.
And analysts note that since Donald Trump's election, Tesla
shares have surged 65%, outperforming competitors and
the broader market. Observer suggests that Musk's
close ties to the Trump administration may shield him
from the potential fallout of his divisive actions.
Now. Musk's association with far
right ideologies has also drawn criticisms from within those
very circles. Steve Bannon, a polarizing
figure of alt right politics, is openly called Musk evil and
demanded his removal from the White House, where Musk calls an
influential advisory role. However, analysts suggest that
Musk's perceived ability to appeal the ban his base, whether
intentionally or inadvertently, may insulate him from these
attacks. Now.
The ADL, which initially defended Musk after his gesture,
later issued a sharp condemnation.
The organization criticized Musk's decision to make jokes
about Nazis on X, labeling his remarks inappropriate and
offensive. They emphasize the unique
historical and moral gravity of the Holocaust dating.
It is never acceptable to make light of a singularly evil
chapter in human history. Now, social media platforms and
communities have been quick to react to Musk's actions.
Reddit saw a surge in conversations and debates about
whether to limit a or ban links to X.
Several subreddits, including Our Christianity, Our New
Jersey, have already enacted bans on and X related content.
This also includes R slash Godzilla, citing Musk's
controversial gestures as a tipping point.
And moderators of other subreddits such as R slash RVA
and R slash NBA are actively discussing similar measures,
while some have opted to restrict X content by allowing
screenshots instead of direct links to reduce traffic to
Musk's platform. Now, one Reddit user wrote on
the R/D and D subreddit given Musk's actions on Monday, and
may be time to rethink how we engage with the platform.
The user went on to criticize Musk's history of amplifying
harmful rhetoric and interacting with accounts, promoting Nasi
ideology and raising broader concerns about X's role in
spreading hate speech and extremism.
But not all Reddit users agree with the bans.
Some pointed out the perceived inconsistency in singling out of
X while allowing content from platforms like Meta, which
recently ended its fact checking program, or True Social, a site
often associated with right wing misinformation.
However, others defended the bans, arguing the collective
action was one of the few tools left for communities to take a
stand against harmful behavior. Tech CE OS Reddit, for its part,
allows subreddit moderators significant autonomy and setting
and enforcing their rules. Platform does not have a blanket
policy on banning links to specific websites, leaving
decisions up to individual subreddit communities.
Now this decentralized moderation system, according to
Derek Powersack, author of Designed for Community, is one
of the few remaining examples of collective online action.
In a Blue Sky post, he said Reddit's structure actually
gives moderators a bit of power, which is increasingly rare in
online spaces. And while Musk's defenders
argued that his gestures and online behavior are being
exaggerated or misinterpreted, critics view them as part of a
broader pattern of behavior that normalizes hate and
anti-Semitism. Video clips of Musk's alleged
salute have been widely shared on social media on every
platform, often juxtaposed with images of neo Nazis performing
identical gestures, including Hitler.
And for many, this visual comparison leaves little room
for doubt about the seriousness of the accusations.
Despite the criticism, though, Musk dominance in technology,
social media, and business remains largely intact.
And unaffected, his ability to retain public support and
investor confidence in Tesla shows that he has a unique
position as both a polarizing and influential figure.
When it comes down to it, people that are investing in companies,
they want to make money and there might not be a moral
threshold for some people. Some, and I'm just speaking from
direct experience with some people that are invested with
Tesla, some people have taken out some of their money, but
also you have to think somebody else is going to buy that stock
anyway. So why would you do that?
Why wouldn't you just make the money?
So those are some questions you have to think about, like, do
you want to support this guy and until you know exactly what he
was thinking or are you going to have a knee jerk reaction, pull
all your money out, lose a bunch of money that you and your
family could use. That's where some people are
coming from. So just think about that too.
And when making these decisions. Now Tesla, well, it's bolstered
by its market performance, shows no signs of losing momentum,
though it's going up, up, up, even as these controversies
surrounding Elon continue to pile up.
Now he has ties to Donald Trump, and his apparent appeal to right
wing factions pose critical questions about the role of tech
leaders and CE OS and shaping public discourse.
He has a lot of power. For now, Musk remains defiant,
brushing off backlash while continuing to consolidate his
influence across industries and political lines.
So Musk's gestures, the Nazi salute, social media policies
and political alliances show that there's a deepening divide
between his critics and his supporters.
Though whether this divided will eventually impact Musk's public
standing, his financial empire or political ambitions remain
uncertain. And everybody has to make their
own choice. So, you know, before you invest,
make sure you know who the leaders of the companies are
that you're investing in. It's important, you know, work
with your work, with your morals here if you're going to invest
in something. So that's up to you, whatever
your morals are. I'm not here to tell you right
or wrong, but some people, they pulled out, some people they put
money in. It's up to them.
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