[1] - https://twitter.com/johnjcook/status/1527421611070177307
I'd probably do the same thing. It may have been 2 hours before this story but he's been putting out "controversial" tweets for months.
I also have someone else telling me they contacted him years ago, still waiting on that source but no idea what to believe at this point.
Specifically rebut the claim. Cite the Insider reaching out and disclose first. Not denying the savviness of his strategy. But it’s so corrosive to our culture… We need better.
True, I will say that this doesn't look good. We also don't know what Insider actually even asked though.
I can agree in a perfect world, this strategy is underhanded. Let's say though that you received an email that has totally false allegations, what would the statement even read? Thankfully I've never been in such a position but I imagine I would say something similar to "there's going to be stupid stories coming out" vs "Insider is planning to publish a smear campaign against me" - which would just bring more attention to it.
Again, this is all assuming its a false allegation.
If its true, seems the best course of action would be to remain totally silent and not become the center of attention for the past few months.
Looks like he has "denied" it on twitter.
I agree he should have denied it to Business Insider _but_, without knowing what Business Insider actually asked to get that response, I'll refrain from judging the answer.
That doesn't prove/disprove anything.
>SpaceX could easily make a a statement that it didn't happen
Why? They have already settled.
>And, for the record, those wild accusations are utterly untrue
And then he rapidly goes off the rails.
>But I have a challenge to this liar who claims their friend saw me “exposed” – describe just one thing, anything at all (scars, tattoos, …) that isn’t known by the public. She won’t be able to do so, because it never happened. … Moreover, the “friend” in question who gave the interview to BI, is a far left activist/actress in LA with a major political axe to grind.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1527518555641618433
> They began brewing attacks of all kinds as soon as the Twitter acquisition was announced.
>In my 30 year career, including the entire MeToo era, there’s nothing to report, but, as soon as I say I intend to restore free speech to Twitter & vote Republican, suddenly there is …
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1527629698267615232
I mean there's at least 750 thousand reasons now to believe that there is in fact something to report and that investigative journalists are now looking into what else there may be.
> Heard has been credited with donating $1.3 million in four installments, Dougherty said. But not all of the money came directly from her: $100,000 was from Depp, and another $500,000 is from a Vanguard account the ACLU believes to be associated with Elon Musk — whom Heard dated after her breakup with Depp.
https://www.npr.org/2022/04/29/1095571524/amber-heard-aclu-d...
People have wanted to tear him down for years. I _really_ doubt there's anything else if upon the apex of his renouncing of democrats results in nothing more than allegations and hearsay.
I could be wrong... but I just don't see it happening.
Also, I fail to see how the Amber Heard stuff comes into play...
I'm not a Musk fanboy but I recognize the power of someone with great intelligence and vision and is willing to bully to make it happen.
Case in point: there's 3 space companies run by billionaires, but only one of them is successful. I think it's his driving force that makes the difference.
It doesn't make him a good person, but it's evident that it is effective. As with Jobs, I can respect his achievements and not respect him.
If allegations on Elon are true, it is unfortunate to have this stain on his rather remarkable vision for the future. We need more visionaries like Elon.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/16/tech/microsoft-bill-gates-sex...
"Melinda French Gates voiced concerns about her husband’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and a harassment claim against his money manager. He also had an affair with an employee."
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/16/business/bill-melinda-gat...
When he started on the Gates Foundation and became a philanthropist it helped reform him in my eyes. But the latest revelations have undone much of that.
Insider says they contacted him 9am yesterday.
Submit to the current agenda or your skeletons will be dug up and shown to the world.
This story (and the degree to which it is being artificially pushed, including by being posted on HN every 3 minutes to make sure it gets seen) is well within the range of usual "dirty tricks" attacks that come out whenever someone publicly sets themselves against the democratic party.
>After Insider contacted Musk for comment, he emailed to ask for more time to respond and said there is "a lot more to this story."
>"If I were inclined to engage in sexual harassment, this is unlikely to be the first time in my entire 30-year career that it comes to light," he wrote, calling the story a "politically motivated hit piece."
>Insider extended the deadline and reiterated the offer to Musk to comment on the claims. He did not respond.
I'm not saying this is what happened in Musk's case. Maybe he is guilty -- wouldn't be the first rich guy (or just, the first guy) caught doing something like this. Just saying, Musk became Enemy No 1 of the left and then almost immediately, a sexual-deviancy charge appears from long ago and is being obviously aggressively pushed across all platforms, and it'd be irresponsible not to wonder, given how often the left gets caught using this exact tactic.
At least, in the 3 minutes I was willing to spend thinking about it, I couldn't dream up a way to use that quote to imply your guilt.
When you're guilty, not so much...
I dont know all of the facts but I'm a decent speculator.
I'd bet up to $1000 that it's true.
As far as "victimized cult mentality" goes, I really don't think Republicans rate, really. They mostly don't participate in the victimhood-industrial complex.
Republicans support a variety of policies -- different ones support different policies, but they include:
Limiting abortion.
Decreasing illegal immigration.
Increased access to firearms.
Lower taxes, especially on incomes.
The elimination of Section 230 protections for large tech platforms.
An increase in domestic energy production, with an eye towards energy self-sufficiency.
A decrease in H1 visas.
Increased school choice, through a combination of charter schools, school vouchers, and home-schooling support.
Increased policing, especially the enforcement of misdemeanor theft, vandalism, trespass, and destruction of property.
Increased enforcement of drug laws, especially pertaining to methamphetamines, heroin, and fentanyl.
A decrease in cooperation with China.
You may oppose some or all of these policy positions, but you can't reasonably claim that they aren't policy positions. I tried to give you a smattering from across different types of policy, rather than just things in the news recently.
Shouldn't need saying, but this is not my list of policy goals. I have opinions, but they're not relevant to a discussion of whether the Republican party has or has not got a platform.
Pre-Trump, maybe. The GOP is post-Trump now. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/01/conservati...
"In the past I voted Democrat, because they were (mostly) the kindness party.
But they have become the party of division & hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican.
Now, watch their dirty tricks campaign against me unfold … " https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1526997132858822658
Interesting strategy of trying to get ahead of this..