His non-denial-denial is a pretty big tip-off.

>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.

Just playing devil's advocate here for a second, but, if you were accused of such a thing, you knew you hadn't done it, and you knew that the newspaper offering to run your comments along with their story was part of a plot to smear you with baseless attacks, would you give them a comment for them to run knowing they would only use it if they could make you look more guilty?

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.

I would immediately reply, "All of the allegations are false."

Possibly so. And that is a reasonable choice. That phrasing is cautious -- it is very direct and very short, and doesn't contain any descriptive text, so it's harder for an enemy to spin it in their narrative.

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.

It's so simple when you're innocent...

When you're guilty, not so much...

I dont know all of the facts but I'm a decent speculator.

What if some of the allegations are partially true, or there's context to the allegation that matters?

> How sure are you that this isn't one of said attacks?

I'd bet up to $1000 that it's true.

I'd bet $1000 that it's another half true, half exaggerated "awkward nerd misreads woman and makes her uncomfortable" story.

I don't think awkward nerds prefer to be slandered by being lumped in with someone that whips out their dick and commits sexual assault.

Yeah, how can you possibly misread someone so badly that you touch her without her permission and show her your penis?

That's literally heresay. We don't know what happened.

He didn't even deny the allegations!

He has now.

This is the guy who has promised a girl to show her "his rocket" and then went to a hotel room with her and proceeded to show her his rocket (his ex-wife told this story). I am not sure what really happened during this flight, but let's wait for the full story, and let's be a little accommodating if it turns out his Asperger's might be the actual issue here.

People submit stories for karma, that is what they do. Let's not forget about the nonstop Hunter Biden laptop stories on social media, or back when Clinton was running about her hitlist and Qanon rhetoric. It isn't one party guilty or responsible. Republicans have this victimized cult mentality and it is sickening, when if you look at their history they are just as culpable, if not more so at times.

This is, to use one of the left's favorite terms, pure whataboutism.

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.

Victimhood is literally their only party platform rn. Like, can you name even a single policy proposal they have that’s not waging a culture war fight?

You set that bar too low.

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.

DeSantis' State of the State address had many moderate points (and a few progressive points – increasing apprenticeships, college funding, better wages for teachers, etc.): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6PIanB0DHU

> 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.

Pre-Trump, maybe. The GOP is post-Trump now. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/01/conservati...