It turns moderate people against you more than it helps. Not sure where people get this idea that moderates react well to purity spirals directed at them.

Right. The problem is these kinds of groups don’t carry internal dissent (sometimes by definition), so they carry out and do things that undermine their goals in return for some quick but ephemeral reward.

oh no, not the moderates who checks notes stand up for nothing and no one except themselves and overwhelmingly align with right wing politics. what's the moderate position on Trump/Musk, that we should accept a little bit of authoritarianism to make the government more efficient?

Except those are over 90% of the population. This move is not going to win moderates over at all. It’s a feel-good move like a nice heroine shot.

It doesn't have to 'win' with anyone, it just has to make the brand toxic enough that Elon suffers greatly. In that regard, it's going amazingly.

Then what? What happens after he’s suffered? It’s just to pad your egos and satisfy your catharsis, and you know it.

i don't know, probably the same as his end goal with doing nazi salutes. we want the same things for Elon that he wants for us. hitting a billionaire's wealth and influence is the only way us commoners have of "voting him out".

If his wealth and influence are duminished then he has less chance of interfering in politics here in Europe the way he is doing in the US. People are frightened.

I'm guessing people who haven't taken a stance don't feel the pain (yet). The old adage is "No country is more than three meals away from a revolution." 1), and some people still have meals. But alienating the "moderates" might lead them to join the "other side", because "our side" are just full of assholes...

1) Variations: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2022/05/02/nine-meals/

Then they by definition are finally taking the masks off and showing the world what they truly believe.