this post was submitted on 12 Sep 2023
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  • Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday praised Elon Musk, calling the Tesla and SpaceX founder a “talented businessman.”
  • Putin was discussing Russia’s space program after a failed moon landing last month.
  • His comments come after Musk said last week that he refused an emergency request by the Ukrainian government to extend coverage of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites to Sevastopol in Crimea.
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[–] exohuman@programming.dev 305 points 1 year ago (14 children)

Can we define Musk as a traitor now? He is actively interfering in a conflict in an active combat zone the USA has already picked sides in and sided with the enemy.

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 140 points 1 year ago (1 children)

At the very least, all government contracts and grants should be pulled from SpaceX, Tesla, Starlink, and any other Musk run businesses.

[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 95 points 1 year ago

I say nationalize anything with a government contract. Starlink could be extremely useful to the military and musk shouldn't be in charge of anyone's Internet connection, defense contract or not. Military would still get to use it and people would have a taxpayer funded alternative to companies like Comcast.

[–] Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 58 points 1 year ago (8 children)

Can we cut out the middle-part and just send him back to South Africa?

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

South Africa has suffered enough

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[–] Techmaster@lemm.ee 10 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Or just lock him in a padded cell where they force him to listen to Die Antwoord 24/7.

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[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 42 points 1 year ago (5 children)

If he actually did tell his company to take an action that effectively contravened official US policy (and it looks like he did), he broke the law. Specifically, 18 U.S. Code § 953 - Private correspondence with foreign governments:

Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

I am willing to bet that someone in the Ukrainian foreign ministry was aware of this law, and then had some pointed questions for the US State Department on whether or not Elon’s refusal to share intelligence should be taken as an official US position on the matter, and if not, why Elon/SpaceX’s behavior is effectively contradicting official US policy.

This should get interesting, and it could put Elon in some real legal jeopardy on a matter that the US tends to not fuck around with.

[–] TruTollTroll@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

I am praying so! I have my popcorn ready and I can't afford to waste it. Lmao

But seriously, I really do want to see some Justice here. He is one man, a private citizen who directly involved himself in foreign affairs and I would believe, he technically committed an act of war by aiding and abetting Russia.

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[–] Echo71Niner@kbin.social 12 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Dick Cheney is a war criminal and still walks free, and so does George W Bush, where the fuck do you think Elon learned that shit from? Ha!

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[–] YurkshireLad@lemmy.ca 162 points 1 year ago (3 children)

You know you’re a bad human being when Putin praises you.

[–] Son_of_dad@lemmy.world 45 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You're gonna make Steven Seagal cry

[–] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 39 points 1 year ago (1 children)

he won't, it excersies too many muscles

[–] nrezcm@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

As long as he is provided a chair to sit in he should be fine with it.

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[–] Hazdaz@lemmy.world 88 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's about the same praise he gave to Trump.

And just like Trump, Musk is a piece of shit as well.

[–] BeautifulMind@lemmy.world 28 points 1 year ago (4 children)

There's good reason to expect that Putin has some sort of hold over Trump- he fits the profile (bad at business, constantly needs money, will do anything for attention, has been mob-adjacent his whole life, has been actively groomed to be an asset by soviet-bloc intelligence services, etc).

Now that I see Elon getting the same sort of head-pat treatment, I expect he's in similar thrall and begin to wonder if that kind of public statement from Putin is anything but a public, encoded reminder that the leash is still there and if he doesn't behave it all comes tumbling down.

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[–] Pickle_Jr@lemmy.dbzer0.com 66 points 1 year ago

Tankies who simp over Russia are going to have an existential crisis.

[–] _dev_null@lemmy.zxcvn.xyz 58 points 1 year ago (2 children)

If you've got a murderous autocrat praising you, it should trigger an "I've made a huge mistake" response.

Not so for narcissists though - anything that boosts their ego is welcome, anything. Russia knows this, and plays the fuck out of it like a shit fiddle, Randy.

And useful idiots fall for it, like really powerful idiots. It makes me sad for humanity that such depraved sociopaths can still win out in this day and age.

[–] FinalRemix@lemmy.world 26 points 1 year ago

The twat comes from apartheid gem money. I don't think he minds getting head pats from Vlad.

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[–] Kichae@kbin.social 49 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I wonder how much Putin paid for Elon. I can't help but imagine it was as little as a scratch behind the ear and telling him that "he's a good boy, yes he is! Yes he is!"

[–] chaogomu@kbin.social 62 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Elon is a fragile narcissist, all Putin has to do is say nice things about Elon, and Elon will eat out of Putin's hand.

[–] gregorum@lemm.ee 33 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Exactly. Elon’s loyalty comes cheap, just like Trump’s.

[–] chaogomu@kbin.social 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I wouldn't call it loyalty, I don't think Elon or Trump are actually capable of loyalty.

I believe the term is favor. Putin has easily earned Trump and Elon's favor, because all these rich assholes see themselves as modern day lords and ladies. Which is true in a way, it's just that they also have all the stupidity, cruelty, and corruption of medieval lords.

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[–] Coreidan@lemmy.world 42 points 1 year ago

Russia bitch boy

[–] wick@lemm.ee 41 points 1 year ago

Praising Elon like a baby is part of Russia's war plan. That's the timeline we are in.

[–] dx1@lemmy.world 38 points 1 year ago

When you do a job for someone and they only pay you in "exposure"

[–] 332@feddit.nu 37 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Actual traitor Elon Musk.

And not just to something as banal as his country; to democracy, liberalism, international order and the value of human life.

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[–] TwoGems@lemmy.world 36 points 1 year ago

Completely 100% not suspicious! Nothing to see here

[–] scarabic@lemmy.world 28 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Putin should know to just shut up about him. He’s doing everything he can to be useful to Putin. Why implicate him by association? Just shut up and enjoy your tool.

[–] supercriticalcheese@feddit.it 19 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Probably he is doing deliberately to trigger the US government, we bought one of your oligarchs.

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[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 27 points 1 year ago

Shocker; the guy who conspired with Russia to thwart Ukraine gets praised by Putin.

[–] sndmn@lemmy.ca 24 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Maybe. Musk seems like as likely to suck anyone's dick if it meant he got praise though. Like Trump, Putin make have dirt, but they're both very shallow people desperate for praise.

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[–] bloopernova@programming.dev 23 points 1 year ago

pootin also mentioned, under his breath: "he's also really naive and never checks for cameras before he does objectionable stuff!"

[–] paddirn@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago

I mean, what else is there to know now? If Vladimir Putin is giving a person praise, they're likely a piece of shit.

[–] avater@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

holy fuck now it's highly official: Elon Musk is a greedy, degenerated cunt.

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[–] zcd@lemmy.ca 19 points 1 year ago

There’s totally a piss tape

[–] cheeseburger@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Elon is such a fucking clown.

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[–] AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

FRIENDSHIP ENDED WITH TRUMP.

NOW MUSK IS MY BEST FRIEND.

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[–] stevedidWHAT@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

If Elon really doesn’t have any alliances, he really knows how to put himself between a rock and a hard place.

Sucks I don’t give a fuck about billionaires or their miserable, stressful, apathetic, pathetic, shallow existences.

Live like a hedonistic die like one.

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

He also called Prigozhin a "talented person" just after he had killed him. So Elon, don't get too comfortable.

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