Fresh from his antics in and around Maga rallies, Elon Musk has gone global and is spitballing opinions about Europe and its politicians. No country is too big or too small for Musk, who has endorsed the AfD in Germany, Reform in the UK and a Cypriot Youtube prankster-turned-MEP. The world’s wealthiest man has also taken to his social media to attack politicians he dislikes and organise pretend referenda on whether the United States should overthrow democratically elected governments.
Given Musk’s effectively limitless resources, his interest in our affairs is alarming. A handful of leaders, mainly those who Musk has called names, have come out to clearly dismiss Musk. Others, presumably thinking that they can influence the Internet’s most followed influencer, have found a formula to craft their responses. The result is a net response that appears balanced but leans heavily toward validation, effectively enabling Musk’s rhetoric while sidestepping meaningful opposition.
Step 1: Praise – First off, those brave enough to respond on behalf of our anxious nations make it clear that Elon Musk is the best thing since sliced bread. This praise usually focuses on his business exploits (“the greatest entrepreneurial genius of our time” wrote Die Welt’s Jan Philipp Burgard), as these tend to be less contentious than his other pursuits. Politicians who are more experienced in associating themselves with unsavoury figures heap large amounts of empty praise (“an absolute hero” said Nigel Farage). Sometimes, Musk is presented as a catalyst for the respondent’s own pursuits (“Elon [sic], I've initiated a policy debate inspired by ideas from you” tweeted FDP leader Christian Lindner).
Step 2: He’s basically right – After they crown Musk as The Amazing Human/Genius, these respondents go one step further and tell us that despite the drama, he does have a point. "Musk’s diagnosis is correct” writes Burgard, referring to a tirade that claims Germany is at risk of “losing its identity” because of immigrants and that German schools practice “indoctrination”. Similarly, Lindner tweets that “migration control is crucial for Germany,” just in case Musk chose the AfD because he thought Germany has no migration control whatsoever.
Step 3: But – Finally, these correspondents have to finally address the point, often enough Musk’s support for people and parties that our judges have decreed to be a risk to our society. Even then, there is little by way of using the appropriate adjectives to describe Musk’s opinions. Farage chose the word “reticent” to describe his opinion of those views, which (also) means “inclined to be silent”. Lindner thought Musk can’t see well from where he is (“Don’t rush to conclusions from afar”) so all he needs is a good friend to tell him what’s what (“Let's meet, and I'll show you”).
It is not surprising that so many are trying to appease a man with a net worth of 413 billion dollars, a following of 213 million users, and the incoming U.S. President on speed dial. Far-right politicians in countries where Musk has yet to declare a favourite are already competing for the spot. Even so, it is worrying how many self-professed democrats and liberals are willing to concede that Musk’s world view is broadly correct, siding with the world’s richest man against the most vulnerable in our communities. Trying to undo the damage caused by flippant ethno-nationalist takes is incredibly difficult, as Musk himself learned the hard way.
Anyone who is actually concerned about Europe’s authoritarian turn should challenge the premise of the nationalist argument, not just its end result. Especially when the advocate is someone as rich and powerful as Elon [sic].