I guess it has become one. But, gee, it makes frogs sound sort of insensitive, when they are anything but, say, compared to a potato. You put a potato in a pan of water and slowly raise the temperature … will it climb out? Never.
Big fan of Bill Kristol here, but is any Democrat even seriously thinking about embracing Elon Musk? I suppose we can't take anything for granted. The Musk - Trump split, as a split in the Republican Party, is priceless, and in no way should the Democrats interfere in it by claiming Musk as an ally. Musk is responsible for ruining millions of lives - even killing people - by eliminating USAID, and cutting staff from vital domestic health, welfare, regulatory and safety programs. And, as Bill points out, he's a Nazi symp and, similar to a lot of Nazis in the old days, a drug addict. The conflict also puts Republicans in an extremely difficult position. Whose side are they on? Look at Marjorie Taylor Greene - uber Trump supporter AND she has staked her congressional role on being head of the DOGE caucus. And if - oh please! - Trump really goes after Musk's businesses and seeks to prosecute him, it is a clear message to Trump's other billionaire supporters that all the lawlessness directed at universities, law firms, and businesses that don't toe the line, can be directed at them as well. It's not just "libs" and immigrants who are losing by Trump's smashing of rule of law. Pass the popcorn and watch it happen. The only damper on all this is that Trump's business class supporters, and pols caught in the middle of this battle, will tamp it down because they all have so much to lose by it. Oh please let it continue!
Hard endorse on steering clear of Musk. No need to antagonize him, but he's erratic and untrustworthy and has done great damage to the country. He's simply not someone who can be counted on to act responsibly or consistently, and he wields far too much influence as it is. The less Musk has to do with our politics and government, the better.
I'm going to be mr opposite sort of. Of course there's no welcoming any of them. But let's not be too hasty. They the tech bros want stuff, they thought trump was the best bet. But it's not a good fit, it never was. They'd be better in Dem hands is my thinking. So... Sell them on that. Take the money away from the GOP. Dems your offer are favorable tech bros policies yes but not everyone is a tech bros. And it's just pragmatic . Because we don't really believe in anything anymore except money, its pretty much only a money based system. Money pours into congress the pres etc. Want to fix it? Your going to have to win first and pocketing the tech bros could really go a long way. It's a better fit. They just need a little help realizing it. And hey there's no harm in trying to strike a deal. And just think the of bagging trump, all his friends - oh the maga rage. How glorious that will be... And going to Mars. Could be worse - you'll lose to JD Vance.
The Trump/Musk split was inevitable. The Orange Moron cannot be trusted any farther than you can throw him. Once he no longer needs Musk - or is a political liability- he is kicked to the curb. The only thing that surprises me is that Musk had no idea this was going to happen - or at least it looks that way.
I have commented on Musk and Trump before predicting last February that Musk’s days were numbered. I think a good analogy here is Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former CEO/Chairman of Yukos Oil. At one point he was one of the wealthiest men in the world. Putin opened up an “investigation” and Khodorkovsky was indicted for tax evasion, fraud, etc. He spent nine years in prison until his release in 2013 due to lobbying from interests outside of Russia. Yukos Oil went “bankrupt” with most of the assets auctioned off to Russia’s state owned oil company (Rosneft). I suspect that Putin may have ended up with some assets from Yukos, as well.
Musk runs the risk of experiencing the same fate as Khodorkovsky. The Orange Moron will tell his lickspittle DOJ to open up an investigation. I am sure there are some skeletons in Musk’s closet. Interesting that Steve Bannon has this week called for such an investigation. Bannon will keep the MAGA minions at bay while Musk is indicted.
I can see Musk “self-deporting” to a country without an extradition treaty with the U.S. Tesla has already lost its brand value but will likely be “seized” (at least Musk’s stock); Space-X merged into NASA; and “X” will be “acquired” by Truth Social (the Orange Moron has to get something out of this, right?).
I think this will play out in due course - six months?
If dems welcome Musk back, then MAGA will, justifiably, accuse of dems of being disingenuous.
I knew that Trump's and Musk's egos would lead to a break-up, but I never thought it would go this nuclear (Epstein files). Some look for financial motivations behind Musk's attacks. I think it is much simpler, Musk's ego, impulsiveness, and inability to ever admit to a mistake. All of which cause him to double down, and double down again. Trump, of course, is the same. Time to pop up some popcorn and enjoy the show.
If Trump really wants to punish Musk, there are two things he can do.
1) Keep the EV credits, but only for companies that manufacture a certain % of their cars (including ICE cars) in union shops. This will give GM and Ford a competitive advantage.
2) Have NHTSA throw in roadblocks in the way of Tesla's autonomous FSD and Robotaxi/cybercab efforts.
This two efforts will cause Tesla stock to fall to $50/share. Costing Musk well over $100B, and frustrate Musk's cybercab dreams. This will be a good use of Trump's abuse of power. Go Trump!
Please, please, PLEASE stop Democrats from welcoming Musk, even if you have to kidnap them and hide them in an underground bunker!
As you say, he's done immeasurable damage to democracy. Trying to paint him as no longer a villain would reinforce the (well-earned) reputation of Democrats as being willing to say ANYTHING to win over voters who they too obviously think are as dumb as rocks. It reinforces ALL the worst stereotypes of the party and its "leadership."
In fact, it would strengthen Trump even more with his base, who would then see Trump as once again the tough guy standing up to the libs. And it would solidify his amazing con as the guy who "tells it like it is."
I could go on listing the reasons this would be a very idiotic idea, starting with the fact that it would be deeply dishonest, even immoral. Did I mention the perception that the only reason they would do this is to get their hands on his money, confirming the stereotype of Democrats as friends of the rich tech bros who spit on the ordinary people who just don't get their genius?
I think we should mostly just maneuver around Elon for the time being. Just avoid engaging with him. If he attacks Republicans, great. If he doesn't, that's his business. Mostly, I would prefer if he would just entirely cease politics. We do not want or need his bag. While he was in the admin, it was justified to treat him as a priority target. Now that he is out of the admin, he's not a priority. We should return fire, but otherwise just avoid engaging.
Some have dreams of rolling him up legally. It will be expensive, perhaps impossible, to grind him down. We've won the battle strategically for the moment though.
Sorry, i havent even read the article yet. I've been busy working on something the past couple of days and missed seeing the news. I just saw a CNN article and came here immediately but I'm telling you, the grin on my face...I think im going to get muscle cramps from this ear to ear smile. I Cannot Remember the last time I was filled with such glee.
It would be morally gratifying to see Musk and Trump destroy each other. It's just a shame that the rest of us can't be insulated from injury in the process.
Yep, Trump threatened to cancel all of Musk’s govt contracts, so Musk said he was immediately stopping work on the Dragon spacecraft that shuttles the astronauts to and from the International Space Station, of which there is right now only one Dragon, so Musk could potentially strand the 4 astronauts currently aboard the ISS. He then went on to suggest that Trump be impeached immediately and replaced by Vance as President (which would make things 1000 times worse imho, but whatever). Quite the meltdown show.
Of course cancelling all of Musk’s govt contracts would help balance the budget proposed in the BBB, so there’s that.
The day when I admire or even respect Musk is past. But if he can irritate Trump, that's not necessarily a bad thing!
I know I’m wasting my pixels, but I keep trying. The frog thing is totally false. Tested repeatedly. Water gets too warm they climb out.
I always thought it was a metaphor
I guess it has become one. But, gee, it makes frogs sound sort of insensitive, when they are anything but, say, compared to a potato. You put a potato in a pan of water and slowly raise the temperature … will it climb out? Never.
Smile
I read a newsletter ( at the Dispatch) called Boiling Frogs, FWIW...lol
"Just start turning things off and, if anything breaks, go back and fix it."
More like, "If any important-to-us constituency (usually mean $) complains we will tweek it."
Big fan of Bill Kristol here, but is any Democrat even seriously thinking about embracing Elon Musk? I suppose we can't take anything for granted. The Musk - Trump split, as a split in the Republican Party, is priceless, and in no way should the Democrats interfere in it by claiming Musk as an ally. Musk is responsible for ruining millions of lives - even killing people - by eliminating USAID, and cutting staff from vital domestic health, welfare, regulatory and safety programs. And, as Bill points out, he's a Nazi symp and, similar to a lot of Nazis in the old days, a drug addict. The conflict also puts Republicans in an extremely difficult position. Whose side are they on? Look at Marjorie Taylor Greene - uber Trump supporter AND she has staked her congressional role on being head of the DOGE caucus. And if - oh please! - Trump really goes after Musk's businesses and seeks to prosecute him, it is a clear message to Trump's other billionaire supporters that all the lawlessness directed at universities, law firms, and businesses that don't toe the line, can be directed at them as well. It's not just "libs" and immigrants who are losing by Trump's smashing of rule of law. Pass the popcorn and watch it happen. The only damper on all this is that Trump's business class supporters, and pols caught in the middle of this battle, will tamp it down because they all have so much to lose by it. Oh please let it continue!
There are three groups that should not trust Musk, Democrats, Republicans and Independents.
Two more: women and men.
Hard endorse on steering clear of Musk. No need to antagonize him, but he's erratic and untrustworthy and has done great damage to the country. He's simply not someone who can be counted on to act responsibly or consistently, and he wields far too much influence as it is. The less Musk has to do with our politics and government, the better.
I'm going to be mr opposite sort of. Of course there's no welcoming any of them. But let's not be too hasty. They the tech bros want stuff, they thought trump was the best bet. But it's not a good fit, it never was. They'd be better in Dem hands is my thinking. So... Sell them on that. Take the money away from the GOP. Dems your offer are favorable tech bros policies yes but not everyone is a tech bros. And it's just pragmatic . Because we don't really believe in anything anymore except money, its pretty much only a money based system. Money pours into congress the pres etc. Want to fix it? Your going to have to win first and pocketing the tech bros could really go a long way. It's a better fit. They just need a little help realizing it. And hey there's no harm in trying to strike a deal. And just think the of bagging trump, all his friends - oh the maga rage. How glorious that will be... And going to Mars. Could be worse - you'll lose to JD Vance.
The Trump/Musk split was inevitable. The Orange Moron cannot be trusted any farther than you can throw him. Once he no longer needs Musk - or is a political liability- he is kicked to the curb. The only thing that surprises me is that Musk had no idea this was going to happen - or at least it looks that way.
I have commented on Musk and Trump before predicting last February that Musk’s days were numbered. I think a good analogy here is Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former CEO/Chairman of Yukos Oil. At one point he was one of the wealthiest men in the world. Putin opened up an “investigation” and Khodorkovsky was indicted for tax evasion, fraud, etc. He spent nine years in prison until his release in 2013 due to lobbying from interests outside of Russia. Yukos Oil went “bankrupt” with most of the assets auctioned off to Russia’s state owned oil company (Rosneft). I suspect that Putin may have ended up with some assets from Yukos, as well.
Musk runs the risk of experiencing the same fate as Khodorkovsky. The Orange Moron will tell his lickspittle DOJ to open up an investigation. I am sure there are some skeletons in Musk’s closet. Interesting that Steve Bannon has this week called for such an investigation. Bannon will keep the MAGA minions at bay while Musk is indicted.
I can see Musk “self-deporting” to a country without an extradition treaty with the U.S. Tesla has already lost its brand value but will likely be “seized” (at least Musk’s stock); Space-X merged into NASA; and “X” will be “acquired” by Truth Social (the Orange Moron has to get something out of this, right?).
I think this will play out in due course - six months?
If dems welcome Musk back, then MAGA will, justifiably, accuse of dems of being disingenuous.
I knew that Trump's and Musk's egos would lead to a break-up, but I never thought it would go this nuclear (Epstein files). Some look for financial motivations behind Musk's attacks. I think it is much simpler, Musk's ego, impulsiveness, and inability to ever admit to a mistake. All of which cause him to double down, and double down again. Trump, of course, is the same. Time to pop up some popcorn and enjoy the show.
If Trump really wants to punish Musk, there are two things he can do.
1) Keep the EV credits, but only for companies that manufacture a certain % of their cars (including ICE cars) in union shops. This will give GM and Ford a competitive advantage.
2) Have NHTSA throw in roadblocks in the way of Tesla's autonomous FSD and Robotaxi/cybercab efforts.
This two efforts will cause Tesla stock to fall to $50/share. Costing Musk well over $100B, and frustrate Musk's cybercab dreams. This will be a good use of Trump's abuse of power. Go Trump!
Please, please, PLEASE stop Democrats from welcoming Musk, even if you have to kidnap them and hide them in an underground bunker!
As you say, he's done immeasurable damage to democracy. Trying to paint him as no longer a villain would reinforce the (well-earned) reputation of Democrats as being willing to say ANYTHING to win over voters who they too obviously think are as dumb as rocks. It reinforces ALL the worst stereotypes of the party and its "leadership."
In fact, it would strengthen Trump even more with his base, who would then see Trump as once again the tough guy standing up to the libs. And it would solidify his amazing con as the guy who "tells it like it is."
I could go on listing the reasons this would be a very idiotic idea, starting with the fact that it would be deeply dishonest, even immoral. Did I mention the perception that the only reason they would do this is to get their hands on his money, confirming the stereotype of Democrats as friends of the rich tech bros who spit on the ordinary people who just don't get their genius?
A+, no notes.
I think we should mostly just maneuver around Elon for the time being. Just avoid engaging with him. If he attacks Republicans, great. If he doesn't, that's his business. Mostly, I would prefer if he would just entirely cease politics. We do not want or need his bag. While he was in the admin, it was justified to treat him as a priority target. Now that he is out of the admin, he's not a priority. We should return fire, but otherwise just avoid engaging.
Some have dreams of rolling him up legally. It will be expensive, perhaps impossible, to grind him down. We've won the battle strategically for the moment though.
For Musk’s sake, I hope trump doesn’t ask Putin, “how would you handle this?”
Sorry, i havent even read the article yet. I've been busy working on something the past couple of days and missed seeing the news. I just saw a CNN article and came here immediately but I'm telling you, the grin on my face...I think im going to get muscle cramps from this ear to ear smile. I Cannot Remember the last time I was filled with such glee.
It's like watching a movie where you hope everyone dies..........
It would be morally gratifying to see Musk and Trump destroy each other. It's just a shame that the rest of us can't be insulated from injury in the process.
The Musk-Trump fight has now gone scorched earth. Pick up the NY Times if you can. This is getting good.
Yep, Trump threatened to cancel all of Musk’s govt contracts, so Musk said he was immediately stopping work on the Dragon spacecraft that shuttles the astronauts to and from the International Space Station, of which there is right now only one Dragon, so Musk could potentially strand the 4 astronauts currently aboard the ISS. He then went on to suggest that Trump be impeached immediately and replaced by Vance as President (which would make things 1000 times worse imho, but whatever). Quite the meltdown show.
Of course cancelling all of Musk’s govt contracts would help balance the budget proposed in the BBB, so there’s that.
JVL picked a hell of a day to take off.