Elon Musk’s X Endgame – Atlantic Ocean

After many months of negotiations With Congress close to passing a spending bill Wednesday to avert a government shutdown, Elon Musk decided he had other ideas. He opposed the bill in more than 150 separate posts on X. complain Regarding salary increases, members of Congress Overstating the proposed salary increase and worried about billions in government spending It wasn’t even on the bill.– He has repeatedly told his subordinates that the bill is “criminal” and “should not pass– Musk’s campaign is not subtle: “Any member of the House or Senate who voted for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out of office within 2 years!” Hey! Post– According to X’s statistics, the post has tens of millions of views.

Elected Republicans, listen: At the end of the day They have repealed this bill. last night Another attempt to fund the government, this time backed by Musk, also failed. After spending an estimated $277 million to support Donald Trump’s presidential bid, Musk became shadow vice president. But it’s not just Musk’s political donations that are driving his influence forward. As the success of the tirade against the spending bill shows, Musk also has too much power to control how information is disseminated. According to Shoshana Zuboff, an academic who writes about access to and surveillance technology, Musk is “information authority–

Since buying Twitter in 2022 and turning it into X, Musk has reportedly used the platform to expand his business. Access to his posts (and thus influenced his own discourse) since July His post on X received 16x more views. perspective Because all accounts of the incoming members of parliament are combined. He seemed to have change A platform to promote conservative posts based on his own political goals. This is how he can start posting about his dissatisfaction with the draft. Then let the legislature surrender. At least one Republican member of Congress reported that after Musk’s spree posts began, voters poured into his office with calls for him to reject the bill. spending money “My phone is ringing off the hook,” said Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky. told CBS News– “The people who elected us are listening to Elon Musk.”

Some in Congress seem to have no problem with this. And really enjoy it: Yesterday, Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee, along with Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, suggested it might be a good idea. to do Council President Musk is the Greens’ way to destroy the establishment. phrasing Musk doesn’t have full support. His calls to repeal the spending bill have frustrated some Republican lawmakers and Causing battles to occur.– But the point is that he has the ear of the party: Trump, if you have Trump. Musk might understand. The rest of the rights are generally aligned. Even if not willingly

Of course, the power Musk wields through X was clear even before this week. “Our political stability Our ability to know what is true and what is false, our health, and to some extent our sanity. Challenged each day It depends on what Mr. Musk decides to accept,” Zuboff said. g Interview 2023 with Financial Times– Musk’s decisions about what does and doesn’t have a place on X are part of the reason the platform has become a bastion for white supremacist content. He has now shown that he can have a disproportionate impact on politics. Even though it’s clear he’s not an elected official. It is reported thatTrump did not initially oppose the spending bill. But Musk and his post may have led Trump to finally come out against it on Wednesday afternoon.

Musk may need to tread delicately. Trump doesn’t appear to be overshadowed. Democrats in Congress repeatedly referred to him as “President Musk” yesterday. to protest methods Musk’s power goes far (Trump’s new press secretary, Caroline Levitt, said in a statement to Fox News, “President Trump is leading the Republican Party. Stop it.”) Musk Trying to hide his influence behind a thin veil. After it became clear that the spending bill was going to fail on Wednesday, Post“VOX POPULI, VOX DEI” which is Latin for “The voice of the people is the voice of God,” as if its collapse were not a direct result of his stubborn urges.

For now, Musk has the Republican Party and many American democrats. Sitting neatly in his bag Part of what makes Musk’s influence so concerning is that His views are far to the right of even many Republicans. This morning, Musk. Posted on that “only the AfD can save Germany” Alternative für Deutschland, or AfD, is one of Germany’s most far-right parties. This ambition does not stop at mass repatriation. AFD politicians have It is reported that it refers to “immigration”. The process of deporting non-white residents This includes naturalized citizens and their descendants. These views likely aren’t just making their way to Trump. They are broadcast to the millions of people who log into the X system.

In many ways, Musk’s decision to buy Twitter for $44 billion hasn’t proven to be a smart financial move. Advertisers have fled the site. same as user Especially since the election last month. After liberals flocked to Bluesky, the latest estimates suggest that X is now barely there. value More than 10 billion dollars Yesterday Musk try to point out The “irony” of the media noting the influence he wields through X and noting the site’s general decline in relevance While many things can come true at once, X is a huge platform that continues to spur people to action and pressure others. Although its influence gradually Even if it erodes There might come a day when X is too low for Musk to wield this kind of power. But that’s not the present.

The $44 billion Musk spent on X has done wonders for Musk’s ambitions, despite being far from the richest man in the world. and owns one of the most influential platforms in shaping political discourse. Musk has gained an edge beyond the standard oligarch standard thanks to X, giving him the ability—perhaps second only to Trump—to shape America’s political reality.