He despised unions, underestimated political correctness and embraced the idea of a government with limited power. So conservatives may now be disappointed by their withdrawal from the Twitter buyout deal.
In any case, as a guy who smokes pot during interviews, flirts with Hollywood by making movie appearances, and ponders the destruction of Mars, it doesn’t seem likely to be adopted as a talisman by mainstream politicians.
In a polarized United States, the 51-year-old tycoon’s opposition to Covid-19 restrictions is often seen as a sign of sympathy for the Republican side, though he has given signs to suggest otherwise, such as his disdain for draconian measures of immigration control.
The richest man in the world has criticized President Joe Biden for proposing a tax credit for electric cars made by unionized workers. He also went so far as to call for an end to all US federal subsidies.
However, he energetically sought government support and received billions in payments for his own companies.
International investor James Hickman, founder of the libertarian-style newsletter Sovereing Man, sees Musk as a brake on “minority tyranny”, a kind of niche for technological, media and academic elites who make decisions for the rest of society and “are constantly wrong. “.
“What makes someone a true libertarian is absolute rejection of labels and being completely independent in their thinking,” Hickman told AFP.
“Musk clearly falls into that category, both politically and professionally,” he added.
Other analysts have suggested that, as inconsistent as his political philosophy may seem, Musk rarely contradicts his own business interests.
Their political endowments also don’t particularly lean towards one party or point of view.
Self-proclaimed independent “moderate” but also self-proclaimed “socialist”, in 2020 Musk moved from super liberal California to deeply conservative Texas. He has donated to governments in both states, despite criticizing Texas’ anti-abortion laws and California’s “complacent” business environment.
Freedom of expression?
Other donations were made to leading Democrats such as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, to the leader of the Republican minority in the Lower House, Kevin McCarthy, and to the Republican Party itself.
Musk, however, has no problem attacking Washington power figures on social media, as Donald Trump did, including against former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren and Biden himself. In addition, he speaks highly of freedom of expression, which he describes as “the foundation of a functioning democracy”.
Musk complained that Twitter uses too much censorship in its regulation of speech, while contradicting his argument by characterizing the company’s CEO, Parag Agrawal, in a tweet as brutal Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.
Critics say his passion for unfiltered discussion often feels more superficial when his own interests are at stake.
Some media outlets are concerned about Musk’s reaction to Tesla’s critical reporting. The billionaire was accused of sending his army of followers against journalists.
I will create a website where the public can assess the veracity of any article and track the credibility score over time of each journalist, editor and publication,” he tweeted in 2018. The initiative came to nothing.
Tax-free
Judd Legum, a former Hillary Clinton campaign official who publishes the “Popular Information” political bulletin, pointed to a tweet, also from 2018, in which Musk appeared to threaten to terminate Tesla employees’ stock options if they decided to unionize.
Critics say this behavior is part of a pattern in which it suppresses less powerful voices and is reflected in the inclusion of notoriously restrictive nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) for workers to sign.
One such agreement allegedly warned employees that they were “not allowed to speak to the media without explicit written permission,” but the company failed to warn them that the law protected them from retaliation when working conditions were being negotiated.
Baruch Labunski, an expert in online marketing and web consulting, says that amid so much “conflicting evidence,” it would be safer to describe Musk’s policy as “pragmatic.”
“He is often classified as a libertarian, but that designation does not accurately describe the man whose businesses benefited from government tax breaks and trade subsidies,” Labunski told AFP.
The consultant sees Musk as a “fundamentally selfish” celebrity.
“Musk can play politics because he’s rich and outspoken,” he concluded.
I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
