The choice for America’s future boils down to the contrast between our two biggest and most politically active celebrities… Do we care?
What are we to make of the fact that the richest man in the world, Elon Muskjoined forces with Donald Trump and now promises to serve the United States as a kind of “czar” of government efficiency?
And what are we to make of the fact that the world’s biggest pop star, Taylor Swiftsupports her Kamala Harris for the presidency? The answer is simple, but, it seems, not for everyone.
It’s really hard to see why it should matter that these two celebrities—and rich people!—are telling us what they want from politics and government.
It is a fact that the famous artist openly supported the candidacy of Kamala Harris for the presidency. Elon Musk did not sit idly by. A few hours later, he took the opportunity and defended his new “friend”, Donald Trump, in the most annoying and strange way. He spoke of Republicans’ obsession with women who have chosen not to have children and have cats.
“Nice Taylor…you win…I’ll bear you a child and guard your cats with my life”Musk, who has gotten at least one of his employees pregnant and has reportedly propositioned others, wrote on X, formerly of Twitter.
Fine Taylor … you win … I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 11, 2024
Taylor Swift, on the other hand, has declared over the past four years that she cares a lot about women’s issues and has encouraged her fans around the world to stay away from the polls and participate – in whatever way they can – in politics.
Swift, more than any other celebrity, as the “Guardian” newspaper writes, has the opportunity to assume the role of the champion of democracy in America. He writes and sings about the personal, but connects the personal with the political through descriptions of power and abuse in relationships. For many, the connections between power imbalances and mistreatment in personal relationships and those in society more generally are strong but also implicit. The artist has managed in recent years to make them clear.
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So Swift’s endorsement isn’t so much about swaying undecided voters through her charisma. This is a myth. Instead, her support is about harnessing all the activist energy and action she has developed over the years and focusing on getting young people involved in elections and willing to volunteer for a cause. It broadens the electorate and imbues it with optimism and purpose. This is a blessing for anyone concerned with the fate of democracy in the United States.
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And we go to the other phenomenon, Elon Musk. It is a given that the particular billionaire in this controversy has done everything he can to undermine faith in government by the people and for the people. His deep-seated racism and sexism have become even more pronounced since he found common ground with Trump and other Republicans. Musk wants a smaller set of political actors in the world. It should be his “buddies” – all men – and all those who think they know what is best for the world. Of course, in matters of politics, he doesn’t do much. Not everyone does everything. However, this does not seem to be an obstacle for Elon Musk.
Donald Trump – if elected – wants his “friend” to take a strong role in the next administration. How Elon Musk, who supposedly already runs five companies, can find time to lead a major government initiative seems to be of no concern to either him or Trump. Or we could just conclude that neither Musk nor Trump are serious people who have any idea how to do politics, let alone put time, energy and thought into the process…
Politics is not for amateurs. We learned this the hard way during the first Trump administration, when the few veteran policymakers willing to keep the government running were kicked out of office one by one by Trump or his cronies.
It takes a lot of time and a lot of effort to change even small things a government does. It takes skill, knowledge, diligence and a lot of patience. It is not a job for the frivolous, the indifferent or the abstract. Now, that’s how it goes in normal times. We can assume that “normal times” will come to an end for good in the United States if 78-year-old Donald Trump is sworn in again on January 20, 2025. He has promised radical changes to the basic functioning of government, and has even talked about changes to the Constitution, if his doesn’t pass.
How it will do this is not clear. We can assume that it will have some people who would willingly use violence to wrest control of government from the procedures and limits of law. And we know that Trump has succeeded in turning the federal courts into instruments of his own interests. All of this would of course require work. The only thing that saved the administration from total collapse during Trump’s tenure was his inability to focus and follow through on his outrage and ambition.
Musk, like Trump, is only interested in how any effort could smooth the way to his own benefit. Over the past decade or more, Musk has found his various companies, notably Tesla, tangled with regulators over issues related to safety and more…
His leadership of SpaceX and its Starlink subsidiary, which provides satellite internet access to many millions of people around the world, including key elements of Ukraine’s military and government, has come under scrutiny as Musk has moved closer to Russian view on the invasion of Ukraine. SpaceX is a major defense contractor. The United States government already depends too much on SpaceX, and SpaceX depends on the United States government for much of its revenue.
Musk’s involvement at the highest levels of a government goes beyond even what we call a “conflict of interest.” In fact, it is pure corruption. His incessant “tweeting” at all hours is increasingly detached from reality. The use of drugsaccording to a report by the “Wall Street Journal”, has reached an alarming level, in which Tesla investors are worried about his ability to protect their interests.
The choice for America’s future couldn’t be tougher, especially when contrasting the roles, goals and personalities of the two celebrities. Swift offers a serious and honest opportunity for engagement. Musk offers sarcasm and ego. However, for some reason, too many people think that Elon Musk, with his wealth, can give an opinion on public policy. Maybe it’s time to take Swift and ‘Swifties’ more seriously. The future is theirs…
Source :Skai
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
