Multibillionaire and Space X owner Elon Musk is facing fresh criticism for one of his latest social media posts, made on Monday, where he voiced negative opinions on Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
In the Sept. 18 post on X (formerly Twitter) Musk wrote “So much death for so little,” apparently in agreement with a post by David Sacks, a venture capitalist and friend of Musk – who has criticized US support for Ukraine.
Sacks had posted the quote, “Ukrainian territorial gains from their much-vaunted counteroffensive … are so miniscule they can barely be seen on a map,” attributing it to David Pyne, a contributor to The National Interest magazine, which is published by the Washington think tank, Center for the National Interest.
So much death for so little
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 17, 2023
James Kirchick, a journalist for Politico ,wrote back in 2016: “As for the Center, both it and its journal, the National Interest, are two of the most Kremlin-sympathetic institutions in the nation’s capital, even more so than the Carnegie Moscow Center, which has evolved from a hub of Russian liberalism into an accommodationist, intellectually-compromised think tank.”
While Musk had his share of supporters on X, many voiced their anger and displeasure with the comment of the Space X and Tesla CEO.
“Elon … Stick to cars please,” one user wrote.
Another, using the name “Scribbles,” wrote: “It’s a fight for liberty against a genocidal invader. It’s not so little, it’s everything.”
ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 9, 2024
“Russia can end this at any moment by leaving Ukraine. Ukraine has the right to fight to the death against any invader. That’s what freedom means,” another posted.
In another post the same individual said: “Freedom is bought by blood and suffering. Those who think freedom is found in ‘peace’ and ‘negotiations’ will soon lose their freedoms entirely.”
While another user wrote: “Also: Your decisions [with regards to] Starlink enabled RU & gave it time. NOW you bemoan the result? GMAB [Give me a break].”
A senate probe has been launched calling for a review of any incidents where Space X or others have disabled Ukrainian services following the revelation that Musk had not extended the private Starlink satellite network to aid Kyiv’s attack on Russian warships in Ukrainian waters near the Crimean coast.
Musk said he made the decision fearing that Moscow would retaliate with nuclear weapons.
“If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation,” Musk said.
The move triggered an immediate backlash in Ukraine.
“Sometimes a mistake is more than just a mistake. By not allowing Ukrainian drones to destroy part of the Russian military (!) fleet via Starlink interference, Elon Musk allowed this fleet to fire Kalibr missiles at Ukrainian cities. As a result, civilians, children are being killed. This is the price of a cocktail of ignorance and big ego,” Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote.
Sometimes a mistake is much more than just a mistake. By not allowing Ukrainian drones to destroy part of the Russian military (!) fleet via #Starlink interference, @elonmusk allowed this fleet to fire Kalibr missiles at Ukrainian cities. As a result, civilians, children are…
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) September 7, 2023
In an op-ed published in The Guardian, American historian Timothy Snyder was also highly critical of the multibillionaire.
“The Ukrainians took this decision under stress, since if a weapon were detonated it would be on their territory. Musk, who was in no danger of any kind, chose instead to give in to nuclear blackmail, thereby encouraging more of it,” Snyder wrote.
Snyder argued that Musk’s decisions gave Russians time to build more fortifications and lay the mines that are now slowing Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
Ukraine has recently been having success with its grinding counteroffensive.
On Saturday and then on Monday, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) announced the liberation of the villages of Andriivka and Klishchiivka respectively – each setting the stage for a possible assault on the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut.
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Comments (6)
Elon Muskovite forgot how it felt to be bullied and hospitalized as a result when he was in High School. Ukraine isn't going to allow itself to be bullied and killed without a fight, Ukraine is fighting for its life, russia is fighting out of greed for more land.
As Musk is a person that thinks he is smarter than everybody else in every way. Hard to say if he was born this arrogant or got that way because of some folks talking about what a genus he is. He has done well in business but you can also see he is a loose cannon that may do anything at any given time. He claims to be a supporter of free speech but he is really a promoter of extreme right wing views and lies. Now he seems to think he is great international political expert and claims to know more about international relations and war than those that have engage in that their entire lives. I personally will never purchase any goods or services of any kind from a source owned by Musk as I will give no support to this pro russian asshole who works against freedom loving people. Everything connected with Mush should be boycotted.
What a self-involved spoilt white rich Apartheid loving twat Musk is, deciding the fate of a whole people because he got rich with daddy's start in life. Richer than anybody on the planet but still too much of a coward to do the right thing, sucking Russian and Chinese knob for a quick buck, pathetic.
Musk did not turn off Starlink coverage over Crimea / Sevastopol. He simply refused to turn it on at the request of the Ukrainian military. Guess what? Musk is American, he doesn't take orders from Ukraine. Figure it out. Beggars can't be choosers. If Zelensky or any other Ukrainian thinks he can order Americans around, he is in for a world of hurt. It will be painful, but he will be crushed like a bug.
musk is a communist russian loving piece of filth. He did not just order Starlink to be turned off...he had the system turned off on putin's birthday.
Ukraine defends itself and he claims escalation...russia has done nothing but escalation and he remains silent.
musk MAY have been promised exclusive rights to items such as aluminum and lithium in Eastern Ukraine for his commie clown cars. musk claims he allowed Starlink in Ukraine to be used to "watch netflix, learn, and chill." Who the hell watches netflix and chills in a nation at war?
Let's not forget this is the same musk who inherited blood money from his racist father who owned and operated minds in South Africa and exploited Africans. musk must remove himself and his garbage Starlink, which I said from day one would be used as a trojan horse against Ukraine, out of my nation and keep his uneducated opinions of "truce" to himself. musk describes how he had a conversation with a russian official warning of a nuclear response in Crimea YET musk seems to think a "truce" is possible with the same people threatening nuclear annihilation of the world every other week. musk clearly suffers from dunning kruger.
@Joseph Swanson,
"It’s a fight for liberty against a genocidal invader. It’s not so little, it’s everything.”"
What a dumb reply. Putin being genocidal is true but also completely beside the point; the fact remains that Ukraine is paying a high price in human lives while not gaining much ground right now. How is it somehow unsupportive of Ukraine to state these facts? Is it better to ignore the death count completely? Is that respectful of Ukrainians?
@John Doe, You seem to think that the goal is to win back territory, but it is not. The goal is to Win The War. Sometimes small steps are all that's possible.
@John Doe, so what alternative do you suggest. They just lay down their weapons and get subjugated by russia because then no more lives will be lost?!?
smarten up please!