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America did not elect Elon Musk. Yet he serves as Donald Trump's de facto co-president. Musk's self-appointed duties include advocating for regime change in allied democracies. He repeatedly said that only the far-right Alternative for Germany party could save Germany in the elections scheduled for next month. He is calling for an end to Sir Keir Starmer's Labor government in the UK. He asked his 211 million followers whether “America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government.” The consensus seems to be yes.
It would be an exaggeration to say that there is no precedent for Such a relationship Between the President of America and the richest man in the world. History offers no guidance on this kind of duo, let alone money, half of which was openly directed toward overthrowing allied governments. America's robber barons—Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and Carnegie—did not act on an equal footing with the presidents of their time. Their legendary wealth cannot be compared to Musk's. JPMorgan is worth $49 billion in today's dollars. Henry Ford, who also had a soft spot for European fascism, was closer to $200 billion. The wealth of musk is more than double that. Ford was not admired by Franklin Roosevelt, his contemporary in the White House.
By contrast, the past is full of examples of America interfering in the politics of other countries. But except for the array of tricks the CIA used in the postwar period to keep the Communists from power in continental Europe, Washington's intervention alienated the Allies. The question facing governments in Berlin, London, and perhaps soon Paris, is how to respond to this new threat. Is Musk speaking for Trump? In this case, the West is doomed. Or is he testing the waters? This would give Western capitals room to exploit the differences between Trump and Musk. The answer is likely a combination of the two.
What Musk doesn't say is no less important. As it is Germany and the UK are bombarded with abusesMusk's silence on Russia and China speaks louder. Musk has never spoken out for political prisoners or against repression in any of those authoritarian regimes. However, he celebrates Tommy Robinson, the far-right British serial killer serving his fifth prison sentence, as a prisoner of conscience. It's safe to say that Musk is not motivated by charity towards English children who are victims of gangs, mostly of British-Pakistani origin. Child grooming scandals in the UK date back more than two decades during roughly the time of the Conservative government. Musk had nothing to say after that.
Since Labor came to power, the welfare of England's children has suddenly become its obsession. He described Jess Phillips, a minister in Starmer's government, as a “rape genocide apologist”. He also claims that a quarter of a million British children are being systematically abused. You'll need an AI lie detector to catch all of Musk's misinformation. At a rate of one every few minutes, the speed of its plumes is only exceeded by the shock value. Musk hasn't expressed concern anywhere An estimated 20,000 Ukrainian children They were kidnapped from their homes and forcibly adopted into Russian families.
If this turmoil were Musk's alone, Britain, Germany and others would be able to deal with it. The British public's hatred of Musk puts an end to his influence. Less than one in five Britons surveyed view him favorably, according to a recent YouGov poll. Musk also changed because of his ignorance. In calling for Nigel Farage to be sacked as leader of the right-wing British Reform Party, he missed the fact that Reform is Farage's personal tool. Musk's call for King Charles to dissolve Parliament reinforces questions about his ignorance. Elected governments, not monarchs, choose when to call a general election in the United Kingdom. Musk's influence on Germany – And knowledge of it – may be less than that.
It's easier to understand Musk's silence on China. His company Tesla has large operations there and he doesn't want to risk them. Trump's default approach to the world is transactional; His China policy remains up for grabs. By contrast, Musk amplifies Trump's admiration for Vladimir Putin's Russia and his disdain for Europe. It would be rash to assume that Musk is just trolling. And it's not just about money. Trump-Musk's hatred of European liberal democracy is real. He shares Trump's impatience to end the Ukraine war on terms that may ultimately favor Russia. The Alternative for Germany party pledges to end German support for Ukraine. Starmer increased British aid.
Thus, the eastern side of NATO faces a journey without maps. It has always been Europe's habit to hope for the best. On this occasion you should plan for the worst.
