• expected_crayon@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Yet he’s taking DoD money for Starlink in Ukraine. At what point do his antics turn from the craziness of a billionaire to espionage and being deemed a Russian asset?

    • demlet@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Musk openly stated that he spoke directly with Putin after the Ukraine invasion had started. The super wealthy have no loyalties and will sell anyone and anything to the highest bidder. I’ve said it before, every penny after $1 billion needs to be taxed at 100%. Time to reign in the oligarchs.

      • Sotuanduso@lemm.ee
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        10 months ago

        Is that just liquid assets, or do you also want to tax them on stock they own in companies?

        • demlet@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Honestly I don’t know. It’s really more the sentiment that I’m expressing. I’m aware that the wealthy are very good at playing shell games. No measures would catch everything.

      • whoisearth@lemmy.ca
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        10 months ago

        Agree in principle but the ultra wealthy would simply find new creative ways to hide their income.

      • FlexibleToast@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        Wealth taxes are fantastic in theory, but in practice have never worked. They’re too hard to implement. I agree with the spirit of what you’re saying, but I just don’t think a wealth tax is the answer.

    • owlinsight@lemm.ee
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      10 months ago

      They are allowed to be president and run for re-election too so I wouldn’t hold my breath

      • gjoel@lemmy.ml
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        10 months ago

        I don’t think Musk qualifies, being South African though.

    • cantstopthesignal@sh.itjust.works
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      10 months ago

      I don’t think what he did was illegal per se, but he is definitely positioning himself against US geopolitical interests, which is a really bad idea if you are a US citizen, living in the United States. If he were to give away any military secrets that pass through star link, which I’m sure Russia will inevitably ask him to do, he will get arrested for espionage. He should tread very carefully.

    • AphoticDev@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      10 months ago

      As much as I despise Musk for being a total piece of shit, this isn’t treason. Technically, we aren’t even allies with Ukraine. The argument could certainly be made that this works against the interests of the United States, but that alone isn’t treason because it isn’t a crime for citizens to oppose the US, especially when it’s private property the US is being lent. Because at that time, the US hadn’t signed a contract with Musk yet.

      If he did this again, then it would be a breach of contract, but still wouldn’t be treason. People being charged with treason is very rare, because it’s a such a high bar to meet.

      • Grant_M@lemmy.ca
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        10 months ago

        This guy aided the Kremlin. He’s helping russians in their genocide of Ukrainian children. Fuck that pile of shit and lock him up.

          • Grant_M@lemmy.ca
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            10 months ago

            I never claimed he was. But he’s guilty of being an ally of russia

              • Grant_M@lemmy.ca
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                10 months ago

                I accused him of being treasonous – which he ABSOLUTELY IS. End of discussion.

                • Hobo@lemmy.world
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                  10 months ago

                  No he’s not by definition. He isn’t Ukrainian so he can’t commit treason against the Ukrainian people. He didn’t commit any treasonous acts against the US or our allies here either (Ukraine is not an US ally last I checked).

                  I despise Musk and pretty much everything he stands for. I think it’s borderline societal insanity to allow private industry to put satellites in space and think it takes a certain kind of awful megalomaniac to think they can control that infrastructure single handedly. But saying he’s treasonous for this? That cheapens the word when you use it against people that ARE treasonous. For instance when certain ex-Presidents decide to steal classified documents despite numerous warnings…