this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2023
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U.S. billionaire Elon Musk has agreed to sell a portion of Starlink assets to the U.S. Department of Defense, removing himself from decision-making regarding geofencing Ukraine’s access to the satellite internet service

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[–] JJROKCZ@lemmy.world 189 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Fuck him, seize the company and nationalize it

[–] NateNate60@lemmy.ml 64 points 1 year ago (2 children)

In my opinion, all companies essential to national security should be nationalised. I mean the likes of Lockheed Martin as well. There should be no profit from war and we can't afford companies to chase profits against the interests of national security if we end up needing it.

[–] bernieecclestoned@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 year ago (5 children)

How does it work in China?

[–] SoylentBlake@lemm.ee 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Worked well enough for them to build 30-ish ghost cities the size of New York City, meanwhile we can't even get a single high speed rail built, anywhere in the country.

Regardless of the implications that might have on their economy all I can think is of the old proverb;

A kingdom that doesn't build doesn't remain a kingdom for long.

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[–] Fapper_McFapper@lemmy.world 106 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hahahaha forced is more like it. We just nationalized a portion of Starlink. Nice going Elon, you fucking troglodyte.

[–] xtremeownage@lemmyonline.com 34 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Don't laugh too hard. We are the ones paying the bill for it.

ie, Our taxes are now indirectly ended up directly in Elon's pocket. And, I can promise he didn't cut us a deal.

[–] Gork@lemm.ee 35 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's a small price to pay if it results in saving Ukrainian lives by having it in more capable, less idiotic hands.

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[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You never know. The threat of an extraordinary rendition to Ukraine might have kept the price down.

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[–] AnAngryAlpaca@feddit.de 4 points 1 year ago

Did Starlink and SpaceX not already receive a lot of government funding for their rockets etc? You could argue that the taxpayers should own x% because they paid the bill for it...

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 96 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Musk sure has a big fucking mouth. There most have been some sobering back door conversations for this to happen so quickly.

[–] 50gp@kbin.social 69 points 1 year ago (4 children)

i'd love to hear what they threatened him with as this doesnt read like he had any choice

[–] Brkdncr@artemis.camp 52 points 1 year ago (1 children)

“Here is every illegal thing you’ve done since you were conceived, including the ones in countries that the US has an extradition agreement with. Also, here is how much we will pay you to be our bitch. Would you like to continue this discussion?”

[–] intelati@programming.dev 8 points 1 year ago

Would you like to continue this discussion?

Press X to continue.

Actually, let's not

[–] flipht@kbin.social 23 points 1 year ago

Probably all of his SpaceX and Tesla contracts.

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[–] MrSpArkle@lemmy.ca 58 points 1 year ago

Now tax him and get the money back.

[–] avantgeared@lemmy.world 55 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Noel Reports:

A British Journalist asked Elon Musk:

"Has your ignorance and ego cost Ukrainian lives? Putin calls you outstanding, how would you call Putin?"

Musk refused to comment.

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

On a secure, private line twice a week?

[–] downpunxx@kbin.social 30 points 1 year ago

Somebody had some REAL uncomfortable conversations over the past 7 days, richest man in the world got threatened so hard knocked his dick in the dirt, ahahahahahahaha

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 26 points 1 year ago (1 children)

On the one hand, yay for nationalising utilities!

On the other, not under the already most bloated military in the world who can't even account for billions of their yearly funding ffs!!

[–] tsuica@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't think they lost billions as much as they pumped it into black projects.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I didn't say they lost them, I said they couldn't account for them: they were audited a bunch of times and failed by billions every time, probably for the reason you mentioned AND because they get so much money that they don't feel a need to make an effort to track it all

[–] tsuica@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I tend to agree with you, but I'm left wondering if the bureaucratic system would allow this hand-waving approach to budget tracking.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Not usually, but due to decades of successful gaslighting and other propaganda, the military is a holy cow that gets ridiculous amounts of leeway compared to everyone else, especially the people who need government assistance the most.

[–] bloopernova@programming.dev 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There's no way muskrat can keep his mouth shut about this, surely?

[–] Chariotwheel@kbin.social 16 points 1 year ago

Probably going to spin this as a win and something he initiated. He is unable to be weak or at fault for something.

[–] fosforus@sopuli.xyz 22 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

This is the way. Musk should never have had such responsibility. Then again, perhaps due to not being a government official, he got those things into Ukraine pretty fast (just 8 days after Russia started the invasion!), and they were successfully used in many places.

[–] Vivarevo@sopuli.xyz 18 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Agreed = forced. I bet the price was cheap to avoid court martial level problems 😅

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe 18 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

He can't be court martialed, and he can't be convicted of treason either. He isn't a member of the military and Russia is not officially an enemy of America. To put it into perspective, even in the Cold War, when the Rosenbergs were convicted of espionage for giving the Soviet Union information on radar, sonar, jet propulsion, and nuclear secrets, they still weren't convicted of treason, because technically the USSR was not an enemy of America, which historically has been interpreted as "Congress has actually declared war on them" something we haven't done since WW2. If you were to look up a list of people convicted of treason in America you will note it largely stops after 1945.

And that is a very good thing, especially from the perspective that many nations still consider mild criticism of the head of state treason.

He can, however, suddenly be subjected to much, much more scrutiny than even an actually innocent person would be comfortable with for interfering with American... "Interests."

[–] Ullallulloo@civilloquy.com 6 points 1 year ago

A civilian can't be court-martialed.

[–] Uniquitous@lemmy.one 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 8 points 1 year ago

I bet he tried though.

[–] Tylerdurdon@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Why doesn't he trade them X for some of Starlink? The value of ~~Twitter~~ X is in the negatives now, right?

Then maybe as a government run social media it can be stable and boring again.

[–] INHALE_VEGETABLES@aussie.zone 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

government run social media

ree eee

[–] MataVatnik@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago (7 children)

Honestly probably wouldn't be all that bad. It likely be like the cspan of social media

[–] Deadeyegai@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Never thought of it remotely even being possible like that. With some good support & security in place, it might even be a pleasant place!

[–] HeartyBeast@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There are a few countries experimenting with their own Mastodon instances right now

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[–] Deceptichum@kbin.social 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Eh the EU and some (or one) Euro country has started their own Mastodon/Fediverse instances—The idea isn't terrible if your country isn't shit.

[–] static@kbin.social 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Their instances just publish, the comments are not hosted on gov servers. But yes, that limited form is usefull.

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[–] Hiccup@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 year ago

Spill some more dirt on Twitter and let them take Twitter while they're at it. Make it a 2 for 1 go away special.

[–] bradorsomething@ttrpg.network 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I wonder how this is portioned out? To be completely hands free, Musk would need to sell a portion of his fleet and the control systems that operate it. This would also include relaunching replacement satellites. Since this is an orbiting system (not geostationary) he’d have to sell enough in a band around the earth to keep Ukraine covered.

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[–] FfaerieOxide@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago (13 children)

Why are they paying him?

Just take "his" stuff and kick him in the dick.
Fuck him.

[–] Chariotwheel@kbin.social 16 points 1 year ago (7 children)

Maybe because it's easier. There are probably quite a few steps before the US government can just take your shit. Don't think the Americans are very huge fans of nationalisation and the government just taking from the rich.

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[–] HeartyBeast@kbin.social 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Because, mad as it may seem, the rule of law still pertains

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