Elon Musk buys a big chunk of Twitter

[George K]

@Axtremus said in Elon Musk buys a big chunk of Twitter:

2. Jeff Bezos brought up the possibility of the CCP leveraging Tesla to influence Musk on Twitter’s policies regarding China — the theory being that because Tesla relies on much of its production in China, the CCP can hold Tesla hostage to force Musk to make Twitter give China-related content special treatments.

OK, Jeff. Now do Disney, NBO, Apple, and China.

[jon-nyc]

@Axtremus said in Elon Musk buys a big chunk of Twitter:

2. Jeff Bezos brought up the possibility of the CCP leveraging Tesla to influence Musk on Twitter’s policies regarding China — the theory being that because Tesla relies on much of its production in China, the CCP can hold Tesla hostage to force Musk to make Twitter give China-related content special treatments.

That’s a very legitimate concern.

[Axtremus]

@George-K said in Elon Musk buys a big chunk of Twitter:

Now do Disney, NBO, Apple, and China.

Apple and Disney’s reactions to various CCP demand are well documented (e.g., removing certain apps for iOS users in Hong Kong to manage the protests there back in 2020, avoiding the likeness of the Dalai Lama in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), a change in control is not on the horizon for either Disney or Apple, in the context of the interview Bezos was asked only about Twitter, not about Apple or Disney or any other company. So I see no ground to chastise Bezos for not commenting on Disney or Apple.

No idea what NBO is or why you think NBO needs to be thus examined, kindly elaborate if you wish.

[George K]

@Axtremus said in Elon Musk buys a big chunk of Twitter:

@George-K said in Elon Musk buys a big chunk of Twitter:

No idea what NBO is or why you think NBO needs to be thus examined, kindly elaborate if you wish.

Typo NBA.

[Copper]

@Axtremus said in Elon Musk buys a big chunk of Twitter:

because Tesla relies on much of its production in China, the CCP can hold Tesla hostage to force Musk to make Twitter give China-related content special treatments.

China probably told Musk to buy Twitter.

I just made that up.

A good way to test the theory might be to tweet it.

[Horace]

And just like that, conspiracy theories became ok.

[jon-nyc]

@Horace said in Elon Musk buys a big chunk of Twitter:

And just like that, conspiracy theories became ok.

That is one of the prices we pay for free speech.

[jon-nyc]

Interesting comment but perhaps more interesting is Isaacson was with him. Is he doing a Musk bio?

[Horace]

I’ve heard a lot of people, seemingly intelligent and knowledgeable ones, claim that if you scratch the surface of Musk, he has at best mediocre technical chops. I wonder about the truth of that.

[jon-nyc]

Well I assume that’s true and that Isaacson being a journalist doesn’t really know the difference between him asking questions/running the meeting and trying to solve it himself.

[jon-nyc]

@Jolly said in Elon Musk buys a big chunk of Twitter:

$64 question: In 12 months, how much effect will Musk have on the Twitter profit/loss line?

He says it’s not about money for him but I think he will tire of subsidizing it at some point and try to improve the cash flow.

[Ivorythumper]

@jon-nyc said in Elon Musk buys a big chunk of Twitter:

@Jolly said in Elon Musk buys a big chunk of Twitter:

$64 question: In 12 months, how much effect will Musk have on the Twitter profit/loss line?

He says it’s not about money for him but I think he will tire of subsidizing it at some point and try to improve the cash flow.

he could bleed that for a century and not notice... (unless of course his stock tanked)...

[jon-nyc]

Yes an no, he has a lot of assets but selling them results in a big tax liability which would probably grate over time.

[George K]

"If I had enough money, instead of buying Twitter, I'd buy a 3 bedroom, 1 bath house in San Francisco."

[Jolly]

@George-K said in Elon Musk buys a big chunk of Twitter:

"If I had enough money, instead of buying Twitter, I'd buy a 3 bedroom, 1 bath house in San Francisco."

All good comedy has an element of truth.

[George K]

@Jolly said in Elon Musk buys a big chunk of Twitter:

All good comedy has an element of truth.

...and pathos.

[jon-nyc]

[LuFins Dad]

One of the talking heads on CNN just lamented that Elon Musk could now influence elections by deplatforming candidates or by manipulating the algorithms to suppress news stories damaging to other candidates…

[Horace]

@LuFins-Dad said in Elon Musk buys a big chunk of Twitter:

One of the talking heads on CNN just lamented that Elon Musk could now influence elections by deplatforming candidates or by manipulating the algorithms to suppress news stories damaging to other candidates…

The fact that they unapologetically and righteously did exactly that, must make the fear all the more real in their minds. Terrified of their own shadow.

[George K]

@Axtremus said in Elon Musk buys a big chunk of Twitter:

2. Jeff Bezos brought up the possibility of the CCP leveraging Tesla to influence Musk on Twitter’s policies regarding China — the theory being that because Tesla relies on much of its production in China, the CCP can hold Tesla hostage to force Musk to make Twitter give China-related content special treatments.

Bezos launches China conspiracy theory

Bezos’ commentary on Tesla’s relationship with China is peculiar given a Reuters investigation in December that found Amazon had capitulated to demands from China to continue doing business and grow the company there.

In addition, some 38% of Amazon's top-selling brands are based in China, a report from the firm Daxue Consulting found late last year.

And, in 2019, the Washington Post – which Bezos bought in 2013 – included an eight-page "advertising supplement" touting the achievements and talking points of the Chinese government in a section that was off-limits to the paper’s editors.

Special Report: Amazon partnered with China propaganda arm

Amazon.com Inc was marketing a collection of President Xi Jinping's speeches and writings on its Chinese website about two years ago, when Beijing delivered an edict, according to two people familiar with the incident. The American e-commerce giant must stop allowing any customer ratings and reviews in China.

A negative review of Xi's book prompted the demand, one of the people said. "I think the issue was anything under five stars," the highest rating in Amazon's five-point system, said the other person.

Ratings and reviews are a crucial part of Amazon's e-commerce business, a major way of engaging shoppers. But Amazon complied, the two people said. Currently, on its Chinese site Amazon.cn, the government-published book has no customer reviews or any ratings. And the comments section is disabled.

"And the comments section is disabled."

At least Amazon doesn't die in darkness, right?