Post by Zhi Zhu 🕸️ - ourselves.space

ourselves.space

106d

The Brave New World of Oligarch Lordships—Apparently They’re AWESOME!
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-brave-new-world-of-oligarch-lordships-apparently-theyre-awesome

"Will #Elon soon be the sovereign over a chunk of #Texas? Are we about to start handing out #digital lordships to the top #oligarchs? I have no idea. What interests me about this, however, is that we’re actually in the midst of one such #experiment. A digital lordship is really what #DOGE is. It’s not geographical. Or rather, it’s the entire country."

#ElonMusk #Musk #Coup #Trump #Politics #USPol #US

Headline and photo with credit:

Headline:
The Brave New World of Oligarch Lordships—Apparently They’re AWESOME!

By Josh Marshall
March 17, 2025 5:19 p.m.

Photo: A bunch of people sit in a dark room staring at a screen with a digital "person" on it. The screen is surrounded by computer innards.

Credit: Getty Images

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106d

Tesla Execs Want Trade War Relief, Just Don’t Tell Elon Which Execs
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/03/17/tesla-execs-want-trade-war-relief-just-dont-tell-elon-which-execs/

"someone at #Tesla sent a detailed letter to the #US Trade Representative essentially begging for relief from the very policies their #CEO has been championing as he destroys the traditional institutions of #government

...they’re apparently too afraid of their own boss to put their names on that learning experience."

#ElonMusk #Musk #Coup #Fascism #Trump #GOP #Politics #USPol #FAFO #News #US #USA

Headline and text from article:
Headline:
Tesla Execs Want Trade War Relief, Just Don’t Tell Elon Which Execs

from the petards-are-for-hoisting dept
Mon, Mar 17th 2025 10:52am - Mike Masnick

Text: There’s a certain poetry to Tesla executives discovering that trade wars are, in fact, not good and easy to win. Last week, someone at Tesla sent a detailed letter to the US Trade Representative essentially begging for relief from the very policies their CEO has been championing as he destroys the traditional institutions of government. The internet has many ways to describe this kind of karmic moment — from the “Leopards Eating People’s Faces Party” to “Me Sowing/Me Reaping” to the elegantly concise “FAFO.” But perhaps the most interesting part isn’t that Tesla’s executives are learning about consequences — it’s that they’re apparently too afraid of their own boss to put their names on that learning experience.

The letter reads like a crash course in “Economics 101 for Tech Bros.” After the obligatory corporate chest-thumping about Tesla’s US manufacturing prowess, it gets to the awkward reality that seems to have escaped their CEO’s notice: Tesla very much relies on global open access to markets, both for parts that are made in other countries, and to be able to sell Teslas outside of the United States:

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106d

Veterans Group Wants to Make Elon the Supervillain of the Midterms

A new ad campaign from VoteVets goes after vulnerable House Republicans by turning the spotlight on DOGE.
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/veterans-group-wants-to-make-elon-the-supervillain-of-midterms

"The #ads all feature the same roundtable of #veterans sharing their struggles after losing #employment because of #DOGE cuts...

it features #Musk throughout, incl the now infamous scene of him wielding a chainsaw on stage at #CPAC."

#ElonMusk #Coup #Corruption #Trump #Politics #USPol #News #USA

Headline:
Veterans Group Wants to Make Elon the Supervillain of the Midterms

A new ad campaign from VoteVets goes after vulnerable House Republicans by turning the spotlight on DOGE.

by Joe Perticone
Mar 18, 2025

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106d

DOGE Reverses Move That Made Its Claims Nearly Impossible to Check

After getting called out, Elon Musk’s cost-cutting group reinstated details about the grants that it canceled.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/us/politics/doge-federal-grants-identifying-information.html

"The new details provided by the group made clear that its claims about these canceled grants also contained the same kind of errors that had marred its previous work."

#ElonMusk #Musk #Doge #DonaldTrump #Trump #GOP #Politics #USPol #Government #News #US #USA

Headline:
DOGE Reverses Move That Made Its Claims Nearly Impossible to Check

After getting called out, Elon Musk’s cost-cutting group reinstated details about the grants that it canceled.

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106d

Musk Ally, DOGE Member Stanley Tapped For Fannie Mae Board Amid Shakeup
https://archive.is/TUlq7#selection-1377.0-1377.71

"Mortgage giant #FannieMae has added Christopher Stanley, a #cybersecurity engineer at #SpaceX and #SocialMedia platform X — who is also involved with the Dept of Govt Efficiency — to its board of directors, the latest sign of how Elon Musk’s allies are embedding into the federal #government."

#ElonMusk #Musk #Doge #Coup #Corruption #Trump #GOP #Politics #USPol #News #US #USA

Headline and text from article:
Headline:
Musk Ally, DOGE Member Stanley Tapped For Fannie Mae Board Amid Shakeup
By Laura Davison and Lydia Beyoud
March 18, 2025 at 1:39 AM UTC

Text:
Mortgage giant Fannie Mae has added Christopher Stanley, a cybersecurity engineer at SpaceX and social media platform X — who is also involved with the Department of Government Efficiency — to its board of directors, the latest sign of how Elon Musk’s allies are embedding into the federal government.

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106d

Elon Musk’s Starlink Expands Across White House Complex

#Trump admn officials said the company donated the #internet service, saying the gift had been vetted by the lawyer overseeing ethics issues in the #WhiteHouse Counsel’s Office.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/17/us/politics/elon-musk-starlink-white-house.html

" #Musk... controls Starlink...

the White House “was aware of DOGE’s intentions...” and that it “did not consider this matter a security incident or #security breach.”

#ElonMusk #Coup #Corruption #GOP #Politics #USPol #News #US #USA

Headline:
Elon Musk’s Starlink Expands Across White House Complex

Trump administration officials said the company donated the internet service, saying the gift had been vetted by the lawyer overseeing ethics issues in the White House Counsel’s Office.

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106d

Elon Musk’s Starlink Takes Over the White House

The world’s richest man now has control over the internet at the White House.
https://newrepublic.com/post/192855/elon-musk-white-house-starlink-internet

"numerous #conflicts of interest & #ethics issues. #Musk already collects billions of dollars through his #government contracts, & controls #Starlink. If #WhiteHouse employees are using the #internet service, he could have access to their #data... questions as to how secure Starlink’s #network is."

#ElonMusk #Coup #Tech #Security #News #US #USA

Headline:
Elon Musk’s Starlink Takes Over the White House

The world’s richest man now has control over the internet at the White House.

by Hafiz Rashid
March 18, 2025 / 10:29 a.m. ET

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106d

Elon Musk’s DOGE Uses Police to Seize Independent Nonprofit

The US Institute of #Peace is not a federal agency nor located in a federal building. That didn’t stop DOGE from taking over.
https://newrepublic.com/post/192854/elon-musk-doge-police-independent-nonprofit-usip

"The #USIP, an independent #nonprofit founded by #Congress...

“What has happened here today is an illegal takeover by elements of the executive branch of a private nonprofit,” Moose told reporters."

#ElonMusk #Musk #Doge #Coup #Corruption #Trump #GOP #Politics #USPol #News #US #USA

Headline and text from article:

Headline:
Elon Musk’s DOGE Uses Police to Seize Independent Nonprofit
The U.S. Institute of Peace is not a federal agency or located in a federal building. That didn’t stop DOGE from taking over.

by Malcolm Ferguson
March 18, 2025 / 10:11 a.m. ET

Text:
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency staffers used police and private security to forcefully take over the U.S. Institute of Peace on Monday.

The USIP, an independent nonprofit founded by Congress, had its president, Greg Moose, and its board fired last week by the Trump administration. The Associated Press reported that DOGE workers on Monday had law enforcement escort them into USIP, which is not located in a federal building, after previously being denied access.

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106d

Independent Agency CEO: 'DOGE has broken into our building.'
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/independent-agency-ceo-doge-has-broken-into-our-building-234654789971

"The #US Institute for #Peace announced Monday that despite being independent of the executive branch & controlling its own building & the land it sits on, their objections to members of Elon Musk's #DOGE team trespassing in their building were overridden by DC #police...

unprecedented nature of DOGE leveraging the threat of armed law enforcement against another part of the #government"

#Musk #Coup #News #US

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106d

Musk’s Team Evicts Officials at the US Institute of Peace

A bubbling dispute broke into a dramatic standoff that ended with #police involvement and the Dept of #Government Efficiency taking up residence at the independent agency.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/17/us/politics/doge-musk-institute-of-peace.html

"Institute officials had called the police to report that #DOGE members were trespassing, she said, but 👀 the police instead cleared institute leaders from the building."👀‼️ [WTAF?]

#ElonMusk #Musk #Coup #Trump #GOP #USPol #News #USA #US

Headline:
Musk’s Team Evicts Officials at the U.S. Institute of Peace

A bubbling dispute broke into a dramatic standoff that ended with police involvement and the Department of Government Efficiency taking up residence at the independent agency.

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106d

DOGE Seizes Control of Independent Org Dedicated to Peace

Following a #police standoff, Elon Musk’s lackeys took over the nonprofit’s HQ in what its former leader referred to as an “illegal takeover.”
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/doge-seizes-control-of-us-peace-institute

"More than 40 years ago, #Congress established the #US Institute of #Peace (USIP) as an “independent, nonprofit, national institute” to “promote #international peace & the resolution of conflicts.”

#Doge just took it over."

#Musk #Coup #Corruption #GOP #USPol #News #USA

Headline from Vanity Fair:
Politics
DOGE Seizes Control of Independent Org Dedicated to Peace

Following a police standoff, Elon Musk’s lackeys took over the nonprofit’s headquarters in what its former leader referred to as an “illegal takeover.”

By Issie Lapowsky
March 18, 2025

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106d

Elon Musk Whines That Everyone Is Being Mean to Him

Elon Musk truly doesn’t understand why people hate his guts.
https://newrepublic.com/post/192856/elon-musk-everyone-mean-to-him

" #Tesla comprises the majority of Musk’s net worth—but the carmaker’s ongoing 8-week slump is largely due to a #global brand #boycott.

Company #stock is down by 50% so far this year, and analysts have faulted Musk’s reputational shift for the automaker’s financial woes."

#ElonMusk #Musk #Coup #Corruption #Doge #Trump #USPol #Politics #Cars #News #US #USA

Headline and text from article.

Headline:
Elon Musk Whines That Everyone Is Being Mean to Him

Elon Musk truly doesn’t understand why people hate his guts.

by Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling
March 18, 2025 / 10:55 a.m. ET

Text:
The world’s richest man thinks it’s unfair that people aren’t as interested in his products due to his far-right political views.

Elon Musk took to the social media platform he owns Monday night to vent about his alleged mistreatment.

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106d

"sales in [Germany] fall by more than 70%... Sales in China... falling by 49%...

Last week, the automaker’s stock had its worst day since 2020, as its Musk-induced problems coincided with historic #market volatility under Donald Trump’s new #tariff plans.

Board members, executives, & major investors in #Tesla are jumping ship. Four top officers at the company have unloaded more than $100 million in #stock"
https://newrepublic.com/post/192856/elon-musk-everyone-mean-to-him

#Resist #Musk #TeslaTakedown #USPol #Politics #News #US #USA

Text from article:
Tesla historically attracted a more liberal consumer base with its electric vehicles, but since Musk went “dark MAGA,” that same base has soured on the tech billionaire and his products. That’s proven especially true in some of Europe’s stronger economies, such as Germany, which has seen sales in the country fall by more than 70 percent over the last two months, reported Bloomberg. Sales in China—where Tesla has two major factories—have similarly plummeted, falling by 49 percent in February.

Last week, the automaker’s stock had its worst day since 2020, as its Musk-induced problems coincided with historic market volatility under Donald Trump’s new tariff plans.

Board members, executives, and major investors in Tesla are jumping ship. Four top officers at the company have unloaded more than $100 million in stock since last month, reported ABC News. They include James Murdoch, the estranged son of right-wing media magnate Rupert Murdoch, and Elon Musk’s brother Kimbal Musk, the latter of whom shed $27 million, according to an SEC filing.

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106d

DOGE Rampage May Have ‘Immediate,’ ‘Long-term’ Effects For Courts, Judicial Branch Warns
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/doge-rampage-may-have-immediate-long-term-effects-for-courts-judicial-branch-warns

"The memo demonstrates how far DOGE’s campaign to maim the federal #government has gone. In this case, the federal #courts, part of the #judicial branch, are saying that their daily operations may be impacted #DOGE — a shocking admission from... a group not known for hyperbole or flippancy."

#ElonMusk #Musk #Coup #Corruption #Trump #GOP #Politics #Law #USPol #News #US #USA

Headline from TPM:
DOGE Rampage May Have ‘Immediate,’ ‘Long-term’ Effects For Courts, Judicial Branch Warns

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106d

Elon Musk Dealt Huge Blow as Judge Rules USAID Cuts Unconstitutional

A judge has ruled that Elon Musk and DOGE officials must restore USAID’s functionality.
https://newrepublic.com/post/192889/elon-musk-doge-judge-rules-usaid-unconstitutional

"Chuang’s order constrains #DOGE & #Musk personally—the first order to do so for the shadowy head of the amorphous organization.

Chuang wrote that he agreed with the plaintiffs & said that DOGE had violated the separation of powers clause"

#ElonMusk #Coup #Corruption #Trump #GOP #Politics #USPol #USAID #News #USA

Headline and text from article:

Headline:
Elon Musk Dealt Huge Blow as Judge Rules USAID Cuts Unconstitutional

A judge has ruled that Elon Musk and DOGE officials must restore USAID’s functionality.

by Edith Olmsted
March 18, 2025 / 3:27 p.m. ET

Text: A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to dismantle USAID were “likely” unconstitutional “in multiple ways.”

In a nearly 70-page filing, Maryland District Judge Theodore Chuang responded to a lawsuit filed by several employees at USAID, which saw its workforce reduced by a whopping 98 percent as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate the international aid agency.

Chuang’s order constrains DOGE and Musk personally—the first order to do so for the shadowy head of the amorphous organization.

Chuang wrote that he agreed with the plaintiffs and said that DOGE had violated the separation of powers clause because its actions to shutter USAID “contravene congressional authority relating to the establishment of an agency.”

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106d

Ethics Complaint in WI Targets Elon-backed Organization
https://contrarian.substack.com/p/ethics-complaint-in-wi-targets-elon

"Yesterday, an #ethics complaint was filed with the #Wisconsin Ethics Commission against Building America’s Future, a #political organization backed by #ElonMusk. The complaint alleges that the organization failed to disclose its express advocacy spending, which is in violation of Wisconsin #law."

#Musk #Coup #Corruption #PAC #Politics #USPol #USPolitics #News #US #USA

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106d

Elon Musk Joins Trump at Secret $1 Million per Plate Dinner

Why wasn’t this on Trump’s official schedule?
https://newrepublic.com/post/192864/trump-elon-musk-secret-mar-a-lago-dinner

"Saturday, #DonaldTrump held a candlelight dinner at his #MaraLago estate in #Florida, with #tech #oligarch #ElonMusk... guests were asked to spend $1 million per seat.

...this dinner did not appear on the president’s official schedule, unlike a similar candlelight dinner two weeks earlier where guests were also asked to donate $1 million each"

#Musk #Trump #News

Headline:
Elon Musk Joins Trump at Secret $1 Million per Plate Dinner

Why wasn’t this on Trump’s official schedule?

by Hafiz Rashid
March 18, 2025 / 11:49 a.m. ET

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105d

Smears, Sadism & Social Security

Why #ElonMusk wants to make seniors suffer
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/smears-sadism-and-social-security

"Under [Musk's] plan, beneficiaries would still be able to call the #SSA. But they would have to verify their identity either over the #internet or through in-person visits to field offices.

Bear in mind that we’re talking about older and/or disabled #Americans, many of whom are unable to access the internet & physically unable to visit SSA offices"

#SocialSecurity #Musk #Trump #USPol #News

Headline:
Smears, Sadism and Social Security

Why Elon Musk wants to make seniors suffer

by Paul Krugman
Mar 19, 2025

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105d

"Why do this? The alleged justification is to combat fraud. But... fraudulent benefit claims are not, in fact, a serious problem.

So what the #Musk is going on here? This plan would save some money, not by eliminating #fraud, but by effectively cutting off aid to #Americans who are legally entitled to that aid, & specifically those who need it most. But I don’t think the savings are the point."
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/smears-sadism-and-social-security

#Cruelty #ElonMusk #Doge #Trump #GOP #USPol #SocialSecurity #News #US #USA

Text from article(edited for length):
...On March 12 the Washington Post reported that the Social Security Administration was considering ending phone service for Americans filing retirement or disability claims. The SSA quickly backed off that idea — sort of... the agency circulated an internal memo... laying out a plan that would be almost equally destructive.

Under this plan, beneficiaries would still be able to call the SSA. But they would have to verify their identity either over the internet or through in-person visits to field offices.

Bear in mind that we’re talking about older and/or disabled Americans, many of whom are unable to access the internet and physically unable to visit SSA offices — which would in any case be overwhelmed by the increased traffic, given that the agency is already facing large staffing cuts. So this would be a move of almost cartoonish cruelty, and a nightmare for millions of Americans.

Why do this? The alleged justification is to combat fraud. But ProPublica has acquired audio of a closed meeting held with Leland Dudek, the Social Security Administration’s acting administrator, in which he acknowledged that fraudulent benefit claims are not, in fact, a serious problem.

So what the Musk is going on here? This plan would save some money, not by eliminating fraud, but by effectively cutting off aid to Americans who are legally entitled to that aid, and specifically those who need it most. But I don’t think the savings are the point.

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105d

"does the plan have to be this #cruel to the most vulnerable #Americans? As I see it, the cruelty is a feature, not a bug.

After all, gratuitous, seemingly gleeful #cruelty has been a hallmark of DOGE’s operations...

We’re mostly talking about poorly socialized young #men suddenly given the power to ruin other people’s lives, taking their cues from a leader who has declared that “the fundamental weakness of Western society is #empathy.”
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/smears-sadism-and-social-security

#ElonMusk #Doge #News #US #USA

Text from article:
Still, does the plan have to be this cruel to the most vulnerable Americans? As I see it, the cruelty is a feature, not a bug.

After all, gratuitous, seemingly gleeful cruelty has been a hallmark of DOGE’s operations. Even if you think DOGE’s mass layoffs — some quickly reversed when it turned out that critical workers were fired — make sense, think of the way they are being carried out. In general, workers are being fired with no warning, no chance to make plans for the future, and often face insulting (and false) claims that they were poor performers.

It's hard to escape the sense that DOGE staffers are actually enjoying this. And why not? We’re mostly talking about poorly socialized young men suddenly given the power to ruin other people’s lives, taking their cues from a leader who has declared that “the fundamental weakness of Western society is empathy.” So why should we be surprised that the DOGE kids’ rampage through the government looks more and more like a remake of Lord of the Flies?

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105d

Casual White House Starlink Use Is A #Cybersecurity Nightmare, A Transparency Problem, And A Weird Marketing Stunt
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/03/19/casual-white-house-starlink-use-is-a-cybersecurity-nightmare-a-transparency-problem-and-a-weird-marketing-stunt/

" #Musk is casually integrating #Starlink systems into the #WhiteHouse telecom network...

to have a #communications backchannel for stuff you don’t want tracked by any sort of White House network logging technologies... there are suggestions the Starlink traffic isn’t encrypted, creating a huge security risk"

#ElonMusk #Doge #Coup #USPol #Tech #News #USA

Headline and text(edited for length):
Casual White House Starlink Use Is A Cybersecurity Nightmare, A Transparency Problem, And A Weird Marketing Stunt

Wed, Mar 19th 2025 05:26am - Karl Bode

It’s best to view Elon Musk’s DOGE as an attack... its real purpose: the dismantling of corporate oversight, environmental guard rails, consumer protection, civil rights, and the social safety net...

There were already widespread concerns about Musk’s tween 4chan brats having widespread access to sensitive public information with no real oversight. But the randos that make up Trump and Musk’s rotating orbit... also appear to be accessing this data using all manner of unsecured personal devices...

Musk is casually integrating Starlink systems into the White House telecom network for no coherent reason...

“Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is now accessible across the White House campus. It is the latest installation of the Wi-Fi network across the government since Musk joined the Trump administration as an unpaid adviser.”

The New York Times falsely calls this a “Wi-Fi” network, when Starlink is Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network. And in a complex as wired as the White House, there’s really no coherent reason to install it. The White House network is rife with gigabit capable fiber and gigabit-capable Wi-Fi that can far exceed anything Starlink delivers. Starlink would be a clearly inferior, slower, connectivity option.

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105d

"Hi, I'm the guy who used to oversee the federal government's agency IT telecommunications contracts. This is extremely bad. There is absolutely no need for this. Not only is it a huge security exposure, but the simplest explanation for this is that it is meant to be a security exposure."
https://bsky.app/profile/waldo.net/post/3lkmo3w3pvk2n

#ElonMusk #Musk #Doge #Starlink #Corruption #Trump #GOP #Politics #USPol #US #USA

Screen shot of a social media post (Bluesky) by Waldo Jaquith @waldo.net‬ with text and link to news article.

Text:
Hi, I'm the guy who used to oversee the federal government's agency IT telecommunications contracts. This is extremely bad. There is absolutely no need for this. Not only is it a huge security exposure, but the simplest explanation for this is that it is meant to be a security exposure.

Link to news article:
Elon Musk’s Starlink Expands Across White House Complex

Trump administration officials said the company donated the internet service, saying the gift had been vetted by the lawyer overseeing ethics issues in the White House Counsel’s Office.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/17/us/politics/elon-musk-starlink-white-house.html?smid=url-share

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