Live data from Hacker News

Musk-Trump dispute includes threats to SpaceX contracts

spacenews.com

411–420 of 799 posts

Re: Musk-Trump dispute includes threats to SpaceX contracts

#411

It's wild that a president can say, "I don't like Elon anymore, so out of retaliation, I'm canceling all his government contracts," and ~40% of the country doesn't see that as corruption in any way, shape, or form. Government contracts should not be based on whether or not the president likes the CEO, and the CEO says enough good things about the president. If you can cancel contacts not based on merit, then it shoul…

It turns out that when elections are fought on the basis of identity (race, religion) etc corruption is actually considered a benefit! This is because the loyalists interpret this as "we" are winning and "they" are losing. I witnessed this up close in India where parties openly exist to benefit certain constituencies based on caste, language, religion and so on. It is horrifying to see this attitude take root in my a…

I see it as a continuation of the American Civil War in politics. There was always this attitude but now people are more redicalized, so it's more obvious.

Re: Musk-Trump dispute includes threats to SpaceX contracts

#412

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Hey, at least it looks more entertaining! :/ did people expect any different when they elected a reality TV star to be president? one that's such an incredible businessman he managed to bankrupt not one, but two casinos

He's first and foremost a narcissist (strongly grandiose subtype, and all over the place on the communal/malignant axis). That condition should make him ineligible for any position of power. This is what a society gets when it elects someone mentally ill (in the harmful-to-others rather than the typical harmful-to-ill-person sense). I am continually astounded by how many people, even if you explain the symptoms to th…

People can just listen to his biographer or many former aides, but they choose to believe what they want. Many religious supporters still think he's a Christian.

Re: Musk-Trump dispute includes threats to SpaceX contracts

#413

It's wild that a president can say, "I don't like Elon anymore, so out of retaliation, I'm canceling all his government contracts," and ~40% of the country doesn't see that as corruption in any way, shape, or form. Government contracts should not be based on whether or not the president likes the CEO, and the CEO says enough good things about the president. If you can cancel contacts not based on merit, then it shoul…

Maybe what you think of as corruption is not what your opposing party thinks of as corruption?

Re: Musk-Trump dispute includes threats to SpaceX contracts

#414
post #401

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was also a protest and a riot. These things are not mutually exclusive.

Obviously. All riots are technically insurrections. They're synonyms. And they are usually protests too; it'd be unusual to have a riot while agreeing with the current direction of the government.

[flagged]

Re: Musk-Trump dispute includes threats to SpaceX contracts

#415

It's wild that a president can say, "I don't like Elon anymore, so out of retaliation, I'm canceling all his government contracts," and ~40% of the country doesn't see that as corruption in any way, shape, or form. Government contracts should not be based on whether or not the president likes the CEO, and the CEO says enough good things about the president. If you can cancel contacts not based on merit, then it shoul…

Exemplifying the meme.. "[Doing American things Americanly]: What are we, ASIAN???"

Re: Musk-Trump dispute includes threats to SpaceX contracts

#416

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is also a left smear. Many conservatives have expressed dissatisfaction with this bill that is the focus of all this. It’s not true what you are saying. It’s not true that those that voted for him agree and justify everything. Regardless of what you may think of Covid response, many conservatives expressed disagreement with him on that as well. It is not as if supporters will deny all but a clear video tape of s…

Trump has a reputation for walking in on women and teens in the dressing areas at his pageants. At least one of Epstein's GFs said Trump assaulted her. Epstein said he was Trump's closest friend. It's very possible the Epstein files do have (or used to have) damning evidence. Though IME folks who call themselves MAGA are unlikely to take any evidence seriously. Trump himself has said he believes he could shoot someon…

You're talking about Stacey Williams allegation a couple weeks before the election and right after those regarding Doug Emhoff? It's not as simple as piling on a list of allegations. If it is so possible why did Epstein not use it against Trump especially when Trump was trying to have adverse action inflicted on Epstein? As far as the 5th Avenue thing, this is another one of these things that happens on the left where they take all of his jokes so literally and just run with it. I saw another normie take from that Lawrence O'Donnell in which he was just beside himself up in arms over Trump's tweet about Biden being a robot was absolute proof that Trump believed in Biden robots and that he was mentally incapacitated. One can have criticism without it devolving into breathless derangement.

Re: Musk-Trump dispute includes threats to SpaceX contracts

#420
post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is why the standard for something to be considered improper behavior is (or used to be) the appearance of a conflict of interest. People stopped giving a shit about anything. This is just one of dozens of things that would have been totally unacceptable a few years ago.

The world is no longer a serious place. Everybody is turbo-infantilised via social media. I don't know if that's indeed the root cause or if it's a combination of factors, but the fact remains that people don't even feel the need to _ pretend to care _ about honesty, character, seriousness, etc.

Social media is easy to blame, but we had something similar, but worse happening in Germany well before the invention of the computer even.

Human society has not developed an antidote to charismatic demagogues yet I'm afraid.

Post reply on HN