https://sputnikglobe.com/20231130/elon-musks-power-as-geopolitical-arbiter-signals-decay-of-us-state-1115312074.html
Elon Musk's Power as Geopolitical Arbiter Signals 'Decay' of US State
Elon Musk's Power as Geopolitical Arbiter Signals 'Decay' of US State
Sputnik International
SpaceX’s owner traveled to Israel this week to discuss “rising anti-Semitism online” and the operation of Starlink satellite internet in Gaza. The Gaza war is the second major international crisis tat Starlink has waded into, leading to questions about the extent of the power of its private owner to act as a geopolitical arbiter.
2023-11-30T18:58+0000
2023-11-30T18:58+0000
2023-12-05T09:24+0000
analysis
pentagon
elon musk
donald trump
javier milei
israel
nasa
starlink
ukraine
gaza strip
https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/03/03/1082239451_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_1dba9bd7636c55635b03f69fc12d4d5e.jpg
The power wielded by Elon Musk through his mega-constellations of small, low-Earth orbiting Starlink satellites in global conflicts of his choosing is a sign of states’ retreat from areas once reserved only for national governments, and the billionaire almost certainly represents powerful political and economic interests which remain behind the curtain, says geopolitical analyst Côme Carpentier de Gourdon.“Elon Musk is increasingly playing a role in US and world politics and certainly represents certain powerful interests in America and abroad who prefer to act through him,” de Gourdon, the convener of the editorial board of World Affairs, a New Delhi, India-based international politics journal, told Sputnik.“Elon Musk wants to be seen as a libertarian who feels that national governments are no longer the main actors on the global scene or even at home. He wants a space-going civilization and in principle opposes censorship. That has made him popular. He can bring outcomes through his financial and telecommunications-rooted power, but his satellites are also vulnerable in case of war if he is seen as an agent of American influence, and his financial base is not very strong because much of his wealth is paper wealth supported by speculations on the future success of his major companies, which are not producing much return,” Carpentier de Gourdon explained.Indeed, notwithstanding his libertarian ideology, much of Musk’s initial technology-based wealth has come thanks to lucrative contracts with the Pentagon and NASA, and tens of millions of dollars in lobbying efforts on his part to support his growing list of companies, which besides SpaceX include X (formerly Twitter) and Tesla, the electric car company.Musk’s Starlink satellites now account for as much as half of all operational satellites in orbit around the world, and SpaceX has inked contracts to provide its services to the US and French militaries, even as Musk has occasionally wrangled with other American allies and client states, including Ukraine and Israel, regarding Starlink’s use.“His political views are vague and seem to support neoliberal capitalism with little state intervention, but that may be aimed at supporting his business interests and winning him support among all the opponents of socialism and excessive bureaucracy,” de Gourdon said.“He supports Trump and the new Argentinian president Milei,” for example, “but can change his views quickly and has no clear ideology. He is a genius at manipulating markets and creating a legend about himself but there is often more image-making and promotion than substance,” the observer summed up.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231130/elon-musk-to-companies-pulling-ads-from-x-go-f-yourself-1115293389.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231129/has-power-of-starlink-turned-elon-musk-into-tech-oligarch-1115283015.html
israel
ukraine
gaza strip
Sputnik International
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rosiya Segodnya“
2023
News
en_EN
Sputnik International
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rosiya Segodnya“
Sputnik International
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rosiya Segodnya“
elon musk, ukraine, israel, palestine, gaza, conflict, arbiter, influence, power, capability, satellite, starlink, spacex, billionaire, state, private, company, corporate, ideology
elon musk, ukraine, israel, palestine, gaza, conflict, arbiter, influence, power, capability, satellite, starlink, spacex, billionaire, state, private, company, corporate, ideology
Elon Musk's Power as Geopolitical Arbiter Signals 'Decay' of US State
18:58 GMT 30.11.2023 (Updated: 09:24 GMT 05.12.2023) SpaceX’s owner traveled to Israel this week to discuss “rising anti-Semitism online” and the operation of Starlink satellite internet in Gaza. The Gaza war is the second major international crisis that Starlink has waded into, leading to questions about the extent of the power of its private owner to act as a geopolitical arbiter.
The power wielded by Elon Musk through his mega-constellations of small, low-Earth orbiting Starlink satellites in global conflicts of his choosing is a sign of states’ retreat from areas once reserved only for national governments, and the billionaire almost certainly represents powerful political and economic interests which remain behind the curtain, says geopolitical analyst Côme Carpentier de Gourdon.
“Elon Musk is increasingly playing a role in US and world politics and certainly represents certain powerful interests in America and abroad who prefer to act through him,” de Gourdon, the convener of the editorial board of World Affairs, a New Delhi, India-based international politics journal, told Sputnik.
“The decay of the state in the US and other countries allows certain multibillionaires to act over and above the states and to plan mankind’s future according to their own technocratic ideologies,” the observer said.
“Elon Musk wants to be seen as a libertarian who feels that national governments are no longer the main actors on the global scene or even at home. He wants a space-going civilization and in principle opposes censorship. That has made him popular. He can bring outcomes through his financial and telecommunications-rooted power, but his satellites are also vulnerable in case of war if he is seen as an agent of American influence, and his financial base is not very strong because much of his wealth is paper wealth supported by speculations on the future success of his major companies, which are not producing much return,” Carpentier de Gourdon explained.
30 November 2023, 00:04 GMT
Indeed, notwithstanding his libertarian ideology, much of Musk’s initial technology-based wealth has come thanks to lucrative contracts with the Pentagon and NASA, and
tens of millions of dollars in lobbying efforts on his part to support his growing list of companies, which besides SpaceX include X (formerly Twitter) and Tesla, the electric car company.
Musk’s Starlink satellites now account for as much as half of all operational satellites in orbit around the world, and SpaceX has inked contracts to provide its services to the US and French militaries, even as Musk has occasionally wrangled with other American allies and client states, including Ukraine and Israel, regarding Starlink’s use.
“His political views are vague and seem to support neoliberal capitalism with little state intervention, but that may be aimed at supporting his business interests and winning him support among all the opponents of socialism and excessive bureaucracy,” de Gourdon said.
“He supports Trump and the new Argentinian president Milei,” for example, “but can change his views quickly and has no clear ideology. He is a genius at manipulating markets and creating a legend about himself but there is often more image-making and promotion than substance,” the observer summed up.
29 November 2023, 15:35 GMT
