Elon, Please Go Away

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

I, for one, have just about had all of Elon Musk that I can stand.  Every day I carefully sort through a gaggle of internet news sites in search of stories that might fit well into this blog.  I check out the pages of the three major US television networks - NBC, ABC, and CBS - as well as MSNBC, and also other places that still let a person browse for free like The Guardian, Huff Post, and Daily Kos.   Recently a friend gave me a subscription to the Los Angeles Times, so I check that out as well.  And all of that site-surfing has led to one inescapable conclusion:  Elon Musk purchased Twitter for his own self-aggrandizement.    

Since the blue bird of Twitter was caught and caged by the greedy billionaire, "news" stories bearing his image and actions have abounded.  We learn daily of his opening the gates of Twitter to the return of right-wing extremists to the platform, of his arbitrary firings of long-term Twitter employees and his disbanding of safety controls and oversight groups within the company, and occasionally we are even entertained with the new boss's own personal tweets - some of which are deeply disturbing such as the one calling for the prosecution of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the man who was relentless in his efforts to save lives during the pandemic.  

We also know that Musk uses his power as the head of Twitter to ban people from the platform who personally aggravate him - such as the young man who figured out how to track Musk's private jet an let the world know his travel destinations.

Musk's machinations as the new head of a major social media platform have exhibited an impetuosity that jumps from childish to terrifying in the blink of an eye as he uses his new power as chief tweeter to try and influence the social, economic, and political life of Americans.   He seems to be in a constant struggle to reshape America into a nation whose primary purpose is the benefit of Elon Musk.

And the face of Elon blossoms through all of the news sites like dandelions spreading across a thousand yards in the spring breezes.

Recently we have learned of some of his cost-cutting measures that sound downright Trumpian.  There were reports in the news yesterday suggesting that Musk is failing t pay the rent for his Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, and that he is considering reneging on his promises to pay severance packages to employees who were laid off or decided to resign after being promised severance pay.

Of course, some of the Elon stories and photos are more upbeat than others.  It was revealed last week that fluctuating stock prices in a couple of his companies - undoubtedly brought on by his erratic business behaviors - have resulted in Musk slipping from being the world's richest person to now merely the second richest human on the planet.

I'll drink to that.

There has also been a wonderful photograph of Musk on the MSNBC news site for the past several days in which he is shown in profile and appears to be laughing into the wind.   In that shot, with his odd jawline and prominent teeth, Elon bears a resemblance to a mule, or a "jackass" as we would say here in the Ozarks.  Perhaps one of his companies should turn that image into a poster.  I suspect that it would be a big seller.

And a story out this morning says that the world's second richest human is now dumping billions of dollars worth of Tesla stock and that it somehow relates to his ill-advised purchase of Twitter.

I will drink to that as well.

So, the long and short of it is that I am growing bored of all of the "news" stories about Elon Musk - even the good news. 

Elon, please go away.  I hear that Mars is lovely this time of year.