The Guardian brands Elon Musk "Worlds Richest Pub Bore"

I find Musk's interest in the UK very odd. Our politics are absolutely nothing to do with him. I just hope his wealth won't influence anyone here.

petra

Galaxy

Daniel Boffey bless him.
You do know that some of the feminist writers left the guardian due to the intolerable working environment.
We arent in a Disney film you know, the world cant as easily be divided into goodies and baddies.

That story is far more interesting than boring Elon.

unherd.com/2020/12/why-i-had-to-leave-the-guardian-2/

Interesting Petra.. I read Unherd but haven't seen it referred to here before..

AGAA4

I find Musk's interest in the UK very odd. Our politics are absolutely nothing to do with him. I just hope his wealth won't influence anyone here.

Yes..Why does someone with South African/American roots have such an interest in the UK?

unbelievable that Americans are having to fight our our rights to free speech.

AGAA4

I find Musk's interest in the UK very odd. Our politics are absolutely nothing to do with him. I just hope his wealth won't influence anyone here.

So do I, except that I saw somewhere that his parents are British, but live in South Africa, and Musk was born in South Africa, but could claim British citizenship due to his parents being British. I don’t know if this correct or not.

FGT that’s not what I asked you.

I said, how do you feel about Trump / Musk interfering in UK politics?

I’m okay about it to be honest LizzieDrip. I’m sure our government of the day will have checks and balances in place.

You heard all the things Lammy et al said about Trump first, if they don't like it they shouldn't have started it!

AGAA4

I find Musk's interest in the UK very odd. Our politics are absolutely nothing to do with him. I just hope his wealth won't influence anyone here.

I think it already is, which is concerning. I think his remarks on X about Jess Phillips were positively dangerous.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

LizzieDrip - it would seem that the only way Starmer could stop overseas comments would be to ban the 'X' platform entirely. That will be put us on a par with china .....

There are no plans to further extend the Online Safety Bill which was brought in by a Conservative government in October 2023 with the aim of "delivers its “manifesto commitment to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online while defending free expression”.

The OSA is a law that aims to protect people online, especially children, and to hold tech companies more responsible for the content on their platforms.

The OSA includes the following duties:
Search services and peer-to-peer platforms must have systems to prevent and remove illegal content

Services must perform risk assessments for illegal content

Services must have ways for users to flag illegal content

On 6th December 2024 Ofcom published plans "Ofcom has today, four months ahead of the statutory deadline[1], published its first-edition codes of practice and guidance on tackling illegal harms – such as terror, hate, fraud, child sexual abuse and assisting or encouraging suicide[2]

Musk's interest is in any Country that looks ripe to turn to the Right-wing of politics; Britain, Germany and probably France or Italy because of immigration attitudes worldwide.
His tool is the world-wide-web, as we all know. A very powerful Agent.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I’m okay about it to be honest LizzieDrip. I’m sure our government of the day will have checks and balances in place.

You heard all the things Lammy et al said about Trump first, if they don't like it they shouldn't have started it!

And yet you were all for us leaving the EU because we were being governed by them ( which wasn’t true anyway). I thought we were taking back control? But would you only be happy if the people with that ‘ control’ were Farage and Reform (note to self; why on earth am I responding to yet another click bait post?)

maddyone

AGAA4

I find Musk's interest in the UK very odd. Our politics are absolutely nothing to do with him. I just hope his wealth won't influence anyone here.

So do I, except that I saw somewhere that his parents are British, but live in South Africa, and Musk was born in South Africa, but could claim British citizenship due to his parents being British. I don’t know if this correct or not.

His father was half British and his mother had Canadian citizenship.. so I can't see that he would have any rights at all..

Well I still think it comes to something when the fight for free speech in the UK has to be led from abroad.

As for “No plans to extend” Theresa May’s ill thought out legislation (sigh) let’s hope not. Things are bad enough as it is with clipping freedom of speech these days. People are in prison right now for saying ‘hurty’ things. I for one think it’s a slippery slope so it’s a thank you from me Mr. Musk.

Musk has South African, Canadian and US citizenship. His quest for free speech in the UK includes hate speech which I think is allowed in the US.

Does anyone not take into account that Elon Musk is neurodivergent. His brain and reckoning is not the same as your average Joe.
He obviously saw a comment on X which sparked his interest and thought oh, I’ll comment on that

Ahhh, thank you for clearing that up for me pascal.

Gaslighting and lying to voters is the hallmark of many public institutions including politicians, the police, the NHS , the civil service etc . It seems Trump is our only hope to prevent Starmer and his socialist pals from killing off free speech in this parliament . Britons must stand up for this basic right against the thought police terrorising the people . NCHS should be banned forthwith. Mrs May should hang her head in shame. She was pretty useless looking back. A ditherer and appeaser. Weak.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Well I still think it comes to something when the fight for free speech in the UK has to be led from abroad.

As for “No plans to extend” Theresa May’s ill thought out legislation (sigh) let’s hope not. Things are bad enough as it is with clipping freedom of speech these days. People are in prison right now for saying ‘hurty’ things. I for one think it’s a slippery slope so it’s a thank you from me Mr. Musk.

The reason the Online Safety Bill includes the category "harmful" is precisely for the reasons it has recently been clarified as I wrote above:

"On 6th December 2024 Ofcom published plans "Ofcom has today, four months ahead of the statutory deadline[1], published its first-edition codes of practice and guidance on tackling illegal harms –

such as terror, hate, fraud, child sexual abuse and assisting or encouraging suicide. All very valid. No need to get worked up about, in fact very important.

The use of legislation again speech has been deeply damaging to women, lesbians, etc, of course people are anxious about it because of what has happened in the last few years, they would be foolish not to be.

The call to allow free speech must continue. There is a growing number of people in this country who only believe in it if you say, do, and think what they say, do and think! If people from overseas call it out, good!

It seems Trump is our only hope to prevent Starmer and his socialist pals from killing off free speech in this parliament . Britons must stand up for this basic right against the thought police terrorising the people

FGT what on earth are you talking about?

Do you really believe what you’re saying - or are you just trying to wind people up?

In a way, I actually hope it’s the latter because I feel sad that anyone on GN may have gone completely down such a rabbit hole.

Oh open your eyes LizzieDrip before it’s too late.
Starmer (last year) heavily criticised. Theresa May on steroids!

freespeechunion.org/starmers-attitude-to-free-speech-is-authoritarian-and-dangerous/

LizzieDrip

^It seems Trump is our only hope to prevent Starmer and his socialist pals from killing off free speech in this parliament . Britons must stand up for this basic right against the thought police terrorising the people^

FGT what on earth are you talking about?

Do you really believe what you’re saying - or are you just trying to wind people up?

In a way, I actually hope it’s the latter because I feel sad that anyone on GN may have gone completely down such a rabbit hole.

I’m beginning to believe many posters are simply conspiracy theorists. It’s on this thread and the nonsense comments on the thread calling for a national inquiry into grooming gangs.

But FGT, that doesn't match the reality of what is actually happening with the Online Safety Bill, as I've already said.

In fact - reads absolutely as paranoia to me.

Here are the recently updated Online Safety Bill measures in detail for your information and you can see why, in respect of children and young people, they have included "harmful".

www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/time-for-tech-firms-to-act-uk-online-safety-regulation-comes-into-force/#

Without these measures online grooming and other abusive contact can stay in as well as self harming content.

Iam64

LizzieDrip

It seems Trump is our only hope to prevent Starmer and his socialist pals from killing off free speech in this parliament . Britons must stand up for this basic right against the thought police terrorising the people

FGT what on earth are you talking about?

Do you really believe what you’re saying - or are you just trying to wind people up?

In a way, I actually hope it’s the latter because I feel sad that anyone on GN may have gone completely down such a rabbit hole.

I’m beginning to believe many posters are simply conspiracy theorists. It’s on this thread and the nonsense comments on the thread calling for a national inquiry into grooming gangs.

The article posted was pure conspiracy theory - the Free Speech Union (Toby Young) is a right wing organisation masquerading as "objective".