I have frequently criticized Bill Gates for his half-baked efforts to “reform” American public schools, all of which have done terrible damage to the schools.
Now Elon Musk is sticking his nose into elections in other countries, and Bill Gates is calling him out.
This article appeared in Business Insider:
Bill Gates doesn’t like how Elon Musk has involved himself in the politics of foreign countries such as the UK and Germany.
“It’s really insane that he can destabilize the political situations in countries,” Gates said in an interview with the UK newspaper The Times published Saturday.
Musk has become increasingly vocal about his views on UK and German politics in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, Musk called for the removal of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The TeslaCEO accused Starmer of not doing enough to prevent the rape of girls when he was Britain’s chief prosecutor from 2008 to 2013.
And on Saturday, Musk spoke virtually at a campaign rally for the Alternative for Germany, Germany’s far-right party. Germany is set to hold national elections in February.
In December, Musk said in an op-ed for Welt am Sonntag, a prominent German newspaper, that the AfD was “the last spark of hope for this country.” He also praised the party for its “controlled immigration policy.”
“I think in the US foreigners aren’t allowed to give money. Other countries maybe should adopt safeguards to make sure superrich foreigners aren’t distorting their elections,” Gates told The Times.
Musk’s political influence has increased significantly following President Donald Trump‘s victory in November. Musk spent at least $277 million backing Trump and other GOP candidates in last year’s elections.
That bet has since paid off for Musk, who called himself Trump’s “first buddy.” The billionaire has joined Trump on calls with world leaderssuch as Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Gates previously criticized Musk for his obsession with going to Mars. Gates said he would rather spend money on vaccines than on rockets. Go, Bill!
If only WE had laws limiting the contributions of billionaires to political campaigns!
Diane Ravitch's blog 
It has been obvious for some time that the US is close to an oligarchy. Maybe liberal and progressive organizers should try to play them against each other. Also, we millions of consumers have roles to play in this great
“game” for the control of America and the world–we should use our dollars wisely: Costco, for e.g., is more worker-people friendly. Spend there, instead of at stores that support the ultra-right. As to Musk, isn’t he behind Tesla and electric cars? Boycott them. Buy something else. If everyone did that, we’d get his attention.
LikeLike
The problem with that is you can’t boycott everything! Big fish have eaten all the little fish….Nestle, Kelloggs eg. I shop at Costco all the time (and LOVE it), but the “brands” that they sell are mostly tied to big conglomerates that support policies I don’t agree with. You can’t get away from it! Fortunately, I live a minimalist and very healthy lifestyle and I don’t shop for “entertainment”.
Some people would call me a bad American because I don’t participate in consumerism for the sake of buying. I guess that comes from growing up blue collar/lower middle class to parents born during the depression?
LikeLike
Right. But we don’t have to boycott everything. We pick a target (not Target) or two–and focus on that. Maybe start with the most vulnerable. Which Fox sponsor is the most vulnerable, for e.g. I don’t know, and I’m in no position to lead a boycott or other resistance–but somebody is–and hopefully will.
LikeLike
You’re both onto something! Might I suggest the app BuyPartisan to ensure that your purchase isn’t supporting those you wouldn’t otherwise support? This even gets into the most personal… For example, I never buy Quilted Northern brand toilet paper because Koch Industries owns this brand through Georgia-Pacific (one of its subsidiaries).
LikeLike
We could have a profound effect on things, I think, IF our boycotting were organized and targeted.
LikeLike
Here are some Koch brand products to avoid:
https://search.app/kfgWqqEn8MCGjHr49
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of course you can’t boycott everything. So you have to join with others and carefully choose targets. Like products advertised on Fox. Or others that smart people–like you and me–choose.
LikeLike
He’s right , but the irony of him saying that when he has destabilized education and healthcare across the globe is really rich.
LikeLiked by 2 people
dienne77: I’ll say the same–it’s rich . . . . especially where education is concerned; however, neither Gates nor you are a block of wood. If he can do some good in this very dangerous situation, I’m all for saying so. Gates certainly has a powerful voice in their oligarchic world and HAS done some good in our own. If you expect a Godly perfection in any of them or us, you are on a fool’s mission. CBK
LikeLike
Too much money/power + a guru named Curtis Yarvin + ketamine usage = a CRAZY Elon Musk. How this guy gets high security clearance for defense, energy and space contracts just boggles my mind!!??
LikeLike
With all the money and contracts the US has awarded to Musk, he takes the cash and opens a Tesla gigafactory in China and interferes with our election. The US needs to wake up to the fact that public-private partnerships that socialize the risk and privatize the profits are generally a bad deal for the public. Most capitalists are not patriots.
LikeLike
Retired: yes, look at the Healthcare “industry” for example, or charters/vouchers, etc., in education. They slide themselves as private “partners” in between the public that government is supposed to serve, and the service itself (healthcare and education), as a profit-taking mediator, to the detriment of both government and the public–except we all get the “advantage” of all those bells and whistle Orwellian neologisms. Whoopee for us. CBK
LikeLike
This is why FELON47’s billionaire backers had to beat Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Campaign finance reform – The Office of Hillary Rodham Clinton
“Campaign finance In 2002, Clinton voted in favor of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, which imposed restrictions on soft money and political campaign advertising.”
That’s what citizens United was all about. To get rid of this:
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute
signed into law by President Bush on March 27, 2002
LikeLike
I think also that, right or left or in-between, no one should ever use the term “freedom” without an open realization that freedom’s blood brother is “responsibility.”
Without responsibility, freedom too easily becomes license. License gives way to unaccountability, unaccountability breeds an un-tempered spirit that cannot grow, and that whole scene defines what “King,” “oligarch” and even “Fascist” have meant up to now in history–today, we see it in people like Musk, Trump, the Trump children, Epstein, the GOP Congress, priests (not all Catholic), Betsy, and pretty much all of Trumplandia.
Maybe Gates and some others among us (and in Europe, etc.) might gain a meaningful voice among the worst the world, and democracy itself, BTW, have produced. Without responsibility and accountability for both “the people” and our leaders, democracy fails. CBK
LikeLike
The full interview in The Times is fascinating.
But why doesn’t Gates try to rein in Trump?
And, he admits he’s glad social media wasn’t around when he was young. Yeah! So sayeth the man who played such a huge role in creating the digital now we live in.
If he doesn’t feel like he has agency in 2025, where does that leave all us non-billionaires. (That is, unless we join together.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those who invented, popularized, refined and marketed social media are nothing but a bunch of social misfits and weirdos. They wanted to be cool, be liked, and for everyone to have a “human” connection that they didn’t have. HAHAHAHA. They created a black hole and offered us the door to enter into their realm of fantasy and we walked in. We are paying the price now! They control the fantasy and who gets to ascend to the next “level”. Bill Gates is the Grand Poobah (and dinosaur) of the posse…. I NEVER liked the man and I NEVER will!
LikeLike
We? You got a mouse in your pocket.
LikeLike
Gates is the same billionaire Obama buddy that was allowed to meddle and undermine public education with competency based education, Race to the Top and baloney VAM for teachers. He has failed at a every turn, but he keeps coming up with more ways to foist more computer applications on schools.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t have much of an opinion on Bill Gates as a fellow human being. I mean, I know he pissed me off royally when his half-assed ideas were being foisted on schools. But lots of people have been doing that, including Obama and former NYS Govenor Andrew Cuomo, people I’d actually voted for. Hell, I had a huge sign for Barack out on my lawn.
Gates has tried to take on huge problems globally.
It’s time he steps up now. Democracy seems to be on the ropes around the world.
It’s funny… the UK Times article says Gates’ 66,000 square foot, six kitchen, billionaire mega-mansion is nicknamed Xanadu 2.0, a nod to Charles Foster Kane’s fortress manse in Citizen Kane.
Where is this guy’s self-awareness? He talks about mortality in the interview. But OUR planet is dying. And FELON47 is accelerating that demise.
LikeLike
The Guardian ran a very informative article about the links of the “PayPal mafia” to apartheid era South Africa.
LikeLike
Is Musk sane? Consider his mercurial moods and his antisocial statements and actions.
LikeLike
He is sane. He is mean, greedy, and heartless.
LikeLike
Bill Gates Reveals What About Trump ‘Impressed’ Him | WSJ
His comment about Trump starts around the 3-minute mark.
LikeLike
It was interesting to hear Gates talk about his dinner with Trump. I doubt Trump will be looking forward to any progress with vaccines since RFK, Jr. will be leading his health initiatives.
LikeLike
Gates doesn’t like the competition for the smartest man in the world.
LikeLike
calling the kettle black! Gates…totally used his money to influence Obama’s education initiatives…Gates has funded so many groups and biased media outlets…
He’s just as bad as musk and others. Suppose he’s a little sad he’s not part of their group.
LikeLike
Possibly unpopular opinion: Gates is not remotely as bad as Musk.
LikeLike
musk is evil but Gates created the path Musk is using.
LikeLike
As did Rockefeller and Carnegie and Vanderbilt and Morgan before him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
FLERP,
I agree. Musk is far more dangerous than Gates. Gates wades into education with extreme ignorance and messes up the schoools and teachers’ lives. Musk is funding and encouraging fascism in the U.S. and Europe.
LikeLiked by 1 person