Elon Musk has faced major backlash concerning his support of an anti-semitic post published on his platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Though Musk is theoretically free to express his opinions, influential individuals such as himself must be wary of the weight of their words.
The post in question proposed an anti-semitic conspiracy theory, one that is often a narrative spread amongst white supremacist groups. The theory admonishes the Jewish community for pushing “dialectical hatred against Whites” and supporting the “hordes of minorities flooding Western countries.”
Of course, Musk, just like everyone else whose civil rights are protected by the Bill of Rights, is bestowed with the capability to present his mind. Even so, the First Amendment should not be a shield or catch-all defense for those who articulate hearsay or hate speech.
In typical Internet fashion, it was not long before people began scrutinizing Musk’s anti-semitism, and the criticism surrounding Musk’s reply, both his response to the original post and his apology, helped to spread awareness of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the implications of Musk’s actions on the Jewish community. Major companies such as Apple, Lionsgate, and Paramount Global also ceased all of their advertisements on the platform, further contributing to the punishment that Musk receives, as he possesses 80% ownership of X.
And yet, there have been no true tangible consequences for Musks’s actions. The media has forgotten about Musk’s misdeeds. There’s no stock to crash. A single apology and a couple of grudges, but ultimately erased from memory.
A prolific angel investor, CEO, and CTO, Elon Musk seemingly has influence everywhere. Thus, we must ask ourselves, was this just marketing? A rage bait response to increase traffic and activity on his social platform all the while feigning ignorance? In this specific instance, the Jewish community was fortunate enough to have received overwhelmingly positive support in response to Musk’s comment. But there’s a layer of politics incorporated into Musk’s actions. The man responsible for programming PayPal, creating self-driving electric automobiles, and reusable spacecraft must have had some idea about what his blatant anti-semitism would entail. And yet, he carried on his actions. Though it is speculative, Musk’s decision to respond to the original post may have been a financial one. A rage bait response to accumulate activity on his social platform cloaking as ignorance. A world where companies use cruel methods to promote their products is indicative of both the profit-obsessed individuals and the extreme influence influencers of today have. Regardless of whether Musk was simply sharing his personal opinion or was hoping to garner media attention, his real sin lies in his willingness to respond to a post that he knew had hateful intentions.
It’s undeniable that some would dismiss Musk’s moral transgressions as another operation of “the woke mob.” It’s not outlandish to note that despite Musk’s controversial actions, he may very easily become a scapegoat for perpetuated anti-semitism in America. In reality, it’s impossible to ignore the consequences of Musk’s ignorance, as this issue extends beyond either freedom of speech or ethnic discrimination. Rather, Musk highlights a growing trend of household names propagating hurtful ideologies.
The solution to prevent further attempts of recognition at the cost of others is to strip influencers of their power. Demonstrate that their fame does not equate to unconditional support. Continue fierce backlash when necessary. And, most importantly, encourage individual thinking. Education and exposure should not wholly contribute to our ideologies. It’s easy to be influenced by the people that we admire, but we must resist the urge to simply absorb their opinions if we want to diminish the spread of hate and ignorance.
