elon, x, free speech, and government all come together here; 

Donald Trump is back on the app formerly known as Twitter. After almost four years in the “Truth Social” wilderness he sat down with Elon Musk for a 3-hour conversation.

On our side of the pond, Musk is taking every opportunity he can to troll Keir Starmer’s government, comparing the UK to something from 1984 (accurately, it must be said).

During the Olympics, he chimed in with criticism of controversial Algerian boxer Imane Khelif for being a “man beating up women”.

Wherever there is controversy, Musk (or the PR intern running his X account) appears to pour fuel on the fire.

That’s not to say everything Musk says is wrong. A lot of it is right, or at least defensible and rational, but I think that itself is an integral part of the construction. Sugar among the salt, aiding in the sale of the overriding narrative:

“Elon Musk – the world’s richest man, and Free Speech Champion”.

(subtext – there are some oligarchs you can really trust)

How did it come to this? And Why?

To give you my answer  to that, let’s go back in time a few years B.E. – Before Elon.........more........