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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsElon Musk's Shadow Rule : How the U.S. government came to rely on the tech billionaire--and is now struggling to rein him in.
By Ronan Farrow August 21, 2023
We are living off his good graces, a Pentagon official said of Musks role in the war in Ukraine. That sucks.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/28/elon-musks-shadow-rule
The reason soon became apparent. Even though Musk is not technically a diplomat or statesman, I felt it was important to treat him as such, given the influence he had on this issue, Kahl told me. SpaceX, Musks space-exploration company, had for months been providing Internet access across Ukraine, allowing the countrys forces to plan attacks and to defend themselves. But, in recent days, the forces had found their connectivity severed as they entered territory contested by Russia. More alarmingly, SpaceX had recently given the Pentagon an ultimatum: if it didnt assume the cost of providing service in Ukraine, which the company calculated at some four hundred million dollars annually, it would cut off access. We started to get a little panicked, the senior defense official, one of four who described the standoff to me, recalled. Musk could turn it off at any given moment. And that would have real operational impact for the Ukrainians.
Musk had become involved in the war in Ukraine soon after Russia invaded, in February, 2022. Along with conventional assaults, the Kremlin was conducting cyberattacks against Ukraines digital infrastructure. Ukrainian officials and a loose coalition of expatriates in the tech sector, brainstorming in group chats on WhatsApp and Signal, found a potential solution: SpaceX, which manufactures a line of mobile Internet terminals called Starlink. The tripod-mounted dishes, each about the size of a computer display and clad in white plastic reminiscent of the sleek design sensibility of Musks Tesla electric cars, connect with a network of satellites. The units have limited range, but in this situation that was an advantage: although a nationwide network of dishes was required, it would be difficult for Russia to completely dismantle Ukrainian connectivity. Of course, Musk could do so. Three people involved in bringing Starlink to Ukraine, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they worried that Musk, if upset, could withdraw his services, told me that they originally overlooked the significance of his personal control. Nobody thought about it back then, one of them, a Ukrainian tech executive, told me. It was all about Lets fucking go, people are dying.
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Not good for US to be depending on him
Silent Type
(3,074 posts)amount to provide it. Apparently, Musk helped for free (which of course it is not free). But its time to do something different, but not necessarily Musks estimate.
Was not able to read article. It may have been discussed there.
diva77
(7,690 posts)like Tuberville holding up military or McConnell holding up SC appointments -- one man has much too much power.
DBoon
(22,441 posts)Where a single wealthy citizen controls a critical resource and where that individual's loyalty is questionable?
Silent Type
(3,074 posts)Not much option. Besides $400 Million annually negotiated downward, doesnt sound like a lot. Plus, he hasnt cut it off yet.
Duppers
(28,134 posts)I read half of the article (copied).
Musk is such a money grubbing asshole and it's extremely unfortunate that we must rely on his Star link system for field communications in Ukraine.