"Even Muskovites might think twice about entrusting their financial data to Musk. Personally, I wouldn’t lend him an umbrella." My Swamp Notes on why Musk's China admiration is about more than Tesla's bottom line. He wants X to become America's WeChat. on.ft.com/438FJQ2 - ThreadSky

edwardluce.bsky.social • 1 day ago

"Even Muskovites might think twice about entrusting their financial data to Musk. Personally, I wouldn’t lend him an umbrella." My Swamp Notes on why Musk's China admiration is about more than Tesla's bottom line. He wants X to become America's WeChat. https://on.ft.com/438FJQ2

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kathykadane.bsky.social•1 day ago

You have no idea how grateful everyone is for your work.

kathykadane.bsky.social•1 day ago

From tjis, WeChat appears to be a social and financial prison, or electronic walled site, that is only a slightly gentler enclosure than Xinjiang Province.

The re-emergence of serfdom, on a world scale.

judy-inthecloud.bsky.social•1 day ago

I love the umbrella reference - wasn't sure you wouldn't lend it because you wouldn't get it back, or that you feared you'd get it back with the tip in your back.

Very informative, as always. Thanks.

edwardluce.bsky.social•1 day ago

Come to think of it, both!

lavoisy.eu•1 day ago

Cc @o.simardcasanova.net

suntzuog13.bsky.social•1 day ago

The world needs a digital insurgency where millions upon millions upon millions #data #poison the big tech companies.

matthewdubuc.bsky.social•1 day ago

1. This piece seems more persuasive than recent descriptions of Musk as basically a "dumb thug" (who happens to have 64 patents).

I encourage you to learn more about Musk from Joe Leahy.

Imagine you are Mr. Musk as a car manufacturer trying to convert the world to more sustainable electric cars.

matthewdubuc.bsky.social•1 day ago

2. Imagine you own a Tesla factory in Fremont, where thousands of your workers insists upon an inalienable right to arrive at work high on marijuana, who can barely read and write, & loafing at almost every opportunity.

Compare that to your workforce in Shanghai, most of whom arrive to work early.

matthewdubuc.bsky.social•1 day ago

3, In Shanghai, when you walk the assembly lines in your massive plants staffed by thousands of fanatic workers, you find several of the most ordinary workers performing the most menial of tasks seem to be smarter than the forepersons in your Fremont factory, with all manner of brilliant ideas.

matthewdubuc.bsky.social•1 day ago

4. In Shanghai generally, you encounter hordes of exceptionally intelligent people wherever you go. Although freedom and privacy are maximally constrained in this totalitarian state, you must confess your best new talent seems to come in waves from China.

I attended about 20 TSLA conference calls

matthewdubuc.bsky.social•1 day ago

5. In the quarterly earnings calls, Mr. Musk goes on at length about the stunning differences between average Chinese workers & average US workers.

As CEO, you are required *by law* to maximize value to your shareholders.

If you were CEO of Tesla, why pretend these differences don't exist?!

matthewdubuc.bsky.social•1 day ago

6. The foregoing is an additional reason, why Mr. Musk "admires China".

I allege it to be non-trivial.

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