Sometimes, rightwing villains are just stupid.
The traditional model of rightwing politics suggests that wealthy conservatives foment culture wars in order to prevent class solidarity and secure tax cuts for themselves. And that is true to large extent, along the Rupert Murdoch model. /1
But as we are seeing with Elon Musk and Donald Trump, sometimes even the wealthiest among them stop being puppeteers and start buying into their own propaganda. They end up getting so invested in the culture wars that they end up destroying themselves legally and financially. /2
Musk is absolutely red-pilled. Regardless of his previous intelligence and business savvy or lack thereof, he is making terrible decisions now that are destructive to him and his shareholders. Similarly, at some point Donald Trump became a culture-driven Fox News grandpa who has ruined his business empire and placed himself at risk of incarceration. /3
@DavidOAtkins At some point? Trump was always desperate for attention. If a film crew wanted to film in a building he owned, he demanded a cameo. He wrote a book. He leaked his own information to the press, pretending to be someone else. He wanted to be envied and adored by everyone, and he surrounded himself with sycophants.
Elmo is on the same road.
