this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2024
765 points (97.4% liked)

World News

39367 readers
2129 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Summary

Elon Musk sparked outrage in Germany by endorsing the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party on his platform, X, claiming “only the AfD can save Germany.”

The AfD, which polls second ahead of Germany’s February snap election, has been labeled extremist by German intelligence.

Political leaders accused Musk of election interference, while others criticized his remarks as harmful. Musk later doubled down, calling for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s resignation.

Musk’s comments align with his past support for far-right and anti-immigration figures across Europe and beyond.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 4 points 11 hours ago

If luigi killed this guy I would not shed a single tear.

I would crack open an ice cold beer.

[–] slingstone@lemmy.world 11 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Save Germany from what? Being a successful, modern country that takes care of its people?

[–] Miaou@jlai.lu 5 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Ugh, I must live in alternate-reality Germany. Not like AfD can improve things, but come on

[–] slingstone@lemmy.world 7 points 17 hours ago (2 children)

I genuinely apologize for my ignorance. Germany looks like a damned paradise of free healthcare and other social welfare programs from the States. What issues are you facing over there?

[–] raef@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

Just want to clarify that healthcare is not free; there are insurance companies and coverage is paid for.

The difference is they are more regulated and everyone must have insurance coverage

[–] Khaliso@slrpnk.net 3 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Mainly missed opportunities due to inefficiencies and conflicts of interest in politics I'd say?

[–] Draedron@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 9 hours ago

The biggest issue is a lack of investments due to us putting a block of taking on new government debt into our constitution so there never is enough money to invest in things like the infrastructure. That and too much bureaucracy in everything.

[–] matlag@sh.itjust.works 10 points 20 hours ago

You should be more undersantding. Since Trump is now enraged because people call Musk the President, Musk needs to find a backup country where he'll be called the leader before Trump kicks him out. That's all just risk mitigation!

[–] Freefall@lemmy.world 16 points 23 hours ago

Only Nazis can save Germany...isn't there precedent for that not working?

[–] PedroMaldonado@lemmy.world 11 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

You know what bothers me? Musk knows hes bullshitting everyone and it seems like its fucking laugh to him. Remember when the hyper rich built libraries and funded colleges and, i dunno, just gave back? To think, just a few short years ago, he was presenting as some kind of visionary. Turns out, hes just a capitalist asshole.

[–] CaptainThor@lemmy.world 2 points 18 hours ago

Noblesse oblige still exists, but the loudest morons with wealth don’t do it. Classy people with wealth certainly still do

[–] obinice@lemmy.world 30 points 1 day ago (1 children)

He's a modern day Nazi leader, what do you expect him to say?

[–] Snowclone@lemmy.world 6 points 22 hours ago

Matches up with history. Hitler had a giant portrait of Henry Ford in his office. American racism, genocide, and capitalism was a major inspiration for the Nazis

[–] themaninblack@lemmy.world 45 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There is nothing surprising about a white South African promoting a racist political party. White South Africans are the most openly and unabashedly racist people on the planet.

[–] CaptainThor@lemmy.world 3 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Japan and China will challenge your statement

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago

The racism olympics is pretty competitive this year

[–] theacharnian@lemmy.ca 80 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (4 children)

We're running into the paradox of tolerance real quick here folks. Democracies need to legislate limits to the political influence of rich idiots and soon, otherwise we'll all end up like the US.

[–] fibojoly@sh.itjust.works 9 points 23 hours ago

Well, funny thing is we do have rules about what you can and cannot say, in Europe. I'm looking forward to him discovering those little subtleties, since he clearly cannot shut his trap.

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago

Rest of the world, please take us as a cautionary tale, not a model for emulation

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] nutsack@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

vietnamese people think elon musk and donald trump are right about everything because they are smart because they are rich and because america is a democracy

they are deified, basically. just like ho chi minh

[–] Sorgan71@lemmy.world 40 points 1 day ago (2 children)
[–] LavenderDay3544@lemmings.world 38 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

TBH he is. Ford was a piece of shit and so is he.

[–] TheFriar@lemm.ee 45 points 1 day ago

Well, the nazism, the car thing, the evil vulture capitalist…kinda similar.

[–] riodoro1@lemmy.world 91 points 2 days ago (6 children)

What the fuck does he even know about germany?

[–] Snowclone@lemmy.world 4 points 21 hours ago

He knows what benifits him. That's the entirety of his motivations. Evil greedy assholes are quite dull, he just knows what makes him more money and more power.

[–] Xtallll@lemmy.blahaj.zone 33 points 1 day ago

What the fuck does he know about America?

[–] b161@lemmy.blahaj.zone 26 points 1 day ago

It doesn’t matter to him. All he knows that he’s a Dark Enlightenment fascist white supremacist. The poors and non-whites must die. Fascist governments must be in power everywhere so he can have his world where he is king, he has robots to do his bidding and can try to live forever.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

His knowledge is mostly restricted to the years 1933-1945.

He didn't read the ending. No one tell him the spoiler.

load more comments (3 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 88 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Elon grew up and enjoyed the South African Apartheid regime and he is a neo-Nazi.

[–] WeUnite@lemm.ee 73 points 2 days ago (1 children)

No country is safe from Elon Musk's election interference. It's urgent that we boycott Twitter and Tesla. If you have a Twitter account do the following now:

  1. Send a DM to your favorite accounts and urge them to stop using Twitter.
  2. (If you haven't already) register for Bluesky.
  3. Make a Tweet saying you are no longer using Twitter.
  4. Tell your friends to follow the same instructions.

These could take as little as five minutes of your time but it will make a huge difference because of the ripple effect. When one person leaves it will automatically incentivize your friends to follow you. You have the power to make a difference.

[–] Sunshine@lemmy.ca 50 points 2 days ago (10 children)

register for Bluesky

Replace that with Mastodon and you're golden.

[–] TexMexBazooka@lemm.ee 0 points 6 hours ago

Mastodon just does t have features most users will want

load more comments (9 replies)
[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 220 points 2 days ago (12 children)

It's important to note that right after saying this...

A German AFD supporter who retweets Musk drove into a Christmas market in a terrorist attack

Germany has stricter laws about inciting violence, it's a long shot but maybe he'll get charges

load more comments (12 replies)
[–] 30p87@feddit.org 175 points 2 days ago

Nazi supporting Nazi also supports other Nazis.

[–] cows_are_underrated@feddit.org 49 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Musk later doubled down, calling for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s resignation.

This stupid POS doesn't even know that this already happened a few days ago.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] Zoldyck@lemmy.world 103 points 2 days ago

Elon Musk is a danger to democracy all over the world

[–] Zaphod@discuss.tchncs.de 81 points 2 days ago (14 children)

Stfu Musk you know shit about Germany

load more comments (14 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›