Elon Musk has gained a concerning level of power over US national security | Robert Reich
Elon Musk has gained a concerning level of power over US national security | Robert Reich
With SpaceX, Starlink and X, Musk has more foreign policy sway than probably any unelected person in US history
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‘Musk’s SpaceX has nearly total control of the world’s satellite internet through its Starlink unit.’
The British, on the other hand, have a competing satellite network, OneWeb, which is the principal competitor of, and doing a rather poor job of competing with Starlink.
I don't feel a burning need to go look to a British newspaper for advice as to whether-or-not to use an American satellite network versus a British satellite network.
If you guys across the pond want to use OneWeb instead, knock yourselves out.
EDIT: And speaking of national security, the last time we were relying on a British global network for intercontinental communications, we wound up with British intelligence spying on our diplomatic communications channels. Thanks, but I'm pretty comfortable using an American network.
I'm curious why you keep saying we here. A private company run by a South African does not represent the American people. Certainly no one should be foolish enough to think he has the interest of the American people in mind. So I'd appreciate you stop saying we. I don't view him as someone working for my good. I view him as a parasite to my country.
He's an American citizen, and Starlink is an American company.
While he grew up in SA, he has no loyalty to South Africa either. We don't want him nor be associated with him
Well tough titties he's yours and I think you should take him back.
To paraphrase badly: "You can take the boy out of Afrikaners, but you can't take Afrikaners out of the boy"
He is not an Afrikaner - as the child of immigrants he went to English schools, and has nothing to do with Afrikaans.
Your prejudice makes you dishonest.
Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley
Yup, but in a British newspaper.
The Brits have pretty adverse interests on this matter. I think that American communications security is a debate that doesn't need to involve the British, can be done perfectly fine among ourselves.
EDIT: I'd also add that Reich isn't the guy to raise the matter either; it's not his area of expertise. If, say, the NSA or friends raise it as an issue -- we pay a large number of full-time domain experts to secure our communications -- then I think that'd be an interesting topic.
Do you really need to be an expert to see a problem with Musk's Russian sympathies?
or with letting single billionaire control this much infrastructure
Reich did not suggest using a British alternative.
His words from the article: "The sooner the US government revokes his security clearance, terminates its contracts with him and the entities he controls, and builds its own alternatives to Starlink and SpaceX, the safer America will be"