Behind Elon Musk’s hot takes are his strategic irons in the fire
- Society has to contend with the reality of outsize power in the hands of select individuals such as Musk, which might not always be wielded for the greater good.
Elon Musk’s foray into geopolitics has led to consternation in Ukraine, glee in Beijing and bemusement in the United States. Even if his suggestions for an early, negotiated end to the war in Ukraine and for a compromise on Taiwan, which China is bent on annexing and the US is committed to defending against Chinese aggression, are self-serving, their pragmatic character should not be lost sight of. Nor the emergence of an individual voice from outside the realm of politics that can resonate in the world’s power centres, thanks to that individual’s wealth, status as a business genius and the power of social media, which he has mastered.
Last week, Musk tweeted a possible solution to the war in Ukraine. A neutral Ukraine, Russian control over Crimea, and fresh plebiscites in the Don Bas region for residents to decide whether they wish to be citizens of Ukraine or of Russia — these were the elements of Musk’s peace plan for Ukraine. Later in the week, in an interview to the Financial Times, Musk suggested that Taiwan could enter into an arrangement like Hong Kong’s with China, with greater autonomy than in the specific One Country-Two Systems framework offered to Hong Kong when it reverted to China after completing a 99-year lease to Britain. In essence, Musk suggested that Taiwan should accept Chinese sovereignty over its territory, while retaining a degree of autonomy.