Elon Musk and the Algorithm That Ate His Mind
From estranged father to far-right megaphone, Musk’s journey shows how social media can shape even its most powerful users
Musk has become the ultimate product of his own platform — amplifying his personal grievances into a global call for division. Once celebrated as a visionary entrepreneur, Musk now echoes the rhetoric of extremists. As he spirals deeper into political discontent and personal grief, the world watches a tech titan reshapes his platform — and himself — into a megaphone for division.
The troubled mind of a centi-billionaire
In recent days Musk has taken on the vibe of a street preacher with a megaphone — hard to ignore, but not exactly converting the crowd. According to Emily Bell, the director of the Tow Centre for Digital Journalism, the platform has become exasperating to use because the centi-billionaire “has somehow ordered his moronic observations to be inserted at the top of every feed”. The rejigging of the algorithm was confirmed by an X engineer. As X prioritises Elon Musk’s posts, it is clear he is demanding freedom of reach, not freedom of speech.
A few weeks prior to Christmas day 2021, Elon Musk posted “Traceroute woke_mind_virus”. In plain language it’s a networking commanding to identify the source of information, in this case the postmodern identity politics pushed by postliberal progressive left social justice activists. Elon Musk blamed them for the estrangement from his transitioning child.
On April 18 2022 came, Xavier Musk formerly changed name to Vivian Jenna Wilson, declaring to the court: “I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.” According to the account of Musk’s then-girlfriend Claire Boucher, she had “never seen him as heartbroken about anything”.
By May 2022 the troubled billionaire outlined on social media his rapidly shifting outlook on politics. “In the past I voted Democrat, because they were (mostly) the kindness party,” he wrote, “But they have become the party of division and hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican. Now, watch their dirty tricks campaign against me unfold.”
By July 2024 Musk told the Canadian provocateur professor Jordan Peterson “Essentially… my son is dead…Killed by the woke mind virus. So I vowed to destroy the woke mind virus after that. And we’re making some progress.” Elon Musk’s tweet about identifying the origin of the ‘woke mind virus’ came a mere three months after posting “I prefer to stay out of politics”. In response to his child’s transition, a billionaire entrepreneur was undergoing a political and moral transition.
As 2025 is born it has become clear that a wealthy, potentially neurodivergent, entrepreneur has become myopically lost in an inner turmoil which he is projecting externally onto wider Anglo-American global society. The man who in 2020 was a Democrat donor tweeting about climate change and crypto currency potential has shifted to promoting Tommy ‘ten names’ Robinson’s drivel.
When the former tanning shop salonista Tommy Robinson was lazing in 5 star Cypriot luxury (complaining about British police seeking him for an arrest warrant) Musk was busy engaging in the far-right jailbird’s X posts. Elon Musk has in recent years decided that civil war in the UK is “inevitable”, a running theme for the troubled centi-billionaire. Jon Lewis, a research fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism informed NBC that when Musk tweets about civil war being ‘inevitable’ in Europe and the UK, “What you’re seeing in these calls for civil war is a white supremacist clarion call. It is a dog whistle,”
NBC explained that “Musk has stopped short of issuing a call to arms and has not mentioned the race or religion of refugees arriving in Europe, but Lewis said that Musk doesn’t need to be explicit to get his message across.”
Elon Musk has effectively joined the ranks of Tommy ‘ten names’ Robinson, neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes and the “Boogaloo” adherents in essentially seeking to tear down contemporary society.
It is clear that Elon Musk has become radicalised by his own algorithm, and it is not just American civic society he has been destabilising. The question of what Sir Keir Starmer’s government can do with the troubled centi-billionaire is now an important question. Ex-Twitter boss Bruce Daisley suggests getting an arrest warrant, although some might question if that would be too extreme.
Enter the opportunists and populists
Elon Musk posted “If current trends continue, civil war in Europe is inevitable,” in response to Tiggernometry podcaster Konstantin Kisin’s tweet. Kisin responded saying “Civil war implies someone will fight back. Based on current evidence, I’m not even sure that will happen.” Risibly, Konstantin Kisin informed NBC that when Elon was posting about civil war in Europe he was really merely referencing the way Europe and Britain is moving regarding the complex interplay between multi-culturalism and economic dislocation…
“What Elon Musk is doing is pointing out the fact that Europe is moving in a particular direction on demographics, on economics, on multiculturalism, and these are all perfectly valid points,”
As explanations go, Kisin is about was convincing as a three-year running ‘limited time offer’ sale. Or perhaps when one of my university students insists they really enjoyed the assigned reading I gave them. The name of the game for those working in in the brave new world of ‘new media’, attention is key.
But for others, the goal is distinctly more directly political. Nigel Farage himself has succeeded in using Elon Musk to heighten his appeal to moderate Conservative voters as the Tories implode. As the corporate billionaire called for new leadership for the Reform Party, Nigel cleverly used the attention to engineer distance between himself, his party, and Tommy ‘ten names’ Robinson. Farage explained “My view remains that Tommy Robinson is not right for Reform and I never sell out my principles."
This is despite that time dear old Nige decided it was very sensible to record a video of himself suggesting “the truth is being withheld from us”, days after child murders occurred. It seems it isn’t only Elon Musk who plays up the same themes as contempt of court jailbird Tommy Robinson. Naturally Nige quickly popped his head back out to appear on LBC to complain about…erm…how much of a victim he is. Apparently after inciting inter-community tensions about race-specific ‘rape gangs’ means Nige needs greater levels of personal protection. Poor Nigel. The heart bleeds for him.
I’m sure Nigel’s friends alongside him on the Commons green-benches in the form of his fellow Reform Party MPs will give him comforted over the hideous unfairness about losing Musk’s promised $100m donation offer and the backlash concerning his own rhetoric. And why not? His Reform Party enforcer is none other than 30p Lee, who will likely nod his head compassionately as Nigel moans about how hard race riots and his more contemporary Musk falling out has been on him. Perhaps 30p will chuck in a sympathetic ‘I just want my country back’ before nodding his face back into a Commons-subsidised pint of bitter? I suppose there is always the new Reform MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, you remember him, the one once convicted of assaulting his girlfriend.
Falling out with Elon does mean Reform won’t land that mega-donation. But it has permitted Nigel to distance his ragtag populist outfit from the far-right just as the great tradition of English conservatism of Fortescue, Bishop Aylmer, Starkey and Burke unravels politically. Funny how how a centi-billionaire’s family upheavals and subsequent radicalisation presents itself as a good opportunity for the eternal populists.
Tearing down the Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen
The Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen (Fountain of Justice) is a 16th-century fountain in the Gerechtigkeitsgasse in the Old City of Bern, Switzerland. Constructed in 1543, the original statue represented the supremacy of Justice over all Earthly authorities.
The Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen was the personification of “lady Justice”, portrayed holding her traditional attributes—sword of justice, a balance in her left and a blindfold over her eyes. Sandaled feet, one knee bared. Beneath her stood four smaller busts; a Pope, an Emperor, a Sultan and a Schultheiss. They represent the Four Earthly Powers, the four forms of government according to Renaissance humanism: theocracy (the Pope), monarchy (the Emperor), autocracy (the Sultan) and the republic (the Schultheiss). And above all is Lady Justice.
Having stood proudly for 443 years, the statue was torn down after midnight on 13 October 1986 by means of a rope and tackle. Shattered to pieces by militant radicals.
Far rightists like Elon Musk, Nick Fuentes, “Boogaloo” adherents, opportunists such as Konstantin Kisin and populists like Nigel Farage are all engaging in an effort to tear down contemporary society. We should see beyond their rhetoric about ‘defending western values’, instead they seek to ‘go back’ to some undefined past. A place where a subset of white heterosexual males - in the name of an expansive and unaccountable definition of ‘free speech’ - advocate for their right to say anything about marginalised groups. The self-appointed warriors against ‘woke’ are really inhabitants of a strange land where commenters are obsessed with changing demographics.
They are radicals and their ‘make America/Britain/Europe Great Again’ sloganeering represents a coordinated attempt to pull down our contemporary, diverse and egalitarian society. Bern old city may have lost their fountain of justice at the hands of militants, but our English speaking Lady Justice must not suffer a similar plight at the hands of this populist mob. Too many marginalised groups depend upon her.
As the 1988 Metallica album ‘…And Justice For All?’ illustrates, issues such as freedom of speech and civil liberties ("Eye of the Beholder") tend to be presented from a grim and pessimistic point of view, not least since these are traditionally existential themes. Justice for all? Sometimes when a historically privileged group in society is being asked to share opportunities, access, it can feel a lot like unfairness.
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Last year when you wrote a panegyric to Kamala Harris, I realised that the only issue we agreed on was our shared disdain for Scottish Nationalism. This latest article is nothing more than a rant directed at those whose political position you dislike. You describe them as “extremists” and “far right”. That’s just gaslighting nonsense. You quote random talking heads to insult them and use cheap perjoratives to diminish them. It’s a common practice of the left wing mindset and it says more about you than the case you are trying to make. As Jordan Peterson has advocated to others, perhaps you should go and tidy your bedroom. It might make you feel better and give you some perspective
YOU say , there is NO islamisation of Britain - and quote a small % number .
That is a matter of opinion against scale . The people are sick of the drip of Islamic murder .
Much of the population feels completely disenfranchised by the 2 main parties .
The Conservatives promised to get immigration under control in THREE manifestoes , they did not deal with it and in fact it became very much worse .
Starmer has LIED his party into office and we KNOW they will deal with neither the mass immigration issue - or Militant Islam .
Many people now see the Labcon / Conlab as virtually indivisible and under control from influences from elements of the “:Davos Mob “
Britain - will swing to the right , and as far as I am concerned it’s way way past time .
To fix this countries many ills will take policy which is probably currently unthinkable .