Musk's Salute Ignites Media Truth War
Sometimes it's hard to get a good read on Elon Musk. He's a character whose genius makes him an enigmatic figure—flawed and disturbing but admirable too, in ways that are difficult to reason why.
Let’s just define Musk as a dichotomous innovator who never stops making you question or think.
Trump’s inauguration as the United States' 47th President was, for his supporters, the return of their political messiah. The unconventional saviour who would restore their hopes and dreams of everything the star-spangled banner is meant to deliver—along with the apple pie.
Judging by Trump’s decisive electoral victory, it’s clear his supporter base, as well as Trump himself, believe he will "Make America Great Again." But you’ve got to admire the Americans for their stoic ignorance. They’re fantasists who’ve yet to awaken from a dream perpetuated by isolation and delusion—a dream Trump can somehow reverse America’s systemic and rapid decline.
The truth is the notion Trump will "Make America Great Again" exemplifies an overwhelming ignorance. The world has moved on since 2020 to embrace a multipolar order—one that no longer tolerates the US's hegemonic abuses and perpetual wars. These wars primarily serve an arms economy enriching a few at the expense of the many. The devastation wrought upon Americans themselves by this war economy is deepening, yet they remain entranced by the myth of exceptionalism.
Leading up to Trump’s appearance on the podium for his inauguration, Musk took to the stage to energise the tens of thousands in attendance. His warmup was unconventional, as expected, but it was his controversial gesture—a momentary arm movement that resembled a Nazi salute—that ignited a media firestorm.
The internet, particularly Musk’s 'X' platform, descended into apoplectic chaos, with accusations flying Musk had displayed neo-Nazi sympathies.
Musk, characteristically cryptic yet direct in his response, dismissed the accusations as absurd. On his ‘X’ feed, he doubled down on his disdain for legacy media, stating, “The legacy media is pure propaganda. You are the media now.”
It’s hard to disagree with him. Whatever one thinks of Musk, and however difficult it is to untangle his genius from his provocations, he makes a valid point. The media's obsession with sensationalism and its apparent abandonment of journalistic integrity has rendered it little more than an amplifier of outrage, speculation, and corporate agendas.
The coverage of Musk’s supposed "Nazi salute" epitomises this trend—a misrepresentation fanned into flames without context or deeper inquiry.
The failings of legacy media go beyond trivial controversies like this. For years, the media has peddled deceitful narratives that have shaped public opinion while obfuscating truth.
Their role in lying about Ukraine and America’s involvement in destabilising Russia and the demonisation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, stands as one of the most damning examples. The coverage of Ukraine has been framed to present the US as a benevolent actor, while its proxy war efforts and meddling in the region have done more to prolong suffering and escalate conflict and cost more than 750,000 Ukrainian lives than to achieve peace.
Likewise, the legacy media has been complicit in perpetuating decades of deceit about the plight of Palestinians. Since the Nakba, Palestinians have endured genocide, subjugation, and the slow erasure of their homeland. Yet the media’s coverage has largely parroted Israeli narratives, downplaying the ongoing ethnic cleansing and brutal occupation in favour of framing Palestinians as aggressors.
By prioritising the voices of the powerful over the powerless, the media has failed to reflect the true suffering endured by Palestinians.
Sometimes, it’s hard to get a good read on Musk. He’s the kind of figure whose genius makes him an enigmatic, dichotomous character—flawed and at times disturbing, yet oddly admirable. He challenges norms in ways that leave you questioning and thinking long after his words or actions have faded from view.
On this issue, Musk’s assertion are true: people are increasingly taking the reins of information dissemination.
The age of legacy media as the sole gatekeeper of truth is over. Digital platforms have decentralised the flow of information, empowering ordinary individuals to become investigative reporters, critics, and commentators.
Independent journalists have consistently proven to be more reliable, honest, and accurate in their reporting, challenging the entrenched narratives of legacy media and offering the public a clearer lens through which to view the world.
The legacy media’s failure to adapt and its persistence in serving as a tool for corporate and political propaganda have left it a hollowed-out shell of its former self.
Musk may be divisive, but his critique of the media in this instance is incisive. He reminds us that the responsibility to seek truth and challenge narratives now lies with us. It’s not a comfortable truth, but it’s one that reflects the era we live in.
Sometimes, even flawed messengers deliver the message that’s needs to be heard.
Thank you Ros.
Excellent article. It explores the sense I have of Trump, that, he is a wild card, but a strong individual, working largely for himself, but oddly still with some ethics in regard to others at work. He and Musk are Tricksters.
The Trickster can never be read because the Trickster does not even know why or what he or she is doing. This figure has a long and ancient history and was incarnated in ancient courts as the Fool, the Jester, the Clown, someone who entertained, amused, but who was also a source of wisdom. As The Fool, the figure was always underestimated, misread and misunderstood.
"There is perhaps no figure in literature more fascinating than the trickster, appearing in various forms in the folklore of many cultures. He is different from the figure of the fool, who is harmless but also naïve, and many times ends up harming himself. The fool walks joyfully dreaming about all his adventures, unaware that if he takes just one more step, he would fall down a cliff.
Trickster is witty and deceitful. He is the timeless root of all the picaresque creations of world literature, and is not reducible to one single literary entity. Trickster tales have existed since ancient times, and has been said to be at the very foundation of civilisation and culture. They belong to the oldest expressions of mankind.
Tricksters are the breakers of rules, agents of mischief, masters of deceit, and boundary crossers.
“[T]he best way to describe trickster is to say simply that the boundary is where he will be found – sometimes drawing the line, sometimes crossing it, sometimes erasing or moving it, but always there, the god of the threshold in all its forms.”
Lewis Hyde, Trickster Makes This World NB: I read this book long ago and it is excellent.
https://eternalisedofficial.com/2022/09/16/the-psychology-of-the-trickster/
In mythology and psychological archetypal theory, it is the Trickster figure who can lead the way, break through hidebound systems, destroy that which no longer functions and in a level of ordered chaos, take us through to something new and better.
Both Musk and Trump are tricksters and no doubt that is what they like and admire about each other.