this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2025
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The brittleness of white billionaires (lemmy.ml)
submitted 1 day ago by Confidant6198@lemmy.ml to c/memes@lemmy.ml
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https://fixupx.com/elonmusk/status/1897954924337467555

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[–] latenightnoir@lemmy.blahaj.zone 22 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I don't even know why I bother with this train of though at this point, but I just can't figure out if he seriously believes the shit he's spouting, or if he's just playing up the shock value like an edgelord. I mean, it's clear he's way dumber than he thinks himself to be, but I can't get the nuance in it...

[–] BombOmOm@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (2 children)

or if he’s just playing up the shock value like an edgelord

Nothing shocking about it, South Africa discriminates based on race.

Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Musk's SpaceX, has been unable to enter the South African market due to the country's Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) regulations. These laws require that companies providing communication services be at least 30% owned by historically disadvantaged groups to receive an operating license.

[–] Schmoo@slrpnk.net 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

If you're going to do business with someone it's completely reasonable that they set their own terms. Elon Musk does not have the right to force his business on a country that does not want to do business with him, no matter the reason. South Africa's BEE regulations are intended to re-balance the scales after decades of brutal apartheid and oppression. People like Elon Musk notice the loss of privileges they once enjoyed and interpret it as an infringement on their rights equivalent to or worse than historically oppressed (because disadvantaged does not do justice to what they suffered) groups.

And let's be very clear, if he wants to do business in South Africa he should comply with the regulations and grant a 30% ownership stake to historically oppressed groups. He is not compelled to do so just as South Africa is not compelled to grant him a license.