Elon Musk's social media platform X has made a violent and far-right film, Citizen Vigilante, free to view for 48 hours in late June. The film, directed by German filmmaker Uwe Boll and starring Armie Hammer, depicts a vigilante killing dozens of police officers and judges in the name of a crusade against Muslim migrants and "woke" government officials.
Musk's Amplification of Far-Right Ideas
Elon Musk's support for the film and its ideology is part of a broader trend of the tech titan amplifying extreme ideas and activists on his platform. According to Georgios Samaras, an assistant professor of public policy at King's College London, Musk uses his influence to promote the ideas he thinks should dominate society. "This is a crusade," Samaras says. "Musk uses the power he has to amplify the ideas that he thinks should dominate society."
Musk's platform, X, has become a haven for far-right beliefs and conspiracy theories since he stripped away many of the old Twitter's content moderation rules. Critics say Musk's output has demonstrated a growing obsession with race and white people in particular. He has posted and reposted messages from white nationalist and far-right activists portraying white people as under threat. One such message reads: "Whites are a rapidly dying minority."
The Role of X in Shaping Musk's Views
Musk's platform, X, appears to have shaped his views on far-right ideology. Although it's difficult to glean a cohesive worldview from social media fragments, Musk's output has shown a growing interest in white nationalist and far-right ideas. He has endorsed the leader of France's hard-right National Rally party, Marine Le Pen, and recently reposted a video from the far-right activist Tommy Robinson that suggested police are going easy on criminals if they have brown skin.
Critics say Musk's amplification of anti-immigration rhetoric has contributed to violent riots in Belfast. After a Sudanese man was accused of a brutal stabbing in Northern Ireland, Musk shared a list of street protest locations posted by Robinson, adding: "Only by protesting REPEATEDY and LOUDLY will there be any change!!" The Center for Countering Digital Hate, a research and advocacy group, tallied 4,000 calls for violence on X written as responses underneath posts by Musk, Lowe, and Robinson.
The Spread of "Remigration"
Musk and X have been instrumental in spreading the idea of "remigration," a term used by anti-immigration advocates to refer to mass deportations, even of legal migrants. The concept has been linked to violent activity, experts say. In its extreme form, "remigration" means the removal through force or heavy persuasion of all non-whites or foreigners, even if they were born in or have deep roots in their home countries. Slightly more moderate versions focus on recent migrants or those not fully integrated into European societies.
Musk's promotion of "remigration" has been noticed across the Atlantic. Last year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees US immigration, posted an X message consisting of one word: "Remigrate." Ben Tarnoff, co-author of Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed, says Musk and X have not only been instrumental in spreading the idea across Europe but in importing it to the United States.
What's Next
The implications of Musk's amplification of far-right ideology are far-reaching. Critics say his influence has contributed to a climate of hate and violence, particularly against immigrants and minorities. As the European far-right continues to grow in influence, Musk's role in amplifying these ideas raises important questions about the responsibility of social media platforms and their owners. Will Musk continue to promote far-right ideology on his platform, and what will be the consequences of his actions?
Source: Joy Online
