Summary

Elon Musk’s threats to fund primary challengers to Democrats in safe districts, following his role in nearly forcing a government shutdown, have reignited calls for campaign finance reform.

Musk, who spent $277 million backing Republicans, criticized a bipartisan spending bill and used his platform to sway GOP opposition, influencing legislative outcomes.

His intervention has sparked outrage among Democrats, with leaders like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warning of rising oligarchy and calling for reforms to limit super PAC and dark money influence.

The episode highlights growing concerns over Musk’s political power and its impact on democracy.

  • @makeshiftreaper
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    1119 days ago

    Great point. I’m sure like most things related to shitty American politics if you go back far enough there’s Reagan bullshit in there too. We had a lot of opportunities to not be here, and yet here we are

    • @finitebanjo
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      819 days ago

      Yeah I really wish I didn’t have to think about Reagan’s bullshit like all the time.

    • @CharlesDarwin
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      519 days ago

      Nixon was terrible, but the ball really, REALLY got rolling under Ronnie Raygun.

    • @[email protected]
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      fedilink
      117 days ago

      You can go back to Prescott Bush and the Business Plot. His son was head of the CIA and Reagan’s vice-president, went on to become preside George Bush.
      And in 2000 his son won the presidency via the Supreme Court after a VERY sketchy incident known as the Brooks Brothers Riot.
      On the 2nd Bush’s watch we gpt 9/11 followed by massive increases in domestic surveilance and a huge wave of jingoist “patriotism” which created an evironment where criticizing the government was equivalent to being a baby eating social communist.