Vice President Vance on Friday chided European leaders for their criticism of Elon Musk wading into their elections, comparing Musk’s actions to Swedish activist Greta Thunberg urging American leaders to take action on climate change.

“I believe that dismissing people, dismissing their concerns, or worse yet, shutting down media, shutting down elections or shutting people out of the political process protects nothing. In fact, it is the most surefire way to destroy democracy,” Vance said.

“And speaking up and expressing opinions isn’t election interference, even when people express views outside your own country, and even when those people are very influential,” he continued. “And trust me, I say this with all humor: If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg’s scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk.”

  • @buzz86us
    link
    English
    183 days ago

    This is a brain dead comparison, Musk’s influence is highly destructive to democracy, while Greta’s influence is only advocating for a global shift to protect the future of the planet.

    • @Pilferjinx
      link
      English
      43 days ago

      He’s mustering anger from his brain dead base. His words aren’t meant for the rest of us. He needs to distract the Maga crowd from the damage Elon is actually doing.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      23 days ago

      It’s also braindead because on the one hand you have the richest man in the world backed by the most powerful man in the world. And on the other you have pretty much a very popular influencer.

  • /home/pineapplelover
    link
    fedilink
    English
    243 days ago

    Question, what has Greta Thunberg done? Afaik, she’s only protested and post on social media.

  • @iAvicenna
    link
    English
    694 days ago

    ahh yes Greta famously known to spend a fraction of a billion to influence elections.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    444 days ago

    Europe didn’t have to survive with Thunberg, she wasn’t in the government and had no decision making authority.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    1725 days ago

    How is that even close to the same thing? Greta pleaded with the people to think about their children’s future (and actively partakes in protests and demonstrations all over), while Elon is only looking to enrich himself.

    • AFK BRB Chocolate
      link
      English
      824 days ago

      It’s not the same at all, but it sounds clever, so the base will suck it up and repeat it.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      444 days ago

      Okay but putting all morals, ethics, character, and opinions aside, looking at it completely objectively… its still completely different because we never put her in government offices and allowed her to make decisions for the entire country

      • @NocturnalMorning
        link
        English
        154 days ago

        Yeah, but have you considered it from this angle? Elon Musk is a white straight extremely wealthy dude. Those are some strong qualifications right there.

    • @meeeeetch
      link
      English
      304 days ago

      She also asked that people do things that she specially could not do due to having no authority to enact policy, whereas Musk is interacting directly with levers of power (whether he has any legitimate/legal authority to do so).

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      64 days ago

      Greta snubbed Trump, Elon didn’t, so it’s obvious why Vance considers the one as evil, the other as a saint.

    • @iAvicenna
      link
      English
      3
      edit-2
      4 days ago

      I mean even the moral aspect of their ideologies aside, one literally just expressed opinions as a form of debate whereas the other is spending hundreds of millions to sway elections.

  • Stern
    link
    English
    664 days ago

    Greta Thunberg, famously in charge of… ?

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    33
    edit-2
    4 days ago

    Funny how we don’t see much of her anymore. Does it has anything to do with the fact that she publicly made the link between Capitalism, colonialism and the climate crisis ?
    I guess we’ll never know !

  • @MuskyMelon
    link
    English
    894 days ago

    Hilarious that a teenage girl once terrified the upper echelons of right-wing politicians.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      11
      edit-2
      4 days ago

      Yeah, how do you compare a 16yo (or however old she is now) girl with no political office to the president of the United States?

      I guess we can hope Trump ends up being as ineffective as she’s unfortunately been (I also noticed she’s been invisible in the mainstream media as soon as she started talking about Palestine. Same with Malala.).

  • Llamatron
    link
    English
    83 days ago

    If I was American I’d be so embarrassed

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    153 days ago

    The Hill’s piece on Musk and Vance’s Euro-tour reads like a corporate carnival masquerading as diplomacy. Tech oligarchs playing statesmen while defense contracts and AI patents get shuffled under the table. Ukraine’s “security” is just a euphemism for profit margins, and energy “innovation” means privatizing public infrastructure until it’s another subscription service.

    Musk’s private sector savior complex hits different when you realize it’s just a hedge against taxes. Vance whining about EU regulations? Classic regulatory capture—can’t let pesky consumer protections interfere with monopolizing the digital commons. Algorithmic colonialism wrapped in venture capital buzzwords. But sure, let’s pretend this is about “progress” and not entrenching power where accountability algorithms can’t reach.

  • @kreskin
    link
    English
    63 days ago

    Interesting how he said elon musk and not donald trump.

  • @oakey66
    link
    English
    634 days ago

    One person with no power vs one person with all the power.

    • @SLVRDRGNOP
      link
      English
      224 days ago

      This is a key difference.

    • Flying Squid
      link
      English
      44 days ago

      I wouldn’t say she has no power. She has the power to constantly upset these assholes.

      Not even close to the same, but I’m glad she has that power.

  • @SarcasticMan
    link
    English
    505 days ago

    “If I can say dumb ass shit don’t worry I will say some even dumber ass shit.” - Assistant to Vice President Trump J.D. Vance.