April 14, 2023

This Musk Smells Hateful


This Musk Smells Hateful
USAFA hosts Elon Musk, April 7, 2022. Justin Pacheco, Wikimedia Commons.

Elon Musk recently took to Twitter to respond to comments made by Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia (and ex-president), regarding Ukraine.

On April 8, Medvedev announced at the end of a large thread, "Nobody on this planet needs such a Ukraine. That's why it will disappear." Musk advised his followers to make informed decisions by themselves instead: "All news is to some degree propaganda. Let people decide for themselves."

Many Twitter users expressed their disappointment and disapproval of Musk's stance, with some accusing him of enabling the spread of Russian propaganda and misinformation. Some argued that, by not taking a stronger stance against Russia's actions, Musk was effectively condoning their behavior and contributing to the problem.

Under its new management, Twitter lifted restrictions on accounts affiliated with Russian authorities, allowing them to be recommended once again and to appear in search results. These include the official account of Vladimir Putin, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Russian Embassy in the UK, among others.

When Twitter was still a publicly-traded company, the platform released a statement outlining its intention to combat Russian disinformation: "We will not amplify or recommend government accounts belonging to states that limit access to free information and are engaged in armed interstate conflict - whether Twitter is blocked in that country or not."

However, the Telegraph ran a series of experiments and found that Twitter has since changed its policies. A newly-created account had Russian government tweets appear in its "For You" section, a feature driven by algorithms, despite the new account not following any Russian government accounts.

This isn't the first time Musk utilized his free speech regarding Russia, and it certainly seems like it won't be his last.

You Might Also Like

Injustice
  • July 15, 2022

Injustice

The outcomes of political trials in Russia are mostly preordained, but activists have learned to use them as a way to speak out.
Musk vs. Putin
  • March 18, 2022

Musk vs. Putin

Elon Musk receives backlash after challenging Vladimir Putin on Twitter.
Looking for Elon
  • June 09, 2021

Looking for Elon

“I think he has already been born. I think he is already in school studying or in kindergarten. And of course, he is not alone. A great country will certainly appear.” – On June 5, Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos, on where the Russian Elon Musk is.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

How Russia Got That Way

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955