COMMENTARY:
We can live with Elon Musk wasting a fortune on Ken Paxton and other losers as he puts $440 million worth of his thumb on the midterm elections; but can we live with him making military decisions that cut off critical aid to an ally during wartime?
Musk made the decision to slow down the Starlink satellite system that Ukraine has been using to detect and intercept the Russian missiles that have been raining down on its cities.
There has been no official report yet as to how many Ukrainians have died as a result of Musk’s decision, but there will be. Nor has there been an explanation as to why the system was slowed down and how that decision was arrived at. Is it safe to assume that the president was even notified?
The government decided long ago to outsource space exploration to private corporations. And, they have done some amazing work. But I don’t think we fully anticipated the national security consequences.
Starshield is the military-grade version of the Starlink satellite system that Ukraine has been using to defend its cities. Musk has said that its usage is entirely directed and controlled by the military. But, his willingness to misuse his control of the system to tilt the battlefield clearly demonstrates a need for government intervention.
None of us voted for Musk, but we’ve all certainly gotten our fill of him. First there was DOGE, when Musk unleashed financial wizards like Edward Coristine, a young former Neuralink employee better known as "Big Balls." At the start, Musk demonstrated the seriousness by which DOGE would undergo its task by manically waving a chain saw above his head.
When the dust settled, DOGE claimed to have saved hundreds of billions of dollars. In reality, a government report found that it cost the government $21.7 billion. An independent analysis estimated the total cost to taxpayers at $135 billion. And, the IRS has predicted a loss of more than $500 billion in revenue.
Voters can and will hold elected leaders accountable for that mess, but Musk skates away to his next misadventure. Being the world’s richest man means never having to say you’re sorry.
State Sen. Jeff Steinborn is trying to impose some small measure of accountability. He has written to the State Investment Council asking that it end all investments with funds associated with Russia and controlled by Musk.
“New Mexico taxpayers should not be placed in the position of financially supporting companies whose actions may undermine Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russian aggression,” Steinborn said in his letter.
Like the millions he will blow on the midterm elections, anything we do in New Mexico will be pocket change to Musk. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it.
The slowdown of Starlink follows a stoppage of defensive weapons shipments to Ukraine ahead of what is sure to be a cold, brutal winter.
Along with higher tariffs and government investment in private corporations, opposition to Communist Russia is now one more issue where 50 years of Republican orthodoxy has been flipped on its head. And so, we have a Democratic state senator picking up the slack.
Walter Rubel can be reached at waltrubel@gmaill.com
Walt Rubel’s opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of KRWG Public Media or NMSU.