Politics - Quarantine Thread

[mspohr]

Solid Gold from SMR and the NY Post.

The Supreme Court (and many others) disagree.

US supreme court blocks Texas law targeting social media rules

Measure passed by Republican-led legislature seeks to bar platforms from removing user posts based on ‘viewpoint’

www.theguardian.com

The US supreme court temporarily blocked a Texas law that would bar social media companies from removing user posts based on their “viewpoint”, as lower courts battle over whether it would violate first amendment rights.

In a 5-4 decision, the justices granted a request from two technology industry groups that have argued the Republican-backed measure would turn platforms into “havens of the vilest expression imaginable”.”.

A wide range of civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, the Chamber of Progress, and ADL, had also urged the supreme court to block the law from going into effect. In a statement, the Chamber of Progress CEO, Adam Kovacevich, said the law would “force social media to host racist, hateful, and extremist posts”.

“Anti-content moderation laws are so actively harmful that our nation’s highest court took an emergency appeal to prevent this law from taking effect,” he said.

 

[bkp_duke]

Pretty creative, if that's what they did, but @mspohr is correct in that as a private company, Twitter can moderate anyone in anyway they want (as long as they don't discriminate against a protected class).

The argument has never been that "they can't moderate". The argument among conservatives is that they apply their rules (Twitter's rules) unequally.

 

[mspohr]

The argument has never been that "they can't moderate". The argument among conservatives is that they apply their rules (Twitter's rules) unequally.

Such snowflakes... Let me get my tiny violin.

 

[ZenRockGarden]

The argument has never been that "they can't moderate". The argument among conservatives is that they apply their rules (Twitter's rules) unequally.

The very possible counter-concept is that conservatives had tended to gravitate toward violent-rhetoric and conspiracy-nonsense more than average, thus their personal experiences of getting blocked "more"...

Bringing this back to on-topic:

Elon's stated mission is to get Twitter out of all moderation except (weirdly vague) where it might violate federal law. But that's wildly unrealistic when you get into the details. Moderation has got to happen if you don't want to become a 4chan cesspool of bile, porn, hate and crap. The main impact I could see from Elon-izing Twitter would be that lies and misinformation would become completely acceptable (not against federal law) as would a lot more bile and hate speech (again up to the edge of some actionable federal threat-law line). None of that would make twitter nor the country "better" - it would in all likelihood drive away both mainstream users and advertisers, making it a bad business move for Elon and Twitter.

 

[israndy]

Yeah, and don't call it the Democrat Party, it's the Democratic Party. Of course the repubs are probably sick of us calling them the ShitHead party, so I normally don't bring it up.

 

[DarkandStormy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1011666426715766784

Without getting political, Elon has targeted a certain politician in the last month because she said she's interested in selling her Tesla. Very odd. Wish Elon would just follow his own principles.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1531297810758389760

Again, staying away from politics, but this is at least the 2nd mention of why Elon is switching parties. It basically boils down to he's not getting attention from current admin. Essentially he's admitting he has no principles and just wants attention. It's all very sad and pathetic.

“There are of course companies that don’t require this, but when was the last time they shipped a great new product? It’s been a while,” Musk wrote in the second email sent. He added that it’s important for senior employees to show their presence and said it’s why he “lived in the factory so much” and that, had he not, “Tesla would long ago have gone bankrupt.”

This is notable for a couple reasons.

1) "When was the last time they shipped a great new product?" Tesla's last new product was the Model Y, which they started shipping in early 2020 (I believe) and it shared 70% of its parts with the Model 3. The man seems to have no self awareness.

2) Even if he did "live at the factory" (his private jet logs suggest otherwise) the message that "I alone am the reason we're successful" is the hallmark of bad leadership. Remember "I alone can fix it?" No one achieves greatness on their own. But publicly saying your presence is reason Tesla didn't go bankrupt is a really good way to cause your employees to become bitter. Good leaders acknowledge and recognize the efforts of their employees rather than trying to take all the credit.

Just really dumb tweets and comments recently without a shred of self awareness. Perhaps all the money and fame has gotten to him. He didn't used to be like this, but it's really accelerated in recent months.

 

[jmatero]

I've been able to separate Musk's personal opinions from my love of Tesla for a LONG time. But honestly, each time he opens his mouth lately, it's getting more difficult to do. And it's not because I either agree or disagree with him, but rather, his poor decision quality when it comes to what he chooses to post WHILE CEO. He's entitled to his opinion like the rest of us, but he either lacks an understanding (or simply doesn't care... both are not good) of how he is the face of the company and with each comment, consumers equate him with Tesla. I live in Silicon Valley where every other car is a Tesla and I'm hearing more and more from friends and family "They're amazing cars for sure, but I just can't give that guy my money anymore". Which underscores my point. As stockholders, we want people to look at Teslas and think "that's the most technologically advanced EV on the planet and I aspire to own one" not see one and immediately think to themselves "If I buy this car, will people think I support Elon Musk's personal life choices and his politics." In the old days everyone on the planet aspired to own a Cadillac and had no idea who the General Manager of the division was, let alone his politics, personal life choices, etc. Heck, they already have issues assembling cars properly/consistently in Fremont. Do you think blue collar workers there (Fremont voters are 80% Democrat) are thrilled with Elon's recent comments about Democrats? Talk about insulting your workforce. Again, I'm not trying to make this political... just about what it means to be a responsible CEO of a publicly traded company.

 

[mongo]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1011666426715766784

Without getting political, Elon has targeted a certain politician in the last month because she said she's interested in selling her Tesla. Very odd. Wish Elon would just follow his own principles.

You do realize you posted a 4 year old Tweet while talking about something in the last month?

Again, staying away from politics, but this is at least the 2nd mention of why Elon is switching parties. It basically boils down to he's not getting attention from current admin. Essentially he's admitting he has no principles and just wants attention. It's all very sad and pathetic.

So he should support those who act against him and his companies?

1) "When was the last time they shipped a great new product?" Tesla's last new product was the Model Y, which they started shipping in early 2020 (I believe) and it shared 70% of its parts with the Model 3. The man seems to have no self awareness.

Austin and Berlin Ys are different cars. The factories are a product unto themselves. Semi is going out to test fleets. Cybertruck is in preproduction. Starlink V2 are near production. Starlink vs Rusdian jamming. Starship is nearing first orbital flight. Raptor 2. LVCC has the first public Loop setup. Prufrock. Monkey pong. FSD version is improved again. Solar roof Vx is getting installed. V3 supercharger/ Megacharger. TRIP is absorbing the FSD code. Tesla bot demo in August. Model X and S Plaid. Heat pump.

2) Even if he did "live at the factory" (his private jet logs suggest otherwise) the message that "I alone am the reason we're successful" is the hallmark of bad leadership. Remember "I alone can fix it?" No one achieves greatness on their own. But publicly saying your presence is reason Tesla didn't go bankrupt is a really good way to cause your employees to become bitter. Good leaders acknowledge and recognize the efforts of their employees rather than trying to take all the credit.

Given each of your "quotes" uses different words, I'm not even going to bother.

 

[Cosmacelf]

I can’t help but wonder if the recent anti-Elon sentiment in this thread is because Elon is acting like a right winger rather than a left winger of old. But … I guess that makes sense. If you have a left wing worldview, you aren’t going to like what he’s been saying lately.

 

[JRP3]

I just don't want him to act like an idiot.

 

[jmatero]

I can’t help but wonder if the recent anti-Elon sentiment in this thread is because Elon is acting like a right winger rather than a left winger of old. But … I guess that makes sense. If you have a left wing worldview, you aren’t going to like what he’s been saying lately.

Probably. I mean, to drive a Tesla, you need excellent credit/finances. The majority of sales are in very liberal-minded, forward-thinking, urban areas of the world where fossil fuel is looked down on and high-tech along with the environment are valued. All that said, I think the left has a difficult time reconciling how Tesla vehicles represent everything they value while Musk presents himself as someone aligned with Donald Trump.

Frankly, there are a lot of liberal-minded yet fiscally conservative people in the world. I may be initially triggered by his comments, but confident enough in my believes that I don't take offense and support his right to free expression. Again, my concern is that his behavior risks tainting the brand and buyers looking elsewhere right when the competition is heating up. It's not a stretch to suggest we're approaching the point where potential buyers would be willing to give up Netflix, full self-driving, and Phone Key to drive a Cadillac Lyriq, Mach-e, Polestar, Kia/Hyundai/Genesis etc because they believe Musk hates them and everything they stand for. For a lot of owners/fans it feels almost like a bait and switch. And I don't doubt for one second that Tesla employees at all levels now understand what it was like to work in the White House in the last Administration where they are working their tails off and the guy at the top sabotages everything they do because he lacks impulse control.

 

[prabhu]

It’s not an EU law though.

I’d expect someone who is a blogger at a site that claims that they are “tracking the world of Electric Vehicles” to know that…

UN/ECE regulations are enforceable only under EU law which we copied over after Brexit. Like the US, we can reject any regulation, including 79.

The laws came from Germany (surprise!)

Germany’s New Autonomous driving laws may be copied for the whole EU.

UN-ECE Autonomous driving regulations – The DublinLoop

thedublinloop.ie

Autonomous driving - Cabinet adopts new legilsation

The Federal Government has launched legislation to permit vehicles without drivers in regular operation in predetermined areas.

www.bundesregierung.de

Here is a blog on why these updates are bad for Tesla owners

How UN/ECE r79 castrates Tesla Autopilot

I took my first highway trip with my 2016 AP1 Model S after Tesla had forced me to downgrade the Autopilot functionality from v2019.36.2.1 to v2020.4.1 in order to comply with the regulation UNECEr…

olavdreier.ch

If we let this update through then the next one on ALKS is coming, limiting the speed to just 37mph and limiting the roads to one having a physical separation dividing the traffic. Worse, ALKS must be switched off completely when the driver takes over (currently, you can make subtle adjustments to speed and steering without taking full control back)

New Level 3 regulation for autonomous driving coming in 2021

New regulation for Level 3 is coming from UNECE in 2021, called Automated Lane Keeping Systems. It will allow Type Approval of Level 3-Conditional automation up to 60km in highways.

auto2xtech.com

These regulations would help achieve an equal platform to the VW group, BMW, and Tesla if we cripple and take away the advantages of autopilot. How cool is that for the German automakers!

Perhaps, instead of going after a blogger, write to your MP or sign this petition.

Sign the Petition

Tesla's Full Self Driving in EU and autonomous driving in the European transport

www.change.org

 

[scottf200]

Looks like that whole thing about Florida cooking the COVID books was BS after all.

Like anyone in Ron DeSantis current chain of command is trustworthy. When people tell you who they are believe them.
Can't be related to the to the challenge of US Rep. Matt Gaetz could it ...

Last line of article: "Jones has become politically active since her exit from the health department and is now running in a Democratic primary to challenge US Rep. Matt Gaetz for his Panhandle district."

 

[eevee-fan]

KTRK-TV: Texas power grid: Energy rates double due to dwindling storage levels over last 2 years.

Electric bill seems too high? You're not crazy. Experts say energy rates have doubled

Experts are offering ways to alleviate the financial burden from surging power bills.

abc13.com

 

[bruce4000]

KTRK-TV: Texas power grid: Energy rates double due to dwindling storage levels over last 2 years.

Electric bill seems too high? You're not crazy. Experts say energy rates have doubled

Experts are offering ways to alleviate the financial burden from surging power bills.

abc13.com

If Texas wasn’t so full of themselves, they would connect to the rest of the countries grid and be able to import power as needed. Not to mention, they easily have enough empty space in West Texas to build enough Solar and Wind to power the rest of the US if they were tied to the rest of the grid.

 

[SilverString]

Whatever happens, the good news is that Twitter is being forced to abandon their extreme partisan censorship which had little to do with moderation, and everything to do with political ideology. The folks enforcing policy decisions were obviously confused between the meaning of content moderation and censorship - or maybe they were not confused and just political activists disguising their motives... either way it is getting fixed. Not perfect or even great yet, but definitely improving. I think Elon hit the nail on the head here regardless of the final sale price.

 

[mspohr]

Elon's Twitter persona is the 1st one above. He was being very practical and profit / revenue oriented, like the second one above, to become the richest person in the world.

So, does Elon come out on the side of free speech to promote right wing conspiracies and beef up the bottom line?

Group aiming to defund disinformation tries to drain Fox News of online advertising

A group of activists who have taken on some of the biggest right-wing personalities online have now launched a campaign to try to defund Fox News' online operation.

www.npr.org

Exchanges also tend to have content guidelines. Google, which operates the largest ad exchange, has rules that state it does not place ads on sites that make claims that are "demonstrably false," or could "undermine participation or trust in an electoral or democratic process."

 

[eevee-fan]

WFAA.com: With Texas electric rates soaring, some homeowners consider making their own electricity.

With Texas electric rates soaring, some homeowners consider making their own electricity

There are costs and incentives to consider if you are thinking of going solar.

www.wfaa.com

Literally pull yourself up on your bootstrap.

 

[eevee-fan]

LOL

 

[Laddcruzer]

Then you and your brother should be very aware market vary prices widely on top of labor and product thanks to Brandon and your democrats .

No politics please.