Former Scottish chief Humza Yousaf has warned in opposition to Elon Musk, describing him as “one of the most dangerous men on the planet” and urging motion to counter his divisive rhetoric.
Musk’s assaults on the British authorities and politicians have ranged from grave accusations of masking up grooming gang crimes to straight-out requires Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s sacking.
His inflammatory feedback, together with anti-migrant and Islamophobic rhetoric, in addition to his open assist for far-right figures within the UK and throughout Europe, have drawn widespread condemnation, fueling debate over overseas affect, free speech, and the function of social media in fashionable politics.
In a publish on the social media platform X on Thursday, Yousaf accused Musk of amplifying dangerous ideologies, spreading disinformation, and utilizing his affect to undermine democracy.
Yousaf’s assertion follows a sample of more and more controversial actions and feedback from Musk, who has confronted criticism for aligning with far-right figures and selling anti-Muslim sentiments.
According to Yousaf, Musk’s conduct displays a worldwide pattern of highly effective people leveraging their platforms to normalize prejudice and create division.
“This isn’t just about one tweet or one individual,” Yousaf wrote. “It’s a couple of sample we’re seeing globally, the place highly effective people with huge platforms are amplifying dangerous rhetoric. They’re normalizing prejudice and spreading disinformation to create division.”
Yousaf particularly highlighted Musk’s assist for figures and actions linked to far-right ideologies, together with Tommy Robinson, Geert Wilders, and Germany’s AfD celebration.
“Worryingly, it’s his far-right sympathies, pushed by anti-Muslim hatred, that appear to be the driving pressure for the world’s wealthiest man,” Yousaf mentioned.
‘Ignoring Musk, the far proper shouldn’t be an choice’
Yousaf additionally drew a chilling historic comparability, suggesting that Musk’s rhetoric mirrors the far-right populism of the Thirties.
“If Elon Musk had been around in the 1930s, his actions and rhetoric suggest he might well have been amplifying the dangerous far-right populism of that time, just as he does today,” he warned. “And in fact, historical past has taught us the catastrophic penalties of permitting hatred in opposition to a neighborhood to go unchecked.”
He additional accused Musk of trying to subvert democracy, citing the American business magnate’s alleged efforts to overthrow U.Ok. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Last summer time, Yousaf warned about Musk’s affect after the billionaire fueled racial intolerance within the U.Ok.
Since then, Musk’s actions have solely strengthened his considerations, Yousaf claimed. “Everything, all the pieces that he has performed since then has solely strengthened that view.”
Yousaf’s name for motion emphasised the necessity to confront Musk and others selling divisive rhetoric. “Ignoring Musk and the far proper shouldn’t be an choice. We have to take them on. And we should confront the divisive rhetoric,” he mentioned.
Source: www.dailysabah.com