October 13, 2024

"Maybe Musk’s time would be better spent doing concentrating on SpaceX and his other corporate interests instead of engaging in fascist politics and peddling trash through his social media platform at X!"

That's the top-rated comment at "SpaceX successfully catches returning Starship rocket/The uncrewed mission on Sunday was the company’s first successful attempt to 'catch' its Starship rocket as it lowered itself down to the launch pad" (WaPo)('A SpaceX Starship rocket successfully landed upright alongside a massive metal landing tower on Sunday as it was caught by two converging 'chopstick' arms — marking another historic engineering breakthrough for the company’s largest rocket").

Meanwhile, "peddling trash through his social media platform at X," Musks posts this:

And this:

77 comments:

Breezy said...

WooHoo!!! SpaceX rules!!

Oso Negro said...

It's totally OK to own a media outlet if you are a Democrat. If you are not with the party line, not so much. I hope Musk pounds Democrats relentlessly and cleverly for decades to come.

Democratic Paychecks for Perks/ Dems for Demolition of Democracy/ fake-cares 4-U said...

Modern big government Democrats actually fit the definition of Fascist.

Kevin said...

Maybe you should consider whether to take the recommendation of who should be the US President from the girl who plays guitar or the guy who sends rockets into space and catches them when they return.

Democratic Paychecks for Perks/ Dems for Demolition of Democracy/ fake-cares 4-U said...

Wow - achievement. Dems hate that.

tim in vermont said...

He's fighting fascist politics, but it was wisely noted that when fascism comes to America, it will be branded by the fascists "anti-fascism."

The guy who posted that Tweet should maybe look into fascist policies on free speech. Hint: They were against it. The right to bear arms. hint: they were against it. The power of government over the people. Hint: Fascists never saw a government power that they didn't like.

But I guess that believing that it's Musk who is the fascist, and not Joe Biden, is just one more of the six impossible things that a "good American" is supposed to believe before breakfast.

Original Mike said...

""Maybe Musk’s time would be better spent doing concentrating on SpaceX and his other corporate interests instead of engaging in fascist politics and peddling trash through his social media platform at X!". "Maybe Musk’s time would be better spent doing concentrating on SpaceX and his other corporate interests instead of engaging in fascist politics and peddling trash through his social media platform at X!". That's the top-rated comment…"

He can do BOTH, loser. You?

HE DID IT! HE FREAKING DID IT!
This is why he doesn't have the time for some Newsweek article making up a story about Dark MAGA being Neo-Nazis.

Democratic Paychecks for Perks/ Dems for Demolition of Democracy/ fake-cares 4-U said...

The Modern Democrat Party collective behavior, demands, censorship and attitudes fit the definition of Fascism.
*comments disappearing again. *

john mosby said...

Musk can land a rocket on the south lawn of the White House. Just sayin.

JSM

tim in vermont said...

"Sunday as it was caught by two converging 'chopstick' "

When you can catch a fly with chopsticks, Grasshopper.

Kate said...

Wow. That's truly amazing.

Original Mike said...

Set an alarm and watched it live, even though I was dead tired. My wife ran into the room to see if I was ok when they caught the booster. WooHoo!!! I really was skeptical they were going to pull it off, but damn!

There is still a part of America that works. But it is shrinking.

Political Junkie said...

Wow. I am no engineer, but wow.

Phaedrus said...

Hell yeah! I set my alarm to watch it. The son of a bitch pulled it off!! I had tears watching it land and again when Ship nailed its target in the Indian Ocean an hour later. Screw the haters! Musk cares deeply about the US and humanity overall. He may be a bit of a kook, but he’s our kook, damn it!

Another old lawyer said...

Musk becomes a trillionaire no later than the day that SpaceX goes public.

Aggie said...

Musk is a unique and fascinating actor on the world stage right now, but what goes most unremarked, is his ability to lead large multi-disciplinary teams and keep them focused on developing brilliant, practical innovations and putting them into practice, often being successful on the first effort.

And he does this in 3 distinctly different industries, 4 if you count 'X', which I view as his version of the basement playroom. I think the secret of his success is that he's smart enough to understand and provide input on the various technologies that drive his businesses. Compare Musk as a senior executive and CEO, to the counterparts at NASA and Boeing. Musk sleeps in his office when he thinks he needs to.

Aggie said...

First time in history that a Hail Mary pass was caught, using a rocket.

Original Mike said...

Freder will be along in a moment to taunt, 'But he isn't on Mars yet'.

JAORE said...

A lot of journalists should include that (oft used by the left) phrase "without evidence" and apply it to their own words.

Bob Boyd said...

Rocket comes in. Chop sticks grab it.
Everybody, "Wooo Hooo!"
Rocket is hanging up there.
Guy whose job is to wash it walks up with his bucket and rag.
"Neato. Now how do we get it down."

mccullough said...

NYT commenters disappoint again

BUMBLE BEE said...

Ausgezeichnet!

BUMBLE BEE said...

Best innovation they can do is Ebonics.

Dude1394 said...

"Democratic Paychecks for Perks/ Dems for Demolition of Democracy/ fake-cares 4-U said...
Modern big government Democrats actually fit the definition of Fascist."

Absolutely... The democrat party IS A party of fascists. That is true.

How sad that the first thing out of a democrat's mouth is about how to get more political power, 24/7, that is ALL they care about.

What an accomplishement by SpaceX and Elon, just staggering. I'll have to check out the internation news sites, because the democrat media will downplay it, just like they have removed North Carolina from the news feed.

Grandpa Publius said...

The spirit of Equity produces the British National Health Service. The spirit of Freedom produces Space X.
G-Pub

rehajm said...

in high school I worked at this place where we would try to do that with the wall phone..

Dude1394 said...

I was first aware of "mechazilla" about 4 years ago. I thought he must be out of his ever-loving mind. Then he just says hold my beer and does it. Absolutely a stunning achievement. This is why China allows him to run Tesla without chinese investment, he's just that good.

Michael K said...

He seems to be doing very well now. Democrats hate winners.

Dude1394 said...

So for his next act, he will rescue stranded US astronauts from the space station. Wowsers.

Democratic Paychecks for Perks/ Dems for Demolition of Democracy/ fake-cares 4-U said...

Exactly. You cannot get more Fascist than Antifa.

Michael K said...

He likes engineers more than accountants. Boeing most upset.

JaimeRoberto said...

I'm old enough to remember when one of Hillary's campaign slogans was "Stronger Together". You know, like a bundle of sticks. I think there's even a Latin word for that.

Bill Harshaw said...

Undoubtedly a tremendous innovator/entrepreneur. Reminds me of Edison and Ford, particularly the latter with his turn towards the far-right as he dabbled in politics and culture.

n.n said...

It's not new control, vision, or navigation systems, but his team have unified their operation, and produced something uncommonly functional.

Drago said...

What an absolutely horrific day for LLR-democraticals Rich & lonejustice, the ChiComs space program, gadfly, P-Inga, the New Soviet Democraticals, Dumb Lefty Mark, Field Marshall Freder, the russki's space program, mutaman, etc.

Not to worry though New Soviet Democraticals: its still a possibility your Electoral Cheat Machine + deep state corruption + Sovietized courts will install kamala and then you can lawfare Musk out of his businesses , imprison him, carve up his companies to give to your political allies and ensure the democratical's paymasters in Beijing get all the technology they want.

planetgeo said...

This is the America that no other country can compete with. Meritocracy unleashed. That's why the leftists want to destroy it through DEI bullshit and incompetent, platitude-mumbling candidates trying to impose mediocracy through force.

Hassayamper said...

Musk becomes a trillionaire no later than the day that SpaceX goes public.

The other path to a trillion dollars comes once he launches his Google-killer and destroys search-engine censorship and pro-Democrat manipulation. Integrate it with best-in-show crypto that the government scum can't penetrate, and he'll be king of the world. Works for me!

Original Mike said...

It is notable that none of the usual sour-pusses have been by to school us that Musk is a failure.

This is what you can accomplish when you hire the best people and let them freely express their opinion.

Yancey Ward said...

Bich will be along later to claim the rocket burned up after being caught (there was a fire of some sort that was extinguished that I saw on the video.

And, yes, if he ever takes Space X public it will make him a trillionaire. I know I will be buying the stock and I am someone who didn't think Space X would ever successfully do the things they set out to do- what a marvelous thing for guy like me that grew up reading the hard science-fiction of the 1950s-1990s.

Yancey Ward said...

As for Musk's political detractors- this right here is how I think about them and their whining.

Quaestor said...

WaPOO's "top commenter" is too dim to know when he's been trolled.

Leland said...

That’s not just the first catch, but the first attempt to try. It is amazing. If he didn’t own X, I suspect the government would eventually shutdown SpaceX without a chance for Musk to argue for it. Musk was forced to do both to do the one he really wants to do. After all, too many said what SpaceX couldn’t be done and shouldn’t even be tried. I used to work with them at NASA.

Original Mike said...

It is notable that the usual sour-pusses have not been by to school us that Musk is a failure.

This is what you can accomplish when you hire the best people and let them express their opinion freely.

Jersey Fled said...

I’m about engineer. Wow!

Big Mike said...

Maybe the commentators’ time would be better spent enjoying the engineering triumphs of SpaceX instead of bitching that he does not engage in the fascist politics of the Democrats and uncritically swallowing the Democrsts’ trash talking points.

David53 said...

Meritocracy unleashed.

I like it!

The guy is a generational treasure.

Quaestor said...

I watched the launch live this morning. The catch brought tears to my eyes.

Musk and SpaceX have crushed the pretenses of uber-woke NASA that cannot even bring the thoroughly old-school SLS to operational status after 13 years and 32,000 million dollars. (Reforming that diseased agency will be a worthwhile project for Vance. It will be like Christ coming to cleanse the Temple.) And by creating a thing of sublime and resplendent beauty, Musk and SpaceX have also crushed and humiliated thousands of odious frauds and grifters, the soi-disant "artists" who can do nothing more splendiferous than gluing shellacked turds to a sheet of Gatorboard.

Tregonsee said...

The Media-Educational Complex political scale consists of Very Liberal, Liberal, Slightly Liberal, and Right Wing, Bible Thumping, Gun Toting, Brownshirt Wearing, Klansman. A careful examination of those options will reveal a large range of views which are not believed to exist by the M-E C.

Drago said...

Elon's teams and their technology accomplishments exist "outside" of Mussolini's defined "state" control and thus, they will never stop until they destroy him, his achievements, and then assume control of what he has built to enrich their allies.

Drago said...

"For decades I suffered psychological pain because the most powerful flying object ever built was a decade in the past, two, three … half a CENTURY in the past … longer than from the Sopwith Camel to Saturn V, and now finally SpaceX has eased that pain. Thank you."
--David Deutsch, Physicist, Author of The Fabric of Reality and The Beginning of Infinity

Original Mike said...

Come on, lefties. Would it kill you to say, "good work, Elon"?

Mason G said...

"instead of engaging in fascist politics and peddling trash through his social media platform at X!"

Did that comment include a spittle-flying emoji? It would appear Elon is directly over the target.

Quaestor said...

"[There] was a fire of some sort that was extinguished that I saw on the video."

That was a normal and planned for burn-off of methalox retained in the "plumbing" of the Raptor 2 engines. The Raptor 3 won't need to burn off fuel.

Deep State Reformer said...

Well perhaps it would be but another thing for certain in my mind that everybody's time would be better spent reading things besides the New York f****** Times. Outrage porn or confirmation bias take your pick but NYT ain't worth the money or the moments of one's life span to view it.

The rule of Lemnity said...

On a first try. That is incredible.

Mason G said...

What's NASA up to these days? Have they got that "diversity" thing figured out yet?

EdwdLny said...

So , an American entrepreneur and private enterprise doing what government entities have demonstrated they are incapable of doing today. So, of course, the usual ignorant liberal fascist twats self identify. People who don't even rise to the level of mediocrity. So, so true to form. Going forward these same turd creatures will dismiss every advancement and success Musk and SpaceX meet. All whilst being left behind .

“Bad Genes” said...

One of the most incredible feats of science and engineering I have ever seen. Huge congratulations to SpaceX.

For context -- the whole rocket is larger and heavier than the Saturn V rocket used in the original moon landings. The booster that is caught is the length of an American football field or around the size of an Airbus A380. It’s gigantic.

Looking forwards to more of these launching as part of the Artemis moon program in the coming years.

Iman said...

“Replacing Joe Biden with Kamala Harris is like shitting your pants and changing your shirt.”

Lazarus said...

And the rocket looks less like a penis than the other guy's.

So, big win for Elon.

Drago said...

Just who do you think you are kidding?

You have jumped for absolute joy over every little issue you believed could be used to denigrate and belittle what SpaceX, and every Musk company, achieves.

You ARE the kamala of Althouse blog only at this moment you are smart enough to know that if you were to pull your usual schtick you would be laughed out of town.

Ritchie P said...

But, they will vote for Kamala because Taylor Swift says so......right......

Mason G said...

"and then assume control of what he has built to enrich their allies."

"while they loot and destroy it." You left out that part.

JAORE said...

For the foreseeable future Space X is an absolute necessity for the US. Both commercial, military and spook uses can not reasonably be handled by Musk's non-competitive "competitors". Witness Boeing's failure to retrieve their own capsule with astronauts inside. Imagine no Star Link should we really need it in a shooting war (cue Ukraine). And that doesn't even include natural disasters....
Gee, suppose the Harris-Biden administration took 10% of the money for high speed internet and gave it to Musk. Bet there would be thousands upon thousands happily on-line now. Of course there would be hundreds on Federal-state-and local government employees NOT hired. There would be many, many NGO's weeping at what might have been. Not to mention consultants, designers, programmers and corporations turned away from that sweet, sweet Federal money trough.
Bottom line is if the feds did not NEED Musk the attacks on Space X (and all things Musk) would be even worse.

Dave Begley said...

NASA can’t do even 10% of what SpaceX can do. At least that’s my sense. All the innovations are from SpaceX. That’s capitalism, baby!

Drago said...

NASA, the Gold Standard for Althouse lefties and LLR-democraticals, has just about figured out how many pronouns they should have along with new and exciting ways to continue funding Old, Failed, Legacy Space at levels higher than SpaceX as a reward for Legacy Space cost overruns, delays and performance failures.

But, no tweets in support of Trump!

Original Mike said...

Musk will be on Mars before NASA is on the moon.

Original Mike said...

"Bottom line is if the feds did not NEED Musk the attacks on Space X (and all things Musk) would be even worse."

SpaceX is what will keep Musk out of prison.

chuck said...

Modern big government Democrats actually fit the definition of Fascist.

FDR tried to install a Fascist state with the NRA, but was stymied by the Supreme Court, hence the threat of court packing. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? What Fascism and Communism have in common is a privileged bureaucracy, and we have that.

Leland said...

Yeah, but Biden has F-15s. Which raises a philosophical question, did the framers of the 2nd Amendment intend for civilians to own 233ft guided rockets.

Leland said...

I’m an engineer that contracted at NASA and wow.

loudogblog said...

That's rich considering this recent story:

"SpaceX’s plans to launch more rockets from the California coast were rejected by a state commission this week, with some officials citing Elon Musk’s political posts on X and raising concerns about the billionaire’s labor record at his companies.

The plan to increase the number of rocket blasts into space up to 50 a year was rejected by the California Coastal Commission on Thursday despite assurances from Space Force and Air Force officials that they would increase efforts to monitor the effects that rocket launches have on nearby wildlife."

"Among the issues raised were Musk’s decision to insert himself in the presidential race, his spreading of conspiracy theories, the labor record of his companies and derogatory comments he has made about the transgender community.

“We’re dealing with a company, the head of which has aggressively injected himself into the presidential race,” commission Chair Caryl Hart said."

The California Coastal Commission is a group of unelected bureaucrats who rule the California coastline with an iron grip. They have the authority to make whatever rules they want to and local governments and organizations have no say in the issue. "The Commission is composed of twelve voting members, appointed equally (four each) by the Governor, the Senate Rules Committee, and the Speaker of the Assembly." (Who happen to all be Democrats)

The story comes from the L.A. Times, but it's behind a paywall. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-10-11/la-me-spacex-coastal-commission

Bart Hall (Kansas, USA) said...

Maybe all the academics, musical performers, actors, and old-line media should just stick to teaching actual knowledge, singing, producing films people actually wish to watch, and reporting basic news factually and without bias.

The indisputable fact is that what Musk is doing is of immeasurably greater value than all those others combined. Basically the whole sorry lot of them are three-year olds going vroom, Vroom, VROOM on a tricycle.

n.n said...

Deplorable. Yes, massa.

Mason G said...

“We’re dealing with a company, the head of which has aggressively injected himself into the presidential race,” commission Chair Caryl Hart said."

One might ask what this has to do with launching rockets.

Original Mike said...

I worry about Artemis 2 (which will carry 4 astronauts). The capsule has electrical problems which, instead of repairing they are doing a work-around because a full repair would require them to dismantle the capsule, which would take months.

"The Lockheed Martin assembly, test, and launch operations (ATLO) team at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is reinstalling some electronics and implementing workarounds for others affected by an electrical circuit flaw found in digital motor controllers on the spacecraft."

Even so, the launch schedule has slipped to Sept 2025, almost a decade late.

john mosby said...

Original Mike, SpaceX may be what gets Musk out of prison. Drop a missile in the parking lot and tell them the next 6 will land on the guard towers and warden’s house unless Elon walks out the gate in 5 minutes.

JSM