Elon Musk secretly ordered his engineers to turn off his company’s Starlink satellite communications network near the Crimean coast last year to disrupt a Ukrainian sneak attack on the Russian naval fleet, according to an excerpt adapted from Walter Isaacson’s new biography of the eccentric billionaire titled “Elon Musk."
Musk’s concerns over a “mini-Pearl Harbor" as he put it, did not come to pass in Crimea. But the episode reveals the unique position Musk found himself in as the war in Ukraine unfolded. Whether intended or not, he had become a power broker US officials couldn’t ignore.
In Isaacson’s book, Musk complained about Starlink’s involvement in the conflict. “Starlink was not meant to be involved in wars. It was so people can watch Netflix and chill and get online for school and do good peaceful things, not drone strikes," Musk reportedly said.
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Not a fan of the guy, but I can see where he's coming from. He created something not to be used the way it is now being used.
Musk, Ukraine and Russia
posted on 8/9/23
A British man who went to fight for the International Legion in Ukraine was found dead in a body of water with his hands bound behind his back.
Jordan Chadwick, 31, from Burnley in Lancashire, served as a Scots guard in the British Army from 2011 to 2015.
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The Russian's are not a pleasant enemy.
posted on 9/9/23
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 6 hours, 35 minutes ago
A British man who went to fight for the International Legion in Ukraine was found dead in a body of water with his hands bound behind his back.
Jordan Chadwick, 31, from Burnley in Lancashire, served as a Scots guard in the British Army from 2011 to 2015.
--------------------------------------------------
The Russian's are not a pleasant enemy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nor are the Australians, the Americans or the Brits.
Read the Brereton Report to see what out Aussie friends where up to in Afghanistan.
posted on 9/9/23
comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 12 hours, 46 minutes ago
The thing is - appeasement is a lesson that we have learned, sure. But what is the alternative? We won’t step in against Russia as it keeps energy prices high which benefits the US and the ME.
Long-term, however, with production of pig iron & pot ash being seriously affected the rest of us will suffer.
Something will have to give and I’ll bet that it will be Ukraine, not fully but part concession with ‘strict’ restrictions on Russia’s endeavours for further expansion.
We will then likely revisit the same scenario 20 years from now.
Sounds pointless but a full-scale intervention just won’t happen. Russia is protecting its borders and vulnerability in a very old-school fashion.
It may be a small economy relatively speaking but don’t kid yourselves, it can cripple the rest of us. Mid-term, the effects of our sanctions will kick in and it will compress them into submission of a compromise and Ukraine will be told what to do.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Russia were not protecting its borders, they were attacking the borders of others. They've been using this ploy for decades already. Invade, scale back but before doing so, move their people into the regions which border Russia, then claim they're protecting their citizens. They just weren't predicting Ukraine would fight back and here we are.
posted on 9/9/23
comment by CurrentlyInPoland (U11181)
posted 3 hours, 27 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 6 hours, 35 minutes ago
A British man who went to fight for the International Legion in Ukraine was found dead in a body of water with his hands bound behind his back.
Jordan Chadwick, 31, from Burnley in Lancashire, served as a Scots guard in the British Army from 2011 to 2015.
--------------------------------------------------
The Russian's are not a pleasant enemy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nor are the Australians, the Americans or the Brits.
Read the Brereton Report to see what out Aussie friends where up to in Afghanistan.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ah, so two wrongs make a right now.
posted on 9/9/23
comment by CurrentlyInPoland (U11181)
posted 4 hours, 10 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 6 hours, 35 minutes ago
A British man who went to fight for the International Legion in Ukraine was found dead in a body of water with his hands bound behind his back.
Jordan Chadwick, 31, from Burnley in Lancashire, served as a Scots guard in the British Army from 2011 to 2015.
--------------------------------------------------
The Russian's are not a pleasant enemy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nor are the Australians, the Americans or the Brits.
Read the Brereton Report to see what out Aussie friends where up to in Afghanistan.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The difference is there’s a report. Someone will be held accountable. I doubt any such report will be produced by the Russians. It’s probably encouraged to be as savage as possible.
posted on 9/9/23
comment by Am-Robb-at (U22716)
posted 1 hour, 25 minutes ago
comment by CurrentlyInPoland (U11181)
posted 4 hours, 10 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 6 hours, 35 minutes ago
A British man who went to fight for the International Legion in Ukraine was found dead in a body of water with his hands bound behind his back.
Jordan Chadwick, 31, from Burnley in Lancashire, served as a Scots guard in the British Army from 2011 to 2015.
--------------------------------------------------
The Russian's are not a pleasant enemy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nor are the Australians, the Americans or the Brits.
Read the Brereton Report to see what out Aussie friends where up to in Afghanistan.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The difference is there’s a report. Someone will be held accountable. I doubt any such report will be produced by the Russians. It’s probably encouraged to be as savage as possible.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The fact there's a report doesn't make any difference to the victims and doesn't mean someone, or the person actually culpable will be held to account.
Who was held to account for atrocities in the middle east, for example? Some random soldiers or no one at all. The atrocities continue and we just keep getting reports.
And btw where are the WMDs in Iraq and why are warlords Bush and Blair not charged with war crimes. It doesn't matter that there's a report.
posted on 9/9/23
comment by There'sOne7-0Reds (U1721)
posted 2 hours, 32 minutes ago
comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 12 hours, 46 minutes ago
The thing is - appeasement is a lesson that we have learned, sure. But what is the alternative? We won’t step in against Russia as it keeps energy prices high which benefits the US and the ME.
Long-term, however, with production of pig iron & pot ash being seriously affected the rest of us will suffer.
Something will have to give and I’ll bet that it will be Ukraine, not fully but part concession with ‘strict’ restrictions on Russia’s endeavours for further expansion.
We will then likely revisit the same scenario 20 years from now.
Sounds pointless but a full-scale intervention just won’t happen. Russia is protecting its borders and vulnerability in a very old-school fashion.
It may be a small economy relatively speaking but don’t kid yourselves, it can cripple the rest of us. Mid-term, the effects of our sanctions will kick in and it will compress them into submission of a compromise and Ukraine will be told what to do.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Russia were not protecting its borders, they were attacking the borders of others. They've been using this ploy for decades already. Invade, scale back but before doing so, move their people into the regions which border Russia, then claim they're protecting their citizens. They just weren't predicting Ukraine would fight back and here we are.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I should have put protecting its borders in inverted commas to make it clearer for you.
posted on 9/9/23
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 5 hours, 58 minutes ago
comment by CurrentlyInPoland (U11181)
posted 3 hours, 27 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 6 hours, 35 minutes ago
A British man who went to fight for the International Legion in Ukraine was found dead in a body of water with his hands bound behind his back.
Jordan Chadwick, 31, from Burnley in Lancashire, served as a Scots guard in the British Army from 2011 to 2015.
--------------------------------------------------
The Russian's are not a pleasant enemy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nor are the Australians, the Americans or the Brits.
Read the Brereton Report to see what out Aussie friends where up to in Afghanistan.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ah, so two wrongs make a right now.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Never said one made the other right. War isn't pleasant. We are not pleasant in war or occupation either. It's not just a Russian thing.
posted on 9/9/23
comment by Am-Robb-at (U22716)
posted 5 hours, 17 minutes ago
comment by CurrentlyInPoland (U11181)
posted 4 hours, 10 minutes ago
comment by Boris 'Inky’ Gibson (U5901)
posted 6 hours, 35 minutes ago
A British man who went to fight for the International Legion in Ukraine was found dead in a body of water with his hands bound behind his back.
Jordan Chadwick, 31, from Burnley in Lancashire, served as a Scots guard in the British Army from 2011 to 2015.
--------------------------------------------------
The Russian's are not a pleasant enemy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nor are the Australians, the Americans or the Brits.
Read the Brereton Report to see what out Aussie friends where up to in Afghanistan.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The difference is there’s a report. Someone will be held accountable. I doubt any such report will be produced by the Russians. It’s probably encouraged to be as savage as possible.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hopefully the people responsible and not just the small guy(s) as the fall guy(s).
posted on 12/9/23
Russian General Admits Ukraine Just a 'Stepping Stone' to Invade Europe.
https://www.newsweek.com/russian-general-admits-ukraine-just-stepping-stone-invade-europe-1825776?