Elon Musk Dines With Man Jamal Khashoggi Saw Last
Elon Musk, the self-proclaimed free speech champion and 'Chief Twit' (now 'X' owner), recently joined Donald Trump for a dinner with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). The New Arab notes this is their second public appearance since a 'bitter feud.' What they gloss over, as many do, is that MBS is the individual the CIA concluded ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in
2018. The same Musk whose platform purports to uphold journalistic integrity. The same Trump who notoriously dismissed the murder as 'we may never know.' The same old story, really. This isn't about 'feuds' or 'rapprochement'; it's about powerful men, unburdened by inconvenient truths like dismembered journalists or Saudi Arabia's continued bombing campaign in Yemen (which has killed hundreds of
thousands, according to the UN). One might wonder if they discussed expanding 'free speech' to include state-sanctioned disappearances, or perhaps innovating new ways to dispose of critical voices. For the ruling class, principles are merely suggestions, especially when there's an oil deal or a social media investment on the table. (Remember Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund holds significant
stakes in Twitter's — sorry, X's — current valuation.)