“That same POTUS is now back in power and was in China this past week begging President Xi to open up more of the communist nation’s trade to the wealthiest of American tech titans. Including the execrable Elon Musk, who builds more than half of his Tesla vehicles in China. The rest of the accident prone, shoddily assembled vehicles are made in non-union factories, under often dangerous and exploitative conditions, here in the United States. Dude’s a real prince and happens to be the wealthiest man alive, dwarfing his nearest rival, his net worth now approaching a trillion dollars. The ever-awkward ketamine enthusiast looked bored and stoned as he sat for selfies with his Chinese EV competitors at a banquet given for the American delegation in Tiananmen Square’s Great Hall. Visibly huffing and smirking in his half-robot, half-dork-who-thinks-he’s-actually-funny fashion. I will still never forgive SNL for allowing Musk to host, but then I’ve held a grudge since Lorne Michaels platformed Steve Forbes during the 1996 presidential campaign (he subsequently banned Rage Against the Machine for life for protesting the Republican billionaire’s appearance, as they were that episode’s musical guests). I’ve spent too much time in the in the industry and New York City to fool myself about where the allegiance of most of our media institutions lies at the end of the day. NBC begged Mark Burnett for the ‘Apprentice’ and we shot the first finale of ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ on SNL’s stage in Studio 8H. The first place I witnessed Trump abuse Adderall and struggle to read three syllable words such as ‘arbitrage’. At the end of the day TV is a business and money talks. Democracy walks. Musk’s presence in Beijing was clearly meant to signify the co-leadership role he has with President Trump, to whom he delivered the last election; without Elon’s support no future MAGA candidate will even attempt to run. Any talk of a rift between the two men was hopeful at best. He will not easily vacate the position he has purchased at the seat of power. Nor will the other titans in attendance. Trump and his corporate friends were not there to help the people he is charged with leading, but once again to serve his own interests and those who will make him richer.”open.substack.com/pub/noelcasler…
