Comment by disposition2
2 days ago
> The threat of litigation — and Musk’s advisory role to Trump — has been a topic of conversation among some advertisers as they decide whether to return, according to several ad industry sources. While few believe X’s product or ad offerings have improved in the past year, marketers are weighing the possible downside of ignoring X and what that might mean in terms of retaliation from Musk.
What crazy times we live in. I’m not even sure the proper term one would use to describe a situation like this.?
> I’m not even sure the proper term one would use to describe a situation like this.?
'Mafia state' is the term traditionally used to describe a similar situation in post-Soviet Russia.
Commissioning CEOs to cabinet positions temporarily or even to serve as colonels in the military (if they are good at logistics, for example) has been a pretty common practice, and always not without some conflicts of interest. But for that person to still retain their CEO position is pretty unprecedented.
Maybe the closest example would be something like JP Morgan, who was regularly relied upon by the government as an advisor on economic matters before the US Federal Reserve was a thing.
See neo-feudalism, mafia state, illiberalism, tyranny, and obeying in advance.
What you're describing is the inevitable cost of corruption. It's not merely economic cost, it's the loss of freedom. In this case, freedom of association.