That salute. Beating his chest and throwing his arm to the sky. Twice.
The world’s richest man outing himself as the global king of controversy. There have been remarkable achievements in his lifetime, sure. Yet that’s tarnished now. Trashed. Revealed to be driven by a megalomanic urge to get to the highest positions of power and jest on them.
He epitomizes the tech bro riches to riches story. From a wealthy family in South Africa, to a position of unassailable power and influence in American politics, this is someone who chose to perform a symbol of hate to celebrate his latest victory. By the way, there’s no such thing as a ‘Roman Salute’. They had a lot of hand movements for things, but that act was not one of them.
It was a fascist symbol
I have seen the discussion. I have seen the right-wing rags defending the gesture. As one creator on TikTok put it, this is simply moving the Overton Window. In other words, helping justify what’s acceptable. By making once unthinkable gestures and ideas ok Musk emboldens extremists and shifts societal norms. This is how authoritarianism gains ground. Normalizing the creep of awful values into our society. The far-right owners of the majority of the UK media ecosystem must be rubbing their hands with glee.
As what you might call an occasional commentator on UK society, I wish to express concern. As well as dismay and disappointment. Where are all the Elon Musk Hospital Wings? The Elon Musk University Campus’s? The Elon Musk Libraries? Not every uber rich middle-aged man has to become a full-time philanthropist. I get that. But to get there and solely use your vast fortune in the pursuit of more power and more fortune. Where does it end?
One might say he’s just a natural force for disruption. That he always changes the game. Yet I can’t help thinking the Muskmonster isn’t content with disrupting daily life for Americans. He desires to distort and upend the political systems in Europe too. A man who has literally no concern for the millions of lives he is destabilizing.
Getting involved across the Atlantic
His tinkering is too vast to list here. Off the top of my head, he wishes to fund the wrong-uns in the Reform Party to the tune of hundreds of millions. This is dangerous. It will solidify the foundations of negative politics in this country. If the state we were in wasn’t bad enough.
Rocket Man also wants to pay Tommy Robinson’s legal fees. I’ve a better idea. Why not use all the money to house homeless people in the UK instead? Set up rehab clinics etc. And these are just a couple of the things that we know about. My assumption would be that what’s public knowledge is the tip of the iceberg of Musk’s meddling.
I also wish to express solidarity with the millions of Americans who tried to vote for an alternative. If now is not quite the right time to overtly rage against the machine, it is time to think deeply about how we might deal with the challenges that lie ahead.
The People’s Song
It is all too easy to feel powerless. When a supposedly democratic superpower teeters on the brink of authoritarianism, the scale of the challenge feels overwhelming. Yet history teaches us that even in the darkest moments, resilience and tenacity can win out.
Admittedly in my initial response to this moment, I’ve spent a lot of time on TikTok. Itself a platform with dubious control transparency. However, I enjoy the rabbit holes it has taken me down. Whilst going down the ‘now what?’ rabbit hole, I came across a clip to the track of Do You Hear The People Sing from my favourite musical, Les Miserablés. The musical, and the novel by Victor Hugo, captures the power of collective action and the human spirit. It isn’t a traditional hero’s journey story, although there are a few heroes in the mix. Instead it’s a story of collective action, unity, and ultimately resistance.
I am clearly not Jean Valjean here, single-handedly battling for redemption. Yet I draw courage and energy from the story. I am one of the people. Indeed, we are the people making up the background to that fantastic character arc. We are the people singing in the pubs, marching in the streets, building the barricades, fighting for a better world. And that’s where our power lies. In solidarity, in community, in refusing to be silenced. The tech bros own the platforms. Mostly bad. The right-wing owns most of the UK media. Pretty bad. But we have free will. And there are things we can do.
Building Our Own Barricades
- Strengthen Local Communities
- Real change begins at the grassroots. Join or start community groups that focus on shared goals: protecting local democracy, supporting marginalized voices, or fostering civic engagement.
- Volunteering if you have time, donating to or working at food banks, starting any type of beneficial collective. These small actions create the foundation for larger movements.
- Get used to putting your own voice out there.
- Support Independent Media
- One of the most effective ways to counteract the normalization of extremism is to ensure access to truthful, unbiased information. Subscribe to and amplify independent media voices that challenge corporate or far-right narratives.
- I particularly like the Byline Times for their wide ranging topics. Also big shout out to Aaron Parnas for his coverage of US politics.
- Educate and Empower
- Talk to friends, family, and colleagues about the importance of critical thinking and media literacy. Share resources to help others identify disinformation and resist fear-based rhetoric.
- Ensure your information diet is healthy (a whole topic for another day). Resist the urge to doomscroll and/or resort to Clicktivism.
- Participate in Democratic Processes
- Don’t underestimate the power of voting, even when the odds seem stacked. Local elections or any chance to exercise your right to vote. Be involved.
- Do your research as much as you can on the issues you care about. Support candidates and policies that promote equality, transparency, and accountability.
- Foster a Culture of Solidarity
- Remember to look after your own mental health. Challenge negativity and doomism. Create spaces where people feel supported and heard.
- Practice art, storytelling, or simple acts of kindness. These connections help us resist the isolation that authoritarian movements thrive on.
Do You Hear the People Sing?
It’s a rallying cry. A powerful reminder that the people have a voice and when united they are a force to be reckoned with. It is so easy to feel as if individual efforts are futile in the face of billionaires and political machines. But collective action has always been the true driver of change.
I’ll leave you with the notion of a creator from TikTok who outlined that the idea of “oh I just want to get out of this country cos it’s crap” (of which I’ve seen plenty videos to do with UK) is an idea of privilege. As a black creator, she referenced the black people in the US who across history did not have the means to leave and so fought passionately for their rights. Personally, now I feel I have far more in common with people who needed to fight for their rights throughout time than I have ever before.
It is said history is written by the victors… but, it’s fought for by the people. And right now, the fight is ours to take up. We won’t be doing it with swords or salutes. Instead, this movement will be about the grassroots and the offline. It will be about connection, compassion, and the unshakable belief that we deserve better.