If you were a member of the British Royal Society, wouldn't you want to hobnob with Elon Musk?
Whatever you think about his politics, the man runs a slew of interesting science-related companies, including one that can catch the largest rocket launched in history right out of the air as it comes streaking down to earth.
Elon was elected to the Royal Society in 2018 before anybody cared about his politics. Now that he is associated with Trump he is persona non grata.
NEW @thenatpulse: Scientists Call for Elon Musk's Ban from UK Science Club.
— Raheem. (@RaheemKassam) February 18, 2025
Elon Musk faces expulsion from the Royal......
READ ON:https://t.co/xRLM3OQtHU
No doubt, if anybody suggested expelling any members of the Royal Society who are or ever have been communists, the world world explode in rage, despite communism being responsible for the deaths of over a hundred million people.
There are no enemies on the left and no friends to the right.
Elon Musk faces expulsion from the Royal Society, a prominent British scientific institution, due to his association with and work for U.S. President Donald J. Trump. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, among other companies, has been a Fellow since 2018. However, more than 2,700 scientists have signed an open letter calling for his removal, citing violations of the Society’s code of conduct.Biologist Stephen Curry authored the letter, highlighting concerns about Musk’s shift towards right-wing politics and his behavior online. Musk has been criticized for associating with alleged conspiracy theories, targeting figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci, and labeling British politician Jess Phillips an apologist for Muslim rape gangs. His involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Trump’s administration also drew scrutiny for its alleged impact on scientific research.
The Royal Society has scheduled a meeting on March 3 to discuss the conduct of Fellows and public pronouncements. The Society, founded in 1660, is home to many distinguished scientific figures—though more recently, the organization has become increasingly partisan. Recent resignations include those of Oxford psychologist Dorothy Bishop and Edinburgh biologist Andrew Miller, both protesting Musk’s behavior and the Society’s inaction.
Anthony Fauci, by the way, is also a fellow at the Royal Society. His work only killed tens of millions of people and ruined the lives of many more, so nothing objectionable there.
Robert Conquest's rules of politics fits here:
On 25 June 2003, John Derbyshire wrote in the National Review Online's blog The Corner that "[a]s best I can remember", Conquest conjectured three laws of politics:[50]
- Everyone is conservative about what he knows best.
- Any organization not explicitly right-wing sooner or later becomes left-wing.
- The simplest way to explain the behavior of any bureaucratic organization is to assume that it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies.
Even right-wing organizations drift left over time without renewal. Think "Tories" or the George W Bush/John McCain/Mitt Romney Republican Party.
The Royal Society kicking out Elon Musk will do no harm to Elon. Does anybody think he cares about what those codgers think? And it is guaranteed that if he wants to speak to anyone in the Royal Society they would take his phone call.
He's Elon Freaking Musk. OF COURSE you take his phone call. While you are on the phone, ask for a pass to see a Starship launch!
It's all just virtue signaling, and it is stupid.
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