Elon Musk has caused controversy by repeatedly predicting a civil war in Europe.
What happened: The comments by the Tesla and SpaceX CEO have been ongoing for nearly a year and have been linked to immigration issues, sparking a heated debate among critics and supporters.
According to a report by NBC News, Musk has shared controversial opinions on his social media platform X at least eight times in the past 10 months, with many of his posts suggesting that Europe is on the brink of “civil war” due to a massive influx of refugees from other continents.
Musk's comments attracted widespread attention earlier this month when he said “civil war is inevitable” in response to anti-immigrant street riots across the UK.
The post has been viewed 9.8 million times and sparked a heated exchange with the office of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who dismissed Musk's prediction as baseless.
While Musk's comments are unusual for a corporate executive, the notion of a civil war has become a popular topic of discussion among some far-right activists.
Related article: Tesla's Elon Musk recently pledged a huge donation to Donald Trump, but the former president returned the favor by criticizing EVs at the Republican National Convention.
John Lewis, a research fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, likened Musk's post to a “white supremacist wake-up call.”
“Calls for civil war are a white supremacist alarm bell. A dog whistle,” Lewis told the outlet.
“Rhetorically there is little difference and it is just coded language at this point. Everything but outright incitement,” he added.
“Unfortunately, it's only a matter of time before someone listens,” he said, warning that Musk's words could incite violence in others.
Despite the controversy, Musk has not directly responded to questions about his civil war prediction. His post has received both support and criticism, with some accusing him of fear-mongering.
Why it matters: Musk's influence as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX gives him an unusual amount of influence in his civil war predictions, and his comments have been backed by other celebrities, further fueling the debate.
The controversy surrounding his prediction reflects the divisive nature of the immigration issue in Europe and the potential for social unrest.
But it also raises questions about the role and responsibility of influential figures in shaping public debate.
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