SuppliedElon Musk, one of the richest men in the world with a net worth of about $320 billion, has supported the United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump’s anti-Canada rhetoric along with fuelling the far-right. In response to the U.S. tariffs, Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford and British Columbia’s (B.C.) David Eby have hit back at the U.S.. In Ontario, Ford has ended SpaceX’s Starlink program. Eby has kicked Tesla out of the electric vehicle (EV) rebate program in B.C..
Already, Musk is losing business as people are boycotting Tesla cars. Even to the point that owners are replacing the logos with different car brands. Along with his support for annexation, he has fuelled far-right rhetoric, mainly on X. Ford and Eby made the right decisions on striking back. Alberta should follow their lead instead of trying to lean towards the U.S.. Multi-billionaires shouldn’t be given undue power or influence. Individuals and governments shouldn’t do business with people who spread false information and support the annexation of Canada.
Despite being a Canadian citizen himself, Musk has supported Trump’s annexation remarks. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that there is no chance Canada would become part of the U.S.. Musk responded with “Girl, you’re not the governor of Canada anymore.” I don’t think that statement sounded as cool as he thought it would.
Like Ontario, Alberta sought the help of Starlink to provide high-speed internet access to the province’s rural communities. But like Ontario, it should consider closing down the program and pursuing Canadian alternatives. It’s obvious that the public opinion of Musk has taken a turn for the worse. People have protested against Musk at Tesla dealerships. Whether it’s EVs or the internet, there are many Canadian alternatives that Alberta can turn to. By making the switch, Alberta can use its economic power to show that Canada takes U.S. intimidation seriously.
It’s also about taking a stand against dangerous rhetoric. Ever since Musk took over Twitter, now called X, far-right content and misinformation have dramatically increased. He has described himself as a free-speech absolutist, but it seems that it only applies when you don’t criticize him or his business interests. Not long after he took over Twitter, he fired many employees, reportedly for criticizing him. He posted false information claiming that illegal immigrants are being brought in to boost votes for the Democrats. Even his own artificial intelligence (AI), Grok, turned its back on him, saying that he is one of the top people for spreading false claims.
And Musk has been gaining power in the U.S. government, too. As the head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), he has been laying off thousands of federal employees to the point that even Trump supporters are turning against him. As Trump is giving Musk a lot of control over government affairs, it looks like a full-fledged oligarchy is underway in America. Whether annexation takes place or not, the influence of the U.S. on Canada is undeniable, thus, we should be taking steps against Musk.
Anti-immigrant sentiment has spread throughout Europe and North America to the point that it’s gotten pretty nasty. In response to anti-immigration and Islamophobic riots in the United Kingdom (U.K.) in August 2024, Musk posted that said that “civil war is inevitable.” This kind of rhetoric is pretty dangerous, as many people have suffered, especially during the anti-immigrant riots in the U.K.. Rioters destroyed shops, specifically targeting those owned by Muslim, Black, and Asian Britons.
If X had tighter controls just like before Musk’s ownership, this kind of harmful content could’ve been minimized. But to him, free speech is only of concern when it goes against his interests. Along with that, he made a Nazi-like salute at a rally just a few months ago. People argued online over whether he actually made the Nazi-salute, but based on some of his comments, I don’t know how much benefit of the doubt can be given.
Whether it’s Musk making cringeworthy statements or supporting the idea of Canada as the 51st state, he is not someone our governments should deal with. Instead, it should show multi-billionaires that they can’t do as they please. As the U.S.-Canada relationship descends into turmoil, Ontario and B.C. have been at the forefront of retaliatory measures to stand up for Canada. Alberta should follow their lead and use its leverage to show how much Canada matters to the U.S. economically. Alberta needs to show that it doesn’t support any of Musk’s rhetoric. These two countries have had friendly relations, and it should stay that way. However, when people like Musk support annexation and far-right misinformation, we must respond to protect our sovereignty and economy.
