Minister of the Supreme Federal Court Alexandre de Moraes has frozen Starlink's bank accounts in regards to an ongoing complication between X (Twitter) and the state of Brazil.<p>It should be noted these are two entirely different companies. Hard to see this as anything else except Brazil having a "rocket man bad"-moment.
Related from earlier:<p><i>Starlink's financial assets frozen in Brazil</i><p><a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41392962">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41392962</a>
some context: <a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/brazils-most-powerful-judge-is-in-the-spotlight-again/" rel="nofollow">https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/brazils-most-power...</a>
Why the hell does Elon want to meddle in other countries' internal strifes? And why should a foreign country accept influence from another country's business man? Ethics aside, this is about something else.
US should respond symmetrically and freeze accounts of some random(with Durov arrest), EU (threatening letter to Musk) and UK (prison sentences for mildly offensive tweets) are fighting to limit free speech under very similar pretenses that freedom of the press was limited in Nazi Germany or USSR (fighting foreign influence, “misinformation”, protecting kids)
Some societies are robust and can afford free press/free speech while keeping peace major Brazilian company. /s
On a serious note it’s interesting to see how countries around the world from France and internal cohesion. Modern multicultural and multi-ethnic states in EU may have to become way more authoritarian to keep going.
Set aside the details of the case — if money actually translated into power, the richest man in the world wouldn't be struggling to strong-arm an unelected bureaucrat in a country of middling importance.<p>Kind of obvious IMO that money translates into less real-world power than ever before in history. In 1800, this judge would be at the bottom of the Atlantic ocean. In 1950, he'd be deposed in a paid coup. In 2024... the richest man in the world complains about him on Twitter.