logoalt Hacker News

csallenyesterday at 6:02 PM3 repliesview on HN

Elon and Bezos aren't more powerful than Kuwait. Kuwait is a sovereign government, with authority to write laws, raise an army, and do whatever it wants with its 5M+ citizens (draft them, imprison people, execute people, etc.) with pretty much no consequence unless they're absurdly reckless. There is more to power than money.


Replies

ameliaquiningyesterday at 6:05 PM

I think the argument being made is that they don't have any meaningful power over Meta's corporate decision-makers, even if they do have power over some other people.

show 1 reply
stefan_yesterday at 6:17 PM

They also shipped 0 barrels of oil last month, the basis for 90% of gov revenue, 50% of its GDP. Clearly their faux workforce of subsidized "natives" and "indentured servants" is heading for a fulminant blowup, with no one in charge with the faintest clue towards mitigation.

So now there's no power, no money. Hence the attempts at message control. I don't think it's for Meta to soften their fall.

kjkjadksjyesterday at 6:18 PM

Kuwait cannot do any of that unilaterally. They are a vassal state in the american hegemony.

show 3 replies