Michael D Higgins hits out at 'dangerous narcissism' of Elon Musk buying Twitter

Thu, 05 May, 2022 - 15:31

Pádraig Hoare

Elon Musk’s proposed takeover of Twitter has been described as “manifestation of an incredible and dangerous narcissism” by President Michael D Higgins.

In a lengthy and wide-ranging speech to the inaugural conference of Dublin City University (DCU) Centre for Climate and Society, President Higgins targeted individualism trumping societal fairness and cooperation, as well as unbridled economic growth and consumption that has come at the expense of others in the world.

Despite not naming the world’s richest man, the thinly-veiled language used by Mr Higgins left those in attendance in no doubt he was talking about Elon Musk.

“Is it a great success that a multi-billionaire would be now deciding what is appropriate for people to exchange by way of discourse? I think it can hardly be described as anything other than a manifestation of an incredible and dangerous narcissism,” he said.

He blasted Russia’s “devastation and destruction of lives and hope and communities by actions that are entirely illegal and in breach of every principle of international law” in relation to Ukraine.

President Michael D Higgins: 'Is it a great success that a multi-billionaire would be now deciding what is appropriate for people to exchange by way of discourse?' File picture: Maxwells

However, he criticised what he perceived as a lack of equal concern for people in other war-torn parts of the world, such as Somalia.

“The incredible disaster being imposed on the people of Ukraine is in a way now, in getting coverage, is distracting us. At the same time as I’m looking at the horror [in Ukraine], I’m looking at what is happening in relation to Somalia... people dragging their dead animals across the depleted soil,” he said.

Climate change

Speaking about climate change, he said the lack of action of today could be regarded as “criminal damage” by future generations.

Free market capitalism also came under fire from President Higgins, who praised the role of the State in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Just think of where we were before Covid? There was a significant argument that people — who have now ran to the bushes — more or less said that the role of the State must be kept minimal, that the market has the capacity to handle all of our problems, getting the state out of the way.

“And yet in every significant area, it was the State that managed, that responded, to the Covid crisis. As I look across the legislation of different countries, the State’s leadership is crucial...it is a direct contradiction of the market theory [proponents] who are simply saying the State is costly and too large and so forth."

The same critics of State intervention and programmes will criticise the societal transformation needed to tackle inequality and climate change, he claimed.

“It’s a discourse that hasn’t entirely died. Some of its extremists have gone to the bushes, as I have said. But they will emerge again, and they will be putting a cost on things that might be there if we are engaged in a transformation."

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