Cash gk
Elite Member
Today SpaceX makes its debut on public markets carrying a projected valuation of $1.7 trillion, a figure that has captured headlines around the world as the moment humanity’s reach into space moves from the private realm to the domain of global investors. Yet for all the talk of innovation and interplanetary destiny, the launch marks far more than a financial milestone. It represents the next phase of a project rooted in old systems of power, with its grip tightening over communications here on Earth, and a vision of the future that mirrors the colonial patterns of the past.
From its earliest days, the company has been built on foundations shaped by advantage and access. Elon Musk’s background begins in apartheid era South Africa, where his family accumulated wealth from mining and land transactions under a system designed to concentrate resources in the hands of a privileged few. That initial capital opened doors, but to scale into a global enterprise required far greater resources and over time, Musk turned to some of the world’s deepest pools of capital, including sovereign wealth funds and royal investors from the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other Muslim majority nations. These partners provided the low cost, large scale funding needed to develop rockets, build satellite networks, and acquire major platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), offering the financial fuel that turned a start up into a dominant force.
Long before anyone travels to Mars, the company is already establishing control over the infrastructure that connects people across this planet. It operates nearly 9,000 satellites more than the combined fleets of most national space agencies giving its Starlink service the ability to deliver internet access to almost every corner of the globe. But this is only the first step in a broader strategy. The capital raised from today’s listing will be used to buy up local internet service providers and regional broadband networks across the world, moving from a space based provider to owning the full chain of connectivity that reaches homes, businesses and governments. The risks here are already visible. Starlink has not been used only for peaceful access: reports confirm it was deployed to support Israeli proxies during operations inside Iran, enabling covert communications and coordination beyond the reach of local authorities. It has played a similar role in other conflict zones, turning a commercial service into a strategic asset that can be activated or restricted at will. Just as major tech firms such as Apple and Meta hold vast amounts of personal and operational data information that governments already access for security and intelligence purposes placing both satellite systems and local networks under one private umbrella creates a single, unaccountable point of control. Unlike public utilities or regulated carriers, SpaceX operates with little independent oversight, raising fears that access to information, privacy and even the flow of communications during times of tension or war could be dictated by corporate or geopolitical interests. Analysts also warn that the valuation carries significant risk, with similar high profile tech listings seeing share prices drop by 40% or more in their opening weeks as hype meets operational reality.
At the heart of the company’s stated mission is the goal of colonising Mars, framed publicly as a “backup plan” for humanity should disaster strike Earth. Yet the language and structure of that ambition carry echoes of history. The idea of claiming new territory, controlling its resources, and defining who may travel and settle there follows a familiar script. International law currently prohibits national ownership of celestial bodies, but rules governing private rights remain vague and largely untested.
It is against this backdrop that the contradictions at the heart of the enterprise become most visible. Having built his empire in part with support from investors across the Muslim world, Musk has in recent years adopted positions and aligned himself with figures that stand in direct opposition to the values and interests of those communities. On his own platform, he has amplified narratives hostile to Muslim populations, pushed hardline stances on immigration, and given space to voices from the far right, including Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson, who have built their followings on division and exclusion. He has also been among the most prominent public supporters of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, even as international bodies and human rights organisations raise alarms over the scale of suffering and destruction.
This raises one of the most important questions of all if this same power is used to serve narrow interests, enable conflict and bypass accountability on Earth, what kind of rule will it bring to Mars? If justice, equality and respect for people are not the priorities here, there is no reason to expect they will be the priorities in another world. The colonisation of Mars is being sold as humanity’s great leap forward but in reality, it looks more like the extension of the same systems of control, inequality and injustice that have defined our past, carried now beyond the skies.
By Cask Gk
Supported by artificial intelligence.
From its earliest days, the company has been built on foundations shaped by advantage and access. Elon Musk’s background begins in apartheid era South Africa, where his family accumulated wealth from mining and land transactions under a system designed to concentrate resources in the hands of a privileged few. That initial capital opened doors, but to scale into a global enterprise required far greater resources and over time, Musk turned to some of the world’s deepest pools of capital, including sovereign wealth funds and royal investors from the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other Muslim majority nations. These partners provided the low cost, large scale funding needed to develop rockets, build satellite networks, and acquire major platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), offering the financial fuel that turned a start up into a dominant force.
Long before anyone travels to Mars, the company is already establishing control over the infrastructure that connects people across this planet. It operates nearly 9,000 satellites more than the combined fleets of most national space agencies giving its Starlink service the ability to deliver internet access to almost every corner of the globe. But this is only the first step in a broader strategy. The capital raised from today’s listing will be used to buy up local internet service providers and regional broadband networks across the world, moving from a space based provider to owning the full chain of connectivity that reaches homes, businesses and governments. The risks here are already visible. Starlink has not been used only for peaceful access: reports confirm it was deployed to support Israeli proxies during operations inside Iran, enabling covert communications and coordination beyond the reach of local authorities. It has played a similar role in other conflict zones, turning a commercial service into a strategic asset that can be activated or restricted at will. Just as major tech firms such as Apple and Meta hold vast amounts of personal and operational data information that governments already access for security and intelligence purposes placing both satellite systems and local networks under one private umbrella creates a single, unaccountable point of control. Unlike public utilities or regulated carriers, SpaceX operates with little independent oversight, raising fears that access to information, privacy and even the flow of communications during times of tension or war could be dictated by corporate or geopolitical interests. Analysts also warn that the valuation carries significant risk, with similar high profile tech listings seeing share prices drop by 40% or more in their opening weeks as hype meets operational reality.
At the heart of the company’s stated mission is the goal of colonising Mars, framed publicly as a “backup plan” for humanity should disaster strike Earth. Yet the language and structure of that ambition carry echoes of history. The idea of claiming new territory, controlling its resources, and defining who may travel and settle there follows a familiar script. International law currently prohibits national ownership of celestial bodies, but rules governing private rights remain vague and largely untested.
It is against this backdrop that the contradictions at the heart of the enterprise become most visible. Having built his empire in part with support from investors across the Muslim world, Musk has in recent years adopted positions and aligned himself with figures that stand in direct opposition to the values and interests of those communities. On his own platform, he has amplified narratives hostile to Muslim populations, pushed hardline stances on immigration, and given space to voices from the far right, including Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson, who have built their followings on division and exclusion. He has also been among the most prominent public supporters of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, even as international bodies and human rights organisations raise alarms over the scale of suffering and destruction.
This raises one of the most important questions of all if this same power is used to serve narrow interests, enable conflict and bypass accountability on Earth, what kind of rule will it bring to Mars? If justice, equality and respect for people are not the priorities here, there is no reason to expect they will be the priorities in another world. The colonisation of Mars is being sold as humanity’s great leap forward but in reality, it looks more like the extension of the same systems of control, inequality and injustice that have defined our past, carried now beyond the skies.
By Cask Gk
Supported by artificial intelligence.
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