Elon Musk says 'yup' to restricting voting rights for people without children

Over the weekend, Elon Musk, the billionaire Tesla co-founder, sparked controversy on Twitter by endorsing the idea of restricting voting rights for individuals without children. Musk's comments came amidst a series of interactions with right-wing figures on the platform. While his concerns about declining birth rates and their potential impact on society are well-known, critics argue that his views verge on eugenicist ideologies. Additionally, his personal lifestyle choices have drawn scrutiny, with his carbon-intensive activities contrasting with his stated concerns for long-term sustainability.

In response to Twitter user @fentasyl's argument that democracy would benefit from limiting suffrage to parents, Elon Musk simply replied, "Yup." This endorsement of the idea of taking away the right to vote from people without children stirred controversy and ignited a discussion about the implications of such a proposition. Some observers argue that linking voting rights to parenthood could potentially disenfranchise certain groups and lead to discrimination.

Elon Musk has long expressed concerns about declining birth rates in the United States and the potential consequences for society. In 2022, Musk, who himself is the father of nine children, tweeted that the collapsing birth rate is the most significant danger civilization faces. He has called for an increase in birth rates, particularly among what he considers "smart" individuals.

Musk's statements on birth rates have occasionally been accompanied by controversial remarks and inaccurate claims. In a comment under an Islamophobic nonprofit's video, where commenters insinuated that single white women were responsible for demographic shifts in France, Musk claimed that "The childless have little stake in the future."

During an interview with former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, Elon Musk expressed his worry that society has not "evolved" to respond to abortions and contraception, incorrectly claiming that they were inventions of the last 50 years. Musk argued that declining birth rates could lead to the collapse of civilization and posed the question of whether it would end with a bang or a whimper. However, it is important to note that the global population has been steadily increasing, albeit with variations in birth rates in different regions.

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