In an Oct. 4 Newsweek op-ed, venture capitalist and co-host of the All-In Podcast, David Sacks, opined that the war between Russia and Ukraine could further escalate due to “cancellation tactics” that prohibit discussions to support negotiations between the two sides.
“Right now, we are locked on an escalatory path, and the destination ahead is Woke War III,” Sacks wrote.
On Monday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose Oct. 3 Twitter post was Sacks’ inspiration for the story, responded on the social media platform to applaud the opinion piece being “exceptionally well-said,” quote-tweeting Sacks’ link to the article.
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The Backstory: Amid the increasing tension in Eastern Europe, five days before the Oct. 8 bombing of the Kerch Bridge, Musk took to Twitter to lay out a four-part proposal for peace between Russia and Ukraine.
In the tweet, Musk suggested the elections that took place in Ukraine’s occupied eastern provinces be redone under the supervision of the United Nations, that Crimea becomes formally recognized as Russian territory and that Ukraine remains neutral between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Musk’s tweet was met with widespread condemnation, by groups Sacks referred to as the byproduct of a “political marriage” between “the woke Left and the neoconservative Right.” Groups that, “routinely demonize and defame their political opponents, impugn the motives of anyone who questions their goals or tactics, and squelch dissent even in their own ranks by declaring the debate on certain topics over,” Sacks wrote.
Sacks believes that those who equate “compromise and restraint” with taking Russian President Vladimir Putin’s side, are at risk of igniting World War III.
“As long as this woke-neocon alliance is allowed to set the terms of the debate, we will continue to see a one-way ratchet toward greater and more dangerous escalation of this conflict,” the podcast host wrote.
Developing Views: The threat of nuclear war escalated on Sept. 21, when Putin, during a televised address, appeared to threaten the use of nuclear bombs to protect Russia’s territory.
The news ramped up discussion on ways to de-escalate the crisis, both on social media and by governments across the globe.
On Friday, Musk took to Twitter to warn that Russia could annihilate Europe and the U.S. in 30 minutes using a nuclear missile “& vice versa,” adding that “a surprising number of people don’t know this.”
Musk’s tweet drew strong reactions from his followers and his fellow blue-check-marked users. Sacks took to the microblogging site Sunday to suggest the U.S. “proposes an armistice based on Feb 23rd lines, along with a guarantee that Ukraine won’t become part of NATO” and that if Ukraine refused, the U.S. should halt supplying the country with weapons.
Bill Ackman, billionaire investor and hedge fund manager, also weighed in on Sacks’ views. Ackman said on Twitter that he shared Sacks’ proposal for de-escalation in March, supporting Ukraine conceding Crimea and agreeing not to join NATO, but that following Putin’s nuclear threats in September, Ackman’s thoughts now differed.
“I believe that nuclear blackmail must never be allowed to succeed,” Ackman wrote. In terms of the U.S. proposing an armistice, however, Ackman said: “David has been questioning how much support the US should provide UKR. That said I find his suggestion below the basis for a potential resolution,” which linked back to Sacks’ Oct. 16 thread.
Photo: Courtesy of Tesla Owners Club Belgium on Flickr
