The Unholy Trinity: Musk, the Tories, and the Patriarchal Playbook
Elon Musk’s recent foray into British politics, particularly his commentary on the grooming gangs scandal, has sparked a contentious debate. His tweets, riddled with inaccuracies and sensationalism, reveal not only a disregard for truth but also a deeper structural issue: the intersection of billionaire trauma, patriarchal power dynamics, and the opportunistic exploitation of racial and gendered narratives by political actors. This article seeks to critically examine how Musk’s actions, the Tory Party’s response, and the broader societal context reflect a crisis of masculinity, systemic failures, and the enduring legacies of capitalism and patriarchy.
Elon Musk’s engagement with the grooming gangs issue is emblematic of what might be termed “billionaire trauma.” Despite his unparalleled wealth and influence, Musk’s behaviour suggests a profound need for validation and control. His tweets, often riddled with inaccuracies and inflammatory rhetoric, are less about addressing the suffering of victims and more about asserting his dominance in the public sphere. This behaviour aligns with what psychologists describe as a form of narcissistic trauma, where individuals, despite their material success, remain perpetually insecure and seek to compensate through performative acts of power. Musk’s tweets about the grooming gangs scandal — such as his false claims about Gordon Brown’s alleged instructions to police or his misrepresentation of parliamentary votes — reveal a disregard for factual accuracy. Instead, they reflect a desire to shape narratives and position himself as a truth-teller, even as he disseminates lies. This is not merely a case of misinformation; it is a manifestation of billionaire trauma, where the ultra-wealthy, insulated from the consequences of their actions, exploit real-world suffering to maintain their relevance and power.
The British Tory Party’s response to Musk’s interventions underscores the intersection of political opportunism and systemic racism. For years, the Tories ignored the grooming gangs issue, despite extensive evidence of systemic failures in child protection services. However, Musk’s tweets provided an opportunity for the party to weaponise the issue for political gain. By calling for another public inquiry — despite having previously ignored the recommendations of a seven-year, million-pound independent inquiry — the Tories revealed their true motives: not justice for victims, but the exploitation of a sensitive issue to undermine political opponents and reinforce xenophobic narratives. This behaviour is consistent with the Tory Party’s historical reliance on racism and xenophobia as tools of political manipulation. By framing the grooming gangs scandal as a problem specific to South Asian Muslim communities, the Tories divert attention from the broader structural issues — such as inadequate child protection services and institutional racism — that enable such exploitation to occur. This strategy not only reinforces harmful stereotypes but also absolves the state of its responsibility to address systemic failures.
At the heart of the grooming gangs issue lies a crisis of masculinity, deeply intertwined with patriarchal and capitalist structures. The exploitation of vulnerable girls by some South Asian men can be understood through the lens of cultural dislocation, generational gaps, and the alienation caused by racism and Islamophobia. These factors, combined with systemic failures and a lack of accountability, create an environment where some men feel empowered to exploit vulnerable children. However, this crisis of masculinity is not unique to South Asian communities. It is a global phenomenon, rooted in patriarchal structures that privilege male dominance and control. Musk’s own behaviour — his obsession with power, his alignment with far-right figures, and his disregard for facts — reflects a broader crisis of masculinity among powerful men. This crisis is not limited to billionaires or politicians; it is a systemic issue that perpetuates inequality and exploitation. The intersection of patriarchy and capitalism further exacerbates this crisis. Capitalism, with its emphasis on competition and domination, reinforces patriarchal norms by valorising hypermasculine traits such as aggression and control. This dynamic is evident in figures like Andrew Tate, whose misogynistic rhetoric Musk has amplified, and in the Tory Party’s reliance on xenophobic narratives to maintain power. In both cases, the exploitation of vulnerable groups — whether young girls or marginalised communities — serves to reinforce existing power structures.
The grooming gangs discourse has been hijacked by far-right figures like Tommy Robinson, who use it to promote racist and Islamophobic agendas. Musk’s alignment with these figures, as well as his retweets of Andrew Tate and Liz Truss, reveals the intersection of racism and misogyny in contemporary politics. These figures exploit the suffering of vulnerable girls to reinforce harmful stereotypes about South Asian Muslim men while ignoring the broader structural issues that enable child sexual exploitation. An intersectional approach is crucial for understanding and addressing these dynamics. By examining the interplay of race, gender, and class, we can challenge harmful stereotypes without absolving individuals or communities of responsibility. This approach also highlights the need to address the systemic failures — such as inadequate child protection services and institutional racism — that allow exploitation to occur.
