The facts
Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that Elon Musk will co-lead a government project to study the future of warfare, named Project Meridian. This appointment signifies Musk's return to government service following his previous role leading the 'department of government efficiency,' or Doge. Musk will be joined on the taskforce by Palmer Luckey, CEO of defense tech company Anduril, and former Republican speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. According to a defense department press release, Project Meridian's objective is 'identifying the capabilities required to achieve absolute technological dominance on the next-generation battlefield.' The project is slated to run for 120 days and will conclude with an unclassified public report detailing its recommendations. Hegseth stated in a memo that the US must anticipate future operational environments and develop tools to maintain global dominance, citing rapid advances in artificial intelligence, autonomy, directed energy, robotics, and biotechnology. The defense department indicated the project will explore how the US military can utilize new technologies and conduct warfare in unconventional terrains, including subterranean depths and the moon. Both Musk and Luckey have significant defense department contracts through their respective companies.
Our take
So let's get this straight. The United States Department of Defense, the organization tasked with preventing World War Three, has just outsourced its strategic foresight to a taskforce led by a guy who thinks 'Doge' is a legitimate government department. Elon Musk, the petulant fuck who spends his days posting memes and getting ratioed by teenagers, is now co-leading a government project on the future of warfare. This is the same genius who can't keep his own social media platform from turning into a Nazi bar, but sure, let's put him in charge of figuring out how to fight on the moon. Because nothing says 'technological dominance' like a billionaire who names his kids after math equations. He'll be joined by Palmer Luckey, a defense contractor who literally sells robot border walls, and Newt Gingrich, a historical artifact who probably thinks the 'next-generation battlefield' involves more fax machines. This is the brain trust. This is the trio of motherfuckers we're betting our national security on. They have 120 days to produce an 'unclassified public report,' which means we can all look forward to a PDF full of shitposts, anime references, and a detailed plan to deploy Tesla Cybertrucks to the lunar subsurface. The Defense Department's press release says they need to anticipate 'future operational environments.' Yeah, we can anticipate one: a room full of grown-ass generals having to nod politely while Elon explains how the key to victory is verified checkmarks for all infantry. Musk and Luckey already have their snouts deep in the Pentagon's money trough with their respective companies, so this isn't a taskforce, it's a fucking focus group for their next sales pitch. They're going to 'explore' how to use new tech? They're going to explore how to funnel more taxpayer billions into SpaceX and Anduril. The whole project is a scam, a vanity plate for a bunch of arrogant pricks to LARP as statesmen while they grift the actual military. The report will recommend buying more of their own shit, and some overpaid consultant will bind it with a nice cover. Absolute technological dominance? We're going to get absolutely dominated by these con artists. The only 'unconventional terrain' they're qualified to fight in is the comment section, and even there they're losing.
