Elon Musk, the CEO of the social media platform “X,” recently posted a meme that falsely claimed the United States has military bases in countries like Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan.
The meme suggested that Iran wants war because it is located close to these bases.
However, the graphic was inaccurate and exaggerated the number of U.S. bases in the region. (Trending: Donald Trump Is A ‘Cockroach’ That Just Won’t Go Away)
Oh the Irany … pic.twitter.com/a1x9hFgJ0Y
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2023
While Musk acknowledged his mistake and referred to it as a joke, critics argue that the sentiment behind the meme is not a joke and that Musk should be better informed before sharing such content.
“Oh the Irany…” Musk captioned the image.
Journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh of the BBC responded, “The US does not have military bases in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.” (Trending: Joe Biden Historic Take Down of Guns)
The US does not have military bases in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. pic.twitter.com/hZpurdCq43
— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) October 28, 2023
A community context note was added that pointed out the graphic dramatically exaggerated the number of U.S. bases in the region.
“Even the military bases that do exist in the Middle East are not nearly as many as the post would have you believe. This exaggerated flag-based approach is alarmist. This post is misleading,” the community note stated.
“I love getting Noted – proves that no one is free from being corrected!” Musk wrote.
“This is obviously a joke meme, but there is more than a grain of truth to it. We should aspire to see things from the point of view of others,” he added.
Despite Musk claiming it was a “joke,” he clearly pushed a false narrative about the U.S. as tension rise in the Middle East. This lie only serves to fuel anti-American views espoused by radical jihadists in the region.
I love getting Noted – proves that no one is free from being corrected!
This is obviously a joke meme, but there is more than a grain of truth to it. We should aspire to see things from the point of view of others.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2023
