Tech mogul Elon Musk recently reposted (with a “🤔” emoji) a message by Stefan Molyneux that declared “there is no such thing as ‘colonization’” and argued that “the English did not rule India.” Molyneux’s reasoning: “If Indians set foot in England and become English … then the English in India became Indian therefore British rule was an illusion.”

The post quickly drew vitriolic responses, with critics accusing Musk of amplifying a historically ahistorical narrative and aiding one of whitewashing colonial atrocities. Commentators warned that denying colonial rule erases the lived suffering, economic extraction, and cultural damage endured under nearly two centuries of British domination.

Some noted that Musk’s indirect engagement (via emoji) didn’t absolve him of responsibility sharing a false narrative gave it visibility. Others pointed out how such dismissals echo broader trends of historical revisionism and racism.