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Red Bull CEO outlines pro-Trump, anti-refugee beliefs in interview

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He never says he supports Trump outright. He comes across more as a grumpy old man than Trump supporter. He complains a little about political correctness (mostly about how he thinks that current politics is too occupied with it), he says Trump doesn't intend to actually build a wall to Mexico (we'll see about that..) and he is critical of the Russia sanctions and what he sees as demonizing Russia. Weird interview overall. The most damning part for me is how he talks about refugees.
 

Wimps

Member
Wow terrible headline from Resident Advisor. They're desperate for clicks.

Please read the article, it's not that bad as they portray it.
 

Cyanity

Banned
He never says he supports Trump outright. He comes across more as a grumpy old man than Trump supporter. He complains a little about political correctness (mostly about how he thinks that current politics is too occupied with it), he says Trump doesn't intend to actually build a wall to Mexico (we'll see about that..) and he is critical of the Russia sanctions and what he sees as demonizing Russia. Weird interview overall. The most damning part for me is how he talks about refugees.

> Grumpy old man
> complaining about political correctness
> doesn't care about refugees

He's a Trump supporter.
 

Deft Beck

Member
Time to boycott another product, I guess.

Not really, though. If you boycotted every product/service provider with skeevy political ties then you'd probably stop buying the majority of mass consumer goods and services.
 

Bold One

Member
Red Bull gives you (right) wings.

mjlol.png
 
What does he say about refugees? Seems people are quick to translate the trump part and leave it there and cry foul on the article.
 
Red Bull has an official magazine called The Red Bulletin. The previous tenant at apartment got it, so we still get them in the mail. For a while, I thought it was a magazine for communists who were really into niche extreme sports.
 

xrnzaaas

Member
Yep, put "pro-Trump" in the title (despite no clear statement on his part) to easier turn people against him and to turn the attention away from his view on the refugees problem. I'm actually proud of him that he's not afraid to share his opinion on the policies on refugees. But yeah, he's not an ordinary citizen that would be defenseless after accused of being an intolerant racist. ;)
 

Aiii

So not worth it
What does he say about refugees? Seems people are quick to translate the trump part and leave it there and cry foul on the article.

He says that there were a lot of non-Geneva Convention refugees (so-called Economic Refugees rather than Refugees of War) and the political parties in Austria and Europe were naive in thinking otherwise and should have closed the borders and enforced a more strict admittance of refugees.

It's not entirely invalid criticism to have, either, the EU handled the immigration very poorly, to say the least.
 

Liha

Banned
What does he say about refugees? Seems people are quick to translate the trump part and leave it there and cry foul on the article.

He says that it was a mistake to open the borders in 2015 and that the responsible politicians were just too afraid and political opportunists and made therefore a wrong decision. He also says hat the vast majority of these people were no real refugees but economic migrants.
 
He's against an invasion of illegal immigrants, a valid concern in his country (Austria).

A valid concern for people who ignore facts and statistics, but hey, the fear of invasion these days is about as much reality, as reality itself.

We're past caring for facts, just whip up fear and concern, and that's what counts.
 
Oh, the CEO of a company has views that don't align with mine? That's nice, he's allowed to have them and I am allowed to continue to enjoy their product because the views of the CEO doesn't change the product.

People boycotting (or at the very least, crying about) a company just because the CEO isn't 100% on their side politically will always confuse the hell out of me.
 

Violet_0

Banned
well, Stronach abandoned his party and went back to Canada so I guess a spot opened up for another mutli-billionaire turned politican to try his luck. Also, lol I didn't know Baumgartner is a right-winger too. Austria is such a weird country, politically
 
He's against an invasion of illegal immigrants, a valid concern in his country (Austria).

Could you elaborate how or why an "invasion" is a valid concern?


He also says hat the vast majority of these people were no real refugees but economic migrants.

Even if some people are economoc immigrants, if it allows people like this one guy I know, who got chained to a radiator and treated like an animal, to enter the country and find safety, it's worth it in my opinion.


Also, lol I didn't know Baumgartner is a right-winger too. Austria is such a weird country, politically
Read up on him, guy is amazingly terrible with his political views.
GOAT quote remains him saying we'd need some form of "moderate dictatorship". Phew.
 
Oh, the CEO of a company has views that don't align with mine? That's nice, he's allowed to have them and I am allowed to continue to enjoy their product because the views of the CEO doesn't change the product.

People boycotting (or at the very least, crying about) a company just because the CEO isn't 100% on their side politically will always confuse the hell out of me.
People criticizing others for their choice not to support a product for any reason they see fit will continue to confuse the hell out of me. No one is entitled to my money.
 
He says that it was a mistake to open the borders in 2015 and that the responsible politicians were just too afraid and political opportunists and made therefore a wrong decision. He also says hat the vast majority of these people were no real refugees but economic migrants.

What makes Austria a special case?
 

BeforeU

Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.
Only had red bull once or twice in my entire life. Wont be too hard to boycott
 

Liha

Banned
A valid concern for people who ignore facts and statistics, but hey, the fear of invasion these days is about as much reality, as reality itself.

We're past caring for facts, just whip up fear and concern, and that's what counts.

How much do you know about Austria? We are getting approximately 20.000 illegal immigrants with negative asylum decisions every single year and it's almost impossible to deport them. We are just a small country with a small population. We have to waste resources for people who shouldn't be here in the first place. We can discuss about the word "invasion", but illegal immigration is a serious topic here in Austria.
 

Violet_0

Banned
Read up on him, guy is amazingly terrible with his political views.
GOAT quote remains him saying we'd need some form of "moderate dictatorship". Phew.
yeah, I suppose I missed it when this made the news. Felix Baumgartner is definitely one of the first people I'd listen to on any political issue
True. But what else can a guy do when you have to wake up at 7am for work while also working on your Master's Thesis and regular coffee won't do shit anymore? .-.
you do realize that energy drinks are just caffeine and sugar and "taurine", which doesn't do anything
 

RPGCrazied

Member
> Grumpy old man
> complaining about political correctness
> doesn't care about refugees

He's a Trump supporter.

Right. isn't that like the textbook definition of a Trump supporter? I'm sick of hearing about these ultra rich old white men coming out for Trump thinking he will get rid of the brown people and cut their taxes.
 

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
It's somehow amusing how a lot of these rich white guys are "moderately" fascists, but the anti-establishment people are rather fighting against the centrists or even left side of the political spectrum.
 

Guevara

Member
Sucks that the only lens we have any more is: TRUMP SUPPORTER? or NOT TRUMP SUPPORTER?

Although it does save a lot of time.
 

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
Has Red Bull spent even 1 Euro in helping refugees? I know other Austrian companies got involved in that. Because if Red Bull didn't that whole comment about hosting refugees in your own house is a new level of dickish.
 
No, that's not nice.

That's fucking stupid.

I fucking hate Trump, but shit like this is poisoning the well and intellectually bankrupt.



I bitch about political correctness and the lefts constant overreactions about mundane cultural issues.

Am I a Trump supporter?

Do you agree with Trumps refugee stances?
 
Nowhere in the original article does he "voice his support" for Trump. What he does say is that he doesn't think he's "as much of an idiot" as he is portrayed as. The interviewer then proceeds to ask if Trump is a positive change to the administration and Mateschitz openly ponders the question, but says the initial hysteria about Trump's election was a bit much. He says that the bad thing about democracy is, is that the majority is not always right, the good thing is that it's very easy to course correct a "wrong" election. But they should at least give Trump some time.

Then the interviewer asks him, on what points would you follow Trump? To which Mateschitz answers that he doubts Trump ever realistically thought he could build a wall on the Mexican border, but that some things are unjust criticism just because it's coming from Trump. As an example he cites improving relations with Russia, because it makes no economical sense to boycott Russia and ruin that country, especially since Russia is a part of Europe and important to them. He says that the "political correct" (later further defined as the "intellectual elite") will say Russia is a "State of evil bad guys, and we are the good ones and everyone who says otherwise lies." He states this is terrible for the freedom of speech, because these people only value this when the opinion stated is their own. Mateschitz says that he doesn't need people like that, telling him who his enemies are for him.

The interviewer tells him he is one the elite, is he not? To which he defines himself as Humanist, Kosmopolitan, Pacifist and Individualist. He says he hates people who want a Opinion-based Dictatorship (as explained above), which he says immediately gives judgements from others. In the US you're a Communist, in Europe you are a "conspiracy theorist" or "Right wing populist".

---

Interview is a lot longer, but my main take-away is that he's an old man with convictions. I might not share them, but I certainly won't judge him for having them. We're adults, we're entitled to a different on opinions on matters.

My main take-away from the article certainly isn't that he supports Trump though. That's a misrepresentation in the English article.

Dude had me until the bit about Russia. They are actively sabotaging the democratic process worldwide and are openly silencing political opponents and undesirables domestically. The Russian government of Vladimir Putin is, 100%, Bond villain evil bad guys. He also seems to have a very surface level knowledge of Trump and his actual shenanigans. Trump has stated multiple times in no uncertain terms that he wants to build a real wall and just a few days ago was willing to hold millions of people's healthcare hostage to do it. This is, how are the kids saying it nowadays, 100% a "hot take."
 

NimbusD

Member
Yeah it's the same old " I'm sure he doesn't actually mean the things he says" schtick of people who don't pay attention, in this case because he doesn't have to.
 
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