These days, being anything other than left makes a person “on the right.” So, by the regime’s own maths, Musk’s purchase of Twitter is an important instance of a powerful political rival taking control of what theorist Bertrand de Jouvenel called a “castle.”

You need at least a Silver membership plan to access Insight articles.

Nathan Smith is a former business journalist and columnist at the NBR. He also worked as the chief editor at the New Zealand Initiative policy think tank. He is now a freelance writer and copy editor.