Yes, Elon Musk vs Donald Trump - it's very entertaining. The memes are flowing in industrial quantities. But a lot of people are missing just how important a pivot point this is. In classic authoritarian regimes, the betrayal by the insider is the moment that provokes the most powerful reaction - and the terms in which Musk has attacked are not light, they are serious and existential. However they play the first few days in the aftermath, there will now be a longer game cranking into gear. And the shape of that will determine just how deep this authoritarian moment in America's history is going to get. Let's discuss.