Cards Against Humanity sued SpaceX yesterday, alleging that Elon Musk’s firm illegally took over a plot of land on the US/Mexico border that the party-game company bought in 2017 in an attempt to stymie then-President Trump’s attempt to build a wall.

“As part of CAH’s 2017 holiday campaign, while Donald Trump was President, CAH created a supporter-funded campaign to take a stand against the building of a Border Wall,” said the lawsuit filed in Cameron County District Court in Texas. Cards Against Humanity says it received $15 donations from 150,000 people and used part of that money to buy “a plot of vacant land in Cameron County based upon CAH’s promise to ‘make it as time-consuming and expensive as possible for Trump to build his wall.’”

Cards Against Humanity says it mowed the land “and maintained it in its natural state, marking the edge of the lot with a fence and a ‘No Trespassing’ sign.” But instead of Trump taking over the land, Cards Against Humanity says the parcel was “interfered with and invaded” by Musk’s space company. The lawsuit includes pictures that, according to Cards Against Humanity, show the land when it was first purchased and after SpaceX construction equipment and materials were placed on the land.

You are viewing a single thread.
View all comments
-213 points
*

So all I take from this is they took your money and did absolutely nothing with it to do anything to protect the land beyond marking it?

Edit

Our longstanding reputation as a company that makes outrageous promises and actually keeps them is on the line! We promised we’d use every legal tool at our disposal to protect this land from bullies like Trump and Musk (who’s spending millions to get Trump electedand also wants to build the stupid wall). If we don’t take action now, why would anyone ever trust us again?

Maybe because you didn’t do anything to actually do what you said…?

permalink
report
reply
-26 points
*

I don’t know why people are downvoting you. At the very least, it seems like they didn’t even check on the land for years. Notice it’s a 2017 photo and a 2024 one. No progress pics in the middle, no “we told them to stop on X and Y date and here’s photos of them continuing”.

They abandoned the property for years because all they cared about was squatting on the wall being built, which by having the deed they were doing. They didn’t do anything further because that was never their goal.

So honestly, while what Elon did is shitty and illegal, them trying to claim the some moral high ground by acting like it was an environmental sanctuary is disingenuous. In fairness, the original purpose of stopping the wall from being built is STILL being upheld. Elon’s not building the wall there as far as I can tell. Just storing junk(that CAD should just scrap and sell since it’s abandoned on their lot). Heavy machinery is worth a lot…

permalink
report
parent
reply
25 points

Preserving land in its natural state is that simple, not touching it. Trespassing and using someone else’s property is illegal. What are you arguing here? I can’t just go store shit on my neighbor’s back yard and say, well he wasn’t using it, and he just didn’t want a wall to be built there and I didn’t build a wall so its fine

permalink
report
parent
reply
-20 points

Did I say it wasn’t illegal? I literally said it is.

What I’m saying is CAD is pretending they were protecting the environment when in fact all they were doing was squatting a land title. They didn’t actually check on the land at all, which is something you might expect of someone who was actually trying to protect the land and wasn’t just pulling a big publicity stunt.

So yeah, what I’m saying is the other guy is right: theyre making a big show of saying they care about the land after the fact, but before then did jackcall shit and never even checked on it.

Elon can be a shithead and CAD could have just been doing a publicity stunt. Both can be true

permalink
report
parent
reply
57 points
*

You really think a billionaire should be able to take your land and property as long as they think you’re not using it correctly? You really want that precedent? That’s the kind of country you want to live in? Thats thr kind of freedom you want to enjoy?

permalink
report
parent
reply
45 points
*
Deleted by creator
permalink
report
parent
reply
37 points

They’re suing now. Should they have put up an armed militia?

permalink
report
parent
reply
13 points

They put up a fence around it, and now they’re suing somebody for trespassing on it.

permalink
report
parent
reply
-45 points
*

Nah. They bought the land so they could use it for a promotional event.

And now they are using it for another promotional event.


In all fairness, CAHcorp (whatever their business name is) are pretty much the epitome of “dumbass white liberals”. Right down to how they are so adamant about “humor” that is just white guys saying racial slurs and talking about dead babies and thinking it is the funniest shit ever. So I can easily see them thinking that just owning the land was all they needed to do because nobody would ever violate the law or ignore their rights.

I mean, just look at all the replies that boil down to Arthur the aardvark saying “but musk broke the rules!!!”


Also: This never really would have stopped trump’s wall. Eminent domain would have kicked in (basically what spacex tried) and they would have gotten a pennies on the dollar check and told to go fuck themselves.

permalink
report
parent
reply
9 points

I used your dead baby’s finger to type this comment. It was hard at first but then I realized I just had to cut off the rest of the baby and just use the finger. I was tired, cut me some slack.

Wait this isn’t your baby… it’s… impossible… A virgin birth! Hallelujah!

permalink
report
parent
reply
11 points

was all they needed to do because nobody would ever violate the law or ignore their rights.

They are suing the people who violated the law and ignored their rights right now. What should they have done instead?

permalink
report
parent
reply
7 points

I’m sorry they didn’t patrol on their high horse to gate keep their land

permalink
report
parent
reply
-6 points

We promised we’d use every legal tool at our disposal to protect this land from bullies like

Thats literally what they promised to do with the money they fleeced from people though….

permalink
report
parent
reply
28 points

Can 100% tell you’ve never actually played the game.

permalink
report
parent
reply
23 points

You have to have friends to play it

permalink
report
parent
reply
14 points

Why do you hate property rights?

permalink
report
parent
reply
39 points

It’s their land. What more should be required to stop people from dumping their crap on it?

By which I mean, not “what would have stopped them?”, as fences, armed guards and tanks may have stopped them.

I mean, “what is the minimum requirement to ensure land isn’t filled with other people’s, or companies, stuff?”

For me, if they want to store stuff on some land, they should make sure they own it first.

permalink
report
parent
reply
25 points

In the heavy construction industry you always make sure you have a local plot of land for idle equipment, material storage, office trailers, etc. before you start a project. You have to pay for that shit though and you generally have to leave it the way you found it or better. You can’t just park your equipment on someone else’s land and expect everything to be OK. Everyone performing any type of large project knows this. This lawsuit would have happened no matter who owned the land.

permalink
report
parent
reply
7 points

in many cases large stockpiles have to be permitted. clearing and grubbing usually too. I don’t know the rules in texas but imo this seems illegal and like improperly inspected development

permalink
report
parent
reply
5 points

You’re right, but this is out in the middle of nowhere. I’m not surprised a megacorp would just dump their shit wherever. It’s probably cheaper paying the occasional fine or court case than going about it the legal way.

permalink
report
parent
reply
9 points

Expecting a company that blew up their own rocket pad and falsified EPA documents to think ahead is too much for them apparently.

permalink
report
parent
reply
20 points
*

Well, they are suing the richest man on the planet in order to protect it. That can’t be cheap.

permalink
report
parent
reply
178 points

One might argue that ‘doing nothing’ with land was an extremely good way of protecting it, but one would have to be talking to someone who was operating in good faith if they were to bother to do so…

permalink
report
parent
reply
70 points

The only way to look after land is to build a parking lot or use it to add another lane to a 32 lane highway.
You can get off with just a fine if you dig up the land and put down lawn turf. The fine is reduced if you use 5 gallons a day of water to keep it green.

(/s)

permalink
report
parent
reply
-143 points
*

Just buying land does what? Show a presence, if they mowed it how often like they claimed it wouldn’t have gotten that bad before noticing. Put an actual fence on it, what they use? Some stakes a twine? I’m having a discussion so we can figure these details out, what are you doing than insulting someone for trying to talk?

This also is t he first time they failed in their expectations, the hole they dug was a failure, they had to constantly modify their claim because they didn’t realize they rules and regulations regarding making. A safe deep excavation.

I’m trying to discuss in good faith, the fuck is this? I provided a quote to show my particular issue and described it, what part of my comment is not trying to discuss in good faith? If anything you going straight to insulting someone is the one lacking any sort of civility here.

permalink
report
parent
reply
20 points

You’re not discussing in good faith, you’re victim blaming. “If you didn’t want SpaceX to dump stuff on your property you should’ve put a fence up” is victim blaming.

permalink
report
parent
reply
23 points
*
Deleted by creator
permalink
report
parent
reply
53 points

If I buy land, it’s my land. My use (or lack thereof) is of no consequence to anybody; in other words, if I buy land, you can’t use it without my permission.

CAH is not in the wrong here; SpaceX is. Yet you’re victim blaming CAH because you think they’re not doing enough to lay claim to their land?

You’re not arguing in Good Faith. You’re trolling. Good faith would require you actually having understood the situation before making your weak accusations.

permalink
report
parent
reply
16 points

Good call. Put a fence on the land they bought to prevent Trump from putting a fence on the land.

permalink
report
parent
reply
63 points
*

Just buying land gives complete legal ownership and stewardship to the owner. They’re not obligated to do shit with it, and they bought it exactly so they could do nothing with it: keep it natural and pristine.

You seem to weirdly be invested in Cards Against Humanity being in the wrong, with the weird takes. They did exactly what they were expected to do- keep it pristine. What gives you any impression at all there were different expectations? Just flat out wrong.

Your whole comment reads like one of Musk’s alt accounts trying to rub defense lol. If you expressed any semblance of understanding why and how CAH acquired the land before you began with “this isn’t the first time they failed expectations, why didn’t they build anything?!,” maybe you’d get better replies

permalink
report
parent
reply
51 points

Why do conservatives never want to conserve anything?

Not developing land is a good thing for the planet and our species.

permalink
report
parent
reply
128 points

Buying land gives them the legal ownership of it, allowing them to stop others using it.

Why do you assume they need to build something on the land?

permalink
report
parent
reply

News

!news@lemmy.world

Create post

Welcome to the News community!

Rules:

1. Be civil

Attack the argument, not the person. No racism/sexism/bigotry. Good faith argumentation only. This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban. Do not respond to rule-breaking content; report it and move on.


2. All posts should contain a source (url) that is as reliable and unbiased as possible and must only contain one link.

Obvious right or left wing sources will be removed at the mods discretion. We have an actively updated blocklist, which you can see here: https://lemmy.world/post/2246130 if you feel like any website is missing, contact the mods. Supporting links can be added in comments or posted seperately but not to the post body.


3. No bots, spam or self-promotion.

Only approved bots, which follow the guidelines for bots set by the instance, are allowed.


4. Post titles should be the same as the article used as source.

Posts which titles don’t match the source won’t be removed, but the autoMod will notify you, and if your title misrepresents the original article, the post will be deleted. If the site changed their headline, the bot might still contact you, just ignore it, we won’t delete your post.


5. Only recent news is allowed.

Posts must be news from the most recent 30 days.


6. All posts must be news articles.

No opinion pieces, Listicles, editorials or celebrity gossip is allowed. All posts will be judged on a case-by-case basis.


7. No duplicate posts.

If a source you used was already posted by someone else, the autoMod will leave a message. Please remove your post if the autoMod is correct. If the post that matches your post is very old, we refer you to rule 5.


8. Misinformation is prohibited.

Misinformation / propaganda is strictly prohibited. Any comment or post containing or linking to misinformation will be removed. If you feel that your post has been removed in error, credible sources must be provided.


9. No link shorteners.

The auto mod will contact you if a link shortener is detected, please delete your post if they are right.


10. Don't copy entire article in your post body

For copyright reasons, you are not allowed to copy an entire article into your post body. This is an instance wide rule, that is strictly enforced in this community.

Community stats

  • 14K

    Monthly active users

  • 20K

    Posts

  • 521K

    Comments