Elon Musk: Officially a fraud and piece of shit. Official or unofficial war criminal?

[Guest Lobo]

^

Yep, no matter which side of the spectrum...the "Hardcore Base" is on the bottom for a reason.  Hence the term, "The Base."  We'd call it a foundation, but that's too complimentary.

[52-80 19277]

the treasury issued 16T in bonds this year and govt spent 700B in defense alone but, sure, lets publicly pressure a single private citizen to help solve world hunger

[Guest Lobo]

15 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

the treasury issued 16T in bonds this year and govt spent 700B in defense alone but, sure, lets publicly pressure a single private citizen to help solve world hunger

Yeah, that was a weird thing for the U.N. to release.  I'm only speaking for the USGLC (foreign aide advocacy group that is kind of a hybrid of government/private sector/charitable aggregator---the late Colin Powell directed us for many years)...but there's tens of billions that go to combatting/solving World Hunger coming from national governments, sovereign wealth funds, multi-national charities/non-profits, and P3 enterprises.  And unlike the U.N. model that's a one-off 2% of Elon Musk...these tens of billions are deployed EVERY SINGLE YEAR.  The capital is deployed with woeful inefficiencies, grift, and ineptitude. 

If you could set aside 5-10% of the these tens of billions each year for the next year...they could be set aside into a separate endowment from which sufficient capital could be withdrawn each year (4-5% at virtually no risk to principal).  That endowment could generate the off-shoot each year to combat annual famines/food shortages.  And then going forward, the new, lower aid amount each year would go to sustainable farming models, proper livestock practices, irrigation/water solutions, and distribution/logistics networks.  That way, the model lasts in perpetuity.  Instead of just throwing $10bn+ at the problem every single fucking year without moving the fucking needle.  

The mathematic model has been built out for decades by USGLC.  And of course, there's no opportunity for grift if there's a self-sustaining economic model for all this.  So we'll chase and deploy ineffective billions of dollars every single year instead of actually solving root causes.  I call it "The Adler Model."  

[52-80 19277]

2 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Yeah, that was a weird thing for the U.N. to release.  I'm only speaking for the USGLC (foreign aide advocacy group that is kind of a hybrid of government/private sector/charitable aggregator---the late Colin Powell directed us for many years)...but there's tens of billions that go to combatting/solving World Hunger coming from national governments, sovereign wealth funds, multi-national charities/non-profits, and P3 enterprises.  And unlike the U.N. model that's a one-off 2% of Elon Musk...these tens of billions are deployed EVERY SINGLE YEAR.  The capital is deployed with woeful inefficiencies, grift, and ineptitude. 

If you could set aside 5-10% of the these tens of billions each year for the next year...they could be set aside into a separate endowment from which sufficient capital could be withdrawn each year (4-5% at virtually no risk to principal).  That endowment could generate the off-shoot each year to combat annual famines/food shortages.  And then going forward, the new, lower aid amount each year would go to sustainable farming models, proper livestock practices, irrigation/water solutions, and distribution/logistics networks.  That way, the model lasts in perpetuity.  Instead of just throwing $10bn+ at the problem every single fucking year without moving the fucking needle.  

The mathematic model has been built out for decades by USGLC.  And of course, there's no opportunity for grift if there's a self-sustaining economic model for all this.  So we'll chase and deploy ineffective billions of dollars every single year instead of actually solving root causes.  I call it "The Adler Model."  

you call out a guy with 50M followers and 0 muzzle you best not miss

[Guest Lobo]

You know those stories of people paying some $1,000 fine in pennies or shit like that?  

I'd like Musk to obtain a $6.0bn certified cashier's check made out to the U.N. World Food Programme.  Take photos of it, along with a notarized letter from the bank CEO that says it's legit and good-to-go.  Then video the check being shot up on a spaceX rocket to Mars with a note that says, "Come get your check."

Edited November 4, 2021 by Lobo

[Foosters 17918]

10 hours ago, workswithseed said:

Been quiet since he posted this.

That's actually not what the UN director said. Here's the exact quote.

Quote

42 million people are on famine’s edge this year. An unprecedented global crisis spiked by Covid. Starvation, destabilization of nations & mass migration if we do not respond. @elonmusk, you made $6 billion just yesterday—the exact $ we need to avert catastrophe! Please help!

Notice the difference? The news orgs added "could solve world hunger" which is a bit different than saying $6 billion could help save the 42 million on the verge of famine this year.

 

[tbone_ 14255]

Don’t let semantics get in the way of a sensational headline you noob

[DonkeyCigars 143]

Sounds like UN Director and Elon should team up together to shame CNN for this horrible ploy then in an ultimate backfire.

[Guest Lobo]

16 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

Don’t let semantics get in the way of a sensational headline you noob

Would you say they "Boried the Lead"?  

Wait, Boring Company.  Bury the lead. Dammit, I had something for this! 

[52-80 19277]

wait i thought distrust of CNN headlines was solely the reserve of tinfoil conspiracists?

[staboner 5015]

24 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

wait i thought distrust of CNN headlines was solely the reserve of tinfoil conspiracists?

get bent. you and CNN. sick of reading this same dumb shit over and over again

Musk is a meglo and this is right up his alley. he lives for this shit. dumb, just dumb from UN/CNN/UNCONN/XCOMM fuck everyone. and lets say fuck CNN just once more so we can hopefully hit the right amount of outrage for our fellow addicts on this board

ya'll homies be good now

 

 

 

[Wally Fairway 5600]

Yawn 

You guys want to take this discussion to the cloak room ------>>>>

 

Edited November 5, 2021 by Wally Fairway

[High Plains Drifter 11055]

22 hours ago, 52-80 said:

wait i thought distrust of CNN headlines was solely the reserve of tinfoil conspiracists?

 

what the fuck are you on about?

 

[52-80 19277]

14 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

what the fuck are you on about?

 

can you read?

On 11/4/2021 at 5:04 PM, Foosters said:

That's actually not what the UN director said. Here's the exact quote.

Notice the difference? The news orgs added "could solve world hunger" which is a bit different than saying $6 billion could help save the 42 million on the verge of famine this year.

 

 

[BabaYaga 15371]

CNN trying to perpetuate the “evil billionaires” narrative 

[Brothahorn 10088]

CNN trying to perpetuate the “evil billionaires” narrative 

Except for the evil billionaire who founded them of course.

[MaybeACoordinator 8350]

Welp, I am the OP and firmly in the "fraud" camp but he just hired one of my brothers-in-law after he did his 20 in the Air Force. So now he's got a gig with SpaceX and he and my sister and their four boys (triplets and a bonus) have bought a house in Brownsville that looks like a Comfort Suites -- huge indoor pool area with adjacent bar, etc. So now I have to bite my tongue when I talk about that asshole. 

[Hook1997 5434]

On 11/4/2021 at 10:52 AM, Lobo said:

You know those stories of people paying some $1,000 fine in pennies or shit like that?  

I'd like Musk to obtain a $6.0bn certified cashier's check made out to the U.N. World Food Programme.  Take photos of it, along with a notarized letter from the bank CEO that says it's legit and good-to-go.  Then video the check being shot up on a spaceX rocket to Mars with a note that says, "Come get your check."

I think he basically just did that and would back it up.  But he wants public proof for a organization that spends less than 50% on real help but that’s the whole point of it is the helping others.     Is that too much for a “charity”?  I get cost of operations and what not but if you get offered billions and can’t come up with a plan??

[Biff Tannen 45763]

8 hours ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

he and my sister and their four boys (triplets and a bonus) have bought a house in Brownsville that looks like a Comfort Suites -- huge indoor pool area with adjacent bar, etc.

This is a good thing?

[Johnny Chimpo 481]

That honestly sounds like a maintenance bitch 

[MaybeACoordinator 8350]

29 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

This is a good thing?

Dude! Comfort Suites rules the mid-level motel chain game. There can be no other correct answer. I would not be impressed by a La Quinta or Hampton Inn-looking house.

It's not something I would have ever considered buying myself but I never had four boys 12 and under. 

[washparkhorn 9939]

9 hours ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

Welp, I am the OP and firmly in the "fraud" camp but he just hired one of my brothers-in-law after he did his 20 in the Air Force. So now he's got a gig with SpaceX and he and my sister and their four boys (triplets and a bonus) have bought a house in Brownsville that looks like a Comfort Suites -- huge indoor pool area with adjacent bar, etc. So now I have to bite my tongue when I talk about that asshole. 

I blame the mormons for that design trend.

Here is Mormon "La Quinta Inn" styling:

 

 

[52-80 19277]

here's the proposal

 

[DigglerontheHoof 21273]

The billionaires will get exponentially richer and world wide hunger will continue to rise at an amazing rate.  Nothing will change, go out and eat your Thanksgiving feast and get your Christmas gifts; that's what I'm doing....same as it ever was. 

[52-80 19277]

I was snooping around the WFP's reports and financials.

They have ~20,000 staff in 80 countries with $1.3B salary expense for average $65k... quite steep considering payscale even in europe is significantly lower than US.

50% their annual expenditure is actually direct cash / cash vouchers, as opposed to food stuffs.  (thats a lot of staff needed to simply hand out cash...)

All the individual beneficiary countries I looked at, the cash issued was less than half of what was planned (??)

Tens of millions of verified frauds written off per year.  Not that much compared to $8B of expenditure... but not insignificant.

Very very very little of the expenditure went towards school meals, which is where I would be expect money to be spent.  But whatever.

 

[Francisco 2.0 32432]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/elon-musks-tesla-asked-law-firm-to-fire-associate-hired-from-sec-11642265007?st=y1licaof7jew5mv&reflink=share_mobilewebshare

 

Quote

A partner at law firm Cooley LLP got an unexpected call late last year from a lawyer for one of the firm’s most famous clients, Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc., with an ultimatum.

The world’s richest man wanted Cooley, which was representing Tesla in numerous lawsuits, to fire one of its attorneys or it would lose the electric-vehicle company’s business, people familiar with the matter said.

 

Quote

The target of Mr. Musk’s ire was a former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawyer whom Cooley had hired for its securities litigation and enforcement practice and who had no involvement in the firm’s work for Tesla. At the SEC, the attorney had interviewed Mr. Musk during the agency’s investigation of the Tesla chief executive’s 2018 tweet claiming, wrongly, to have secured funding to potentially take the electric-vehicle maker private.

 

 

Quote

The probe resulted in a settlement in which Mr. Musk agreed to resign as chairman and pay a $20 million fine. He also agreed to have a Tesla lawyer review in advance tweets about certain topics, including the company’s financial results, sales numbers and proposed business combinations.

 

Spoiler

Cooley has declined to fire the attorney, who remains an associate at the firm, the people said. Since early December, Tesla has begun taking steps in several cases to replace Cooley or add additional counsel, legal documents show. Mr. Musk’s rocket company Space Exploration Technologies Corp., also known as SpaceX, has stopped using Cooley for regulatory work, according to people familiar with the matter.

Neither Tesla, SpaceX, nor Mr. Musk responded to requests for comment.

The interaction with Cooley points to a bigger pattern for Mr. Musk: Long dismissive of regulators, he has recently aimed his ire at individuals with ties to regulatory agencies with which he has sparred.

Often, he expresses his displeasure on Twitter, where he has roughly 70 million followers. His comments often lead to an online army rallying to his cause.

This past fall, he turned his sights on a longtime critic of Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance technology, Mary “Missy” Cummings, a researcher on how people interact with autonomous systems who was named as an adviser to the top U.S. auto safety regulator.

The agency had just opened an investigation into Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance technology after a series of crashes in which Teslas ran into one or more parked emergency vehicles. Such probes can lead to recalls, and this was shaping up to be one of the agency’s most extensive investigations to date of advanced driver-assistance technology.

Dr. Cummings, a Duke University engineering professor, had been critical of Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance system known as Autopilot. A study published last year that she co-wrote found that the company’s technology, which doesn’t make vehicles autonomous, performed inconsistently.

Tesla has said that driving with Autopilot engaged is safer than doing so without it.

Mr. Musk, once her appointment became public, tweeted: “Objectively, her track record is extremely biased against Tesla.” A barrage of online attacks on Dr. Cummings by Tesla supporters ensued, several of them vulgar.

A petition launched on Change.org called on the agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to rescind her appointment over a perceived conflict of interest. The petition, which has since been removed from the platform, received tens of thousands of signatures.

In the wake of the outcry, the agency privately required Dr. Cummings to recuse herself from any Tesla-specific matters, according to people familiar with the matter.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Transportation confirmed Dr. Cummings’s recusal. She didn’t respond to a question about whether the social-media criticism influenced the decision.

It isn’t unusual for companies to take issue with government officials they fear will hurt their interests, whether through campaign contributions to influence public policy or legal action. Amazon.com Inc. and Facebook, now Meta Platforms Inc., have, unsuccessfully, sought the recusal of Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan from antitrust matters involving the companies. Before taking the role, Ms. Khan had been critical of the online giants.

Mr. Musk stands out for expressing his criticism in pointed, sometimes disparaging and public remarks.

Mr. Musk has said that he agrees with regulators 99.9% of the time. “On rare occasions, we disagree. This is almost always due to new technologies that past regulations didn’t anticipate,” he tweeted last year.

Early in the pandemic, Mr. Musk took aim at a high-ranking county health official in California over government orders that the company’s Fremont, Calif., vehicle assembly plant remain closed to slow the spread of Covid-19.

“Tesla is filing a lawsuit against Alameda County immediately. The unelected & ignorant “Interim Health Officer” of Alameda is acting contrary to the Governor, the President, our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense!” Mr. Musk tweeted. The company later sued the county.

Two days later, he said Tesla was resuming production in defiance of local authorities. Soon after, the county cleared Tesla to increase activity at the plant. A spokeswoman for the county’s public health department said Mr. Musk’s public criticism didn’t influence the county’s decision to green light the Tesla activity.

 

[NoRagrets 1133]

All the haters are morons. I don’t care if he’s an asshole, you can’t help but marvel at his innovation.

https://www.wsj.com/video/elon-musk-unveils-updated-starship-engine-more-power-lower-costs/EEB998B2-8B6E-445D-B868-9AFEABD4B14C.html?page=1

[Captain Ron 12956]

Where is the Innovation?

Did he invent space flight? Did he invent cheaper/better? Did he invent more power? Has that thing even gotten off the ground?

Hell, was he on the team that designed/made that or was it his guys at SpaceX?

 

Look, don't get me wrong, the guy has pushed the envelop in a lot of things. He's certainly no fraud. He's disrupted a lot of markets and industries through sheer force of will, lots of money and being an asshole. But while I am impressed at him pushing the envelope, I don't see innovation, I just see natural progression.

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

2 minutes ago, Captain Ron said:

Where is the Innovation?

Henry Ford didn't invent the automobile. Few doubt his innovation. Musk is picking up the ball that NASA was forced to drop because of budget cuts.

[Captain Ron 12956]

Ford invented the assembly line and revolutionized automobile production. That IS innovation. That was a real change brought to the industry.

 

I grant you the landable rocket was fucking stellar. But yeah, I see Musk as running with a ball that was dropped by NASA than reinventing the sport.

[Captainant 27970]

Musk's greatest strength is that he's big on first principles engineering. Don't just build to requirements, but questions the requirements and challenge the design limitations that are assumed by long-tenured engineers. Doesn't mean he chucks everything out the window, but he's willing to finance the risk taking by SpaceX which has absolutely been the key driving force in their rapid advancement

[BabaYaga 15371]

8 minutes ago, Captain Ron said:

Ford invented the assembly line and revolutionized automobile production. That IS innovation. That was a real change brought to the industry.

 

I grant you the landable rocket was fucking stellar. But yeah, I see Musk as running with a ball that was dropped by NASA than reinventing the sport.

That's what he's so good at, as are most larger companies.  Taking a great idea/product and accelerating it's adoption and production.  Apple is a marketing company, not a tech company.  So is Musk (marketer).  Not a single thing they offer is revolutionary in any way.  It's all build on the backs of earlier adoptions.  Same with Amazon.  I'd argue that Musk shaved off a decade in early domestic electric car adoption.  He made them "cool" and ushered in a wave of his peer automotive manufacturers following suit.  Is there a major car company that doesn't have an electric option now?  Can't think of any off hand?

Then you have his earlier pay-pal facilitation.  His tunnels (that may or may not work), etc.  

[Captain Ron 12956]

4 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

That's what he's so good at, as are most larger companies.  Taking a great idea/product and accelerating it's adoption and production.  Apple is a marketing company, not a tech company.  So is Musk (marketer).  Not a single thing they offer is revolutionary in any way.  It's all build on the backs of earlier adoptions.  Same with Amazon.  I'd argue that Musk shaved off a decade in early domestic electric car adoption.  He made them "cool" and ushered in a wave of his peer automotive manufacturers following suit.  Is there a major car company that doesn't have an electric option now?  Can't think of any off hand?

Then you have his earlier pay-pal facilitation.  His tunnels (that may or may not work), etc.  

The iPhone, Kindle and Alexa all say 'hi' (Siri and Alexia literally).

 

Hell, I would argue that Musk shaved maybe 2 decades off electric car adoption, especially given how EV1 was crushed into little cubes.

But while Tesla made it cool, let's not forget he was just an early investor and ultimately bought the company, he didn't start Tesla. But once he got it, he did what all said to make them successful.

 

But where he really succeeds is that he gets not only his people to think big, but also the population at large to think big. Now just about everyone wants (and eventually will have) an electric car because of him. I'm in the Starlink thread touting it's service. Space X does have a new generation of kids dreaming of spaceflight again. And in pushing that envelope, he's making everyone else go faster too.

But don't get me wrong, while marketing helps, one thing about all the companies you mentioned - they make great things. They aren't resting on their laurels, they are making great and new products.

[BabaYaga 15371]

1 minute ago, Captain Ron said:

The iPhone, Kindle and Alexa all say 'hi' (Siri and Alexia literally)

No, I get it.  But none of those were revolutionary and were adaptations of earlier tech.  They just keep moving the ball forward.

 

2 minutes ago, Captain Ron said:

But where he really succeeds is that he gets not only his people to think big, but also the population at large to think big. Now just about everyone wants (and eventually will have) an electric car because of him. I'm in the Starlink thread touting it's service. Space X does have a new generation of kids dreaming of spaceflight again. And in pushing that envelope, he's making everyone else go faster too.

Which is ultimately my point and where we agree.  He sees the bigger picture and gets buy-in from the great population and makes the fringe more mainstream.  

 

5 minutes ago, Captain Ron said:

But don't get me wrong, while marketing helps, one thing about all the companies you mentioned - they make great things. They aren't resting on their laurels, they are making great and new products.

This is their greatest gift.  Taking and improving upon existing tech.  But as stated in that great "Golden Circle" video by Simon Sinek, it's not "what" they are doing, but "why" they make them.  Not in the esoteric sense, but to the public, they are fantastic and marketing to their audience WHY they need these products as part of a brand and lifestyle.  You can make the point that iPhones generally have less tech than Android, yet their users (myself included) are fiercely loyal and always want/need the newest models.  

This is why I say these great companies are so invested in the marketing aspect of their lines.....with Musk being center stage in this.  

[Neonmoon 38130]

47 minutes ago, Captain Ron said:

The iPhone, Kindle and Alexa all say 'hi' (Siri and Alexia literally).

Hell, I would argue that Musk shaved maybe 2 decades off electric car adoption, especially given how EV1 was crushed into little cubes.

But while Tesla made it cool, let's not forget he was just an early investor and ultimately bought the company, he didn't start Tesla. But once he got it, he did what all said to make them successful.

But where he really succeeds is that he gets not only his people to think big, but also the population at large to think big. Now just about everyone wants (and eventually will have) an electric car because of him. I'm in the Starlink thread touting it's service. Space X does have a new generation of kids dreaming of spaceflight again. And in pushing that envelope, he's making everyone else go faster too.

But don't get me wrong, while marketing helps, one thing about all the companies you mentioned - they make great things. They aren't resting on their laurels, they are making great and new products.

the iPhone was not the first touchscreen smartphone

the Kindle was not the first e-reader

Alexa was not the first smart speaker. 

Elon Musk is doing exactly what every other company in the history of the world does. They build upon what others have done. These products you listed as innovations were not in fact, innovations. They took other people's ideas and inventions and build upon them. They made them a little more polished, they're marketed a little better. They sold a better story and used better packaging. 

Musk is doing the same thing with rockets and electric cars. He is taking someone else's idea, and making it a little better, a little cheaper, a little better packaging, a little more polished, and selling it better. Nothing more, nothing less. If it was so easy, why haven't other succeeded?

 

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4980]

So Captain Ron is arguing that he isn't innovative while describing all of his innovations, and BabaYaga has never worked in R&D in a large company where middle managers with a 10,000 foot understanding of things want to retain ground level control and pay a lot of money to outside consultants who know significantly less than the in house experts instead of trusting said in house experts?

[MonkeyDoughnut 10439]

1 hour ago, Captain Ron said:

Ford invented the assembly line and revolutionized automobile production. That IS innovation. That was a real change brought to the industry.

I don't understand how you don't see Tesla and SpaceX as doing the same to their industries? They are completely shaping how their industries operate now.

[Parliament 14368]

He's driving down the cost of technology that's been around for a long time, and was too expensive for most people.  Electric cars have been around since 1910.  Space travel since 1955.  Satellite internet since 2000 or whatever.

And soon even the Surly 99% will have access to all 3 of those things.  Seems pretty awesome to me.

[YChang 3472]

I think there’s a spectrum for innovation. Doesn’t have to be always something completely new.

[Jkwellborn 6877]

He's driving down the cost of technology that's been around for a long time, and was too expensive for most people.  Electric cars have been around since 1910.  Space travel since 1955.  Satellite internet since 2000 or whatever.
And soon even the Surly 99% will have access to all 3 of those things.  Seems pretty awesome to me.

Is he doing that or is the government doing it?

[Samson's Wig 3195]

2 hours ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

So Captain Ron is arguing that he isn't innovative while describing all of his innovations, and BabaYaga has never worked in R&D in a large company where middle managers with a 10,000 foot understanding of things want to retain ground level control and pay a lot of money to outside consultants who know significantly less than the in house experts instead of trusting said in house experts?

Tell us you're an engineer without telling us you're an engineer.

[High Plains Drifter 11055]

 

Surely Musk can do all these great things (call them innovative or not), without tweeting out personal attacks on public officials to his 50 million followers, resulting in those officials getting threatened and harassed? Or pressuring public and private organizations to fire people who have disagreed with him? He's going to get somebody killed at some point.

With great power comes great responsibility. All I see is a rich douchebag acting like a rich, entitled douchebag.

 

disclaimer: I'm not saying its Musk's job to solve world hunger. But I do believe he personally should probably pay more in taxes. If he really wanted to take some heat off himself and not come across as a douchebag, he could sell some stock and donate large sums to some charity that would make a difference in world hunger or whatever charitable cause he chooses. I mean fuck, he worth billions, why not give some back?

 

Also, has Tesla ever actually turned a profit?

Also, also, didn't I read something recently about something like half of the Teslas in the US getting recalled?

 

The next car I buy will probably be an EV. It probably won't be a Tesla, but who knows? I'll do the research and make that decision when that day comes. The assholishness of the CEO probably won't be a very big factor in that decision.

 

[GringoSalado 1652]

9 hours ago, Captain Ron said:

Ford invented the assembly line 

Pretty sure Oldsmobile did that but whatever. 

[52-80 19277]

1 hour ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 But I do believe he personally should probably pay more in taxes.

…

Also, has Tesla ever actually turned a profit?

While I support a global wealth tax assessed annually, you do realize that Elon will pay more personal income tax this year than all of Ford and GM and Stellantis (Dodge Jeep Chrysler) combined?  

He doesn’t take a salary. All of his wealth is tied in equity, which hes massively built up for all Tesla shareholders, which now includes your mom and pop, as Tesla has been a massive component of the S&P index.  

The company itself has been profitable for the last 2 years. 

[StruggleBus 3922]

3 hours ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

Surely Musk can do all these great things (call them innovative or not), without tweeting out personal attacks on public officials to his 50 million followers, resulting in those officials getting threatened and harassed? Or pressuring public and private organizations to fire people who have disagreed with him? He's going to get somebody killed at some point.

With great power comes great responsibility. All I see is a rich douchebag acting like a rich, entitled douchebag.

 

disclaimer: I'm not saying its Musk's job to solve world hunger. But I do believe he personally should probably pay more in taxes. If he really wanted to take some heat off himself and not come across as a douchebag, he could sell some stock and donate large sums to some charity that would make a difference in world hunger or whatever charitable cause he chooses. I mean fuck, he worth billions, why not give some back?

 

Also, has Tesla ever actually turned a profit?

Also, also, didn't I read something recently about something like half of the Teslas in the US getting recalled?

 

The next car I buy will probably be an EV. It probably won't be a Tesla, but who knows? I'll do the research and make that decision when that day comes. The assholishness of the CEO probably won't be a very big factor in that decision.

 

Okay Elizabeth Warren 

[washparkhorn 9939]

10 hours ago, Captainant said:

Musk's greatest strength is that he's big on first principles engineering. Don't just build to requirements, but questions the requirements and challenge the design limitations that are assumed by long-tenured engineers. Doesn't mean he chucks everything out the window, but he's willing to finance the risk taking by SpaceX which has absolutely been the key driving force in their rapid advancement

Well said. Musk produces goods and puts his capital to work. Efficiency, reliability and reusability are all net positives.

His messaging lately has been boorish - but that is a simple fix. He needs to invest in some better and fresher perspectives, in my opinion.
 

He is going to need help when the China pivot reaches the breaking point. He could be instrumental in preventing a foolish escalation  between China and the West.
 

In the United States, he could make a real difference in lives at the granular level. Again, he needs fresh perspectives, in my opinion. 
 

Hell, if old Vulture Capitalist Warren Buffett can maintain a positive public image, so can Musk. 

[Dahobbs 17804]

8 hours ago, Jkwellborn said:

Is he doing that or is the government doing it?

Given that SpaceX built the Falcon 9 on its own and the government wasn't involved at all, definitely him or at least his company. SpaceX has completely disrupted the rocket industry, and I'd argue its effect has been more significant than Henry Ford's to the auto industry and will be more historically important. Musk is a dick. But SpaceX's achievements will be seen as a historical pivot point on par with the moon landing. 

Edited February 12, 2022 by Dahobbs

[Dahobbs 17804]

3 hours ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

Surely Musk can do all these great things (call them innovative or not), without tweeting out personal attacks on public officials to his 50 million followers, resulting in those officials getting threatened and harassed? Or pressuring public and private organizations to fire people who have disagreed with him? He's going to get somebody killed at some point.

With great power comes great responsibility. All I see is a rich douchebag acting like a rich, entitled douchebag.

 

disclaimer: I'm not saying its Musk's job to solve world hunger. But I do believe he personally should probably pay more in taxes. If he really wanted to take some heat off himself and not come across as a douchebag, he could sell some stock and donate large sums to some charity that would make a difference in world hunger or whatever charitable cause he chooses. I mean fuck, he worth billions, why not give some back?

 

Also, has Tesla ever actually turned a profit?

Also, also, didn't I read something recently about something like half of the Teslas in the US getting recalled?

 

The next car I buy will probably be an EV. It probably won't be a Tesla, but who knows? I'll do the research and make that decision when that day comes. The assholishness of the CEO probably won't be a very big factor in that decision.

 

The recall was for pretty nothing issues. It isn't like the vehicles can't be used. They just need to be inspected for and issue related to the trunk and another for the frunk (latching issues). They'll get fixed if necessary. Other manufacturers have recalls all the time, they just don't necessarily get the coverage. 

[Parliament 14368]

8 hours ago, Jkwellborn said:

Is he doing that or is the government doing it?

The Government had its chance.  Now he's using their money to do it.

3 hours ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

Surely Musk can do all these great things (call them innovative or not), without tweeting out personal attacks on public officials to his 50 million followers, resulting in those officials getting threatened and harassed? Or pressuring public and private organizations to fire people who have disagreed with him? He's going to get somebody killed at some point.

With great power comes great responsibility. All I see is a rich douchebag acting like a rich, entitled douchebag.

 

He's an ahole.  I'll allow it.

[Hagbard Celine 10994]

10 hours ago, Parliament said:

Space travel since 1955

1944, 1957 or 1961, pick your poison