Elon Musk

[Skotty]

I much preferred watching Obama's thoughtful consideration before he spoke.

Agreed. This is important for a leader. The President needs to think of all Americans as his family. If you don't agree with your child, that's fine, and you can take an action that they don't like, but you remain respectful, think before you speak, and remain generally supportive to all. You don't mock your own child you don't agree with just to appeal to the one you do. Also good as a leader not to pat yourself on the back too much. I'm really worried that Trump might hurt his shoulder.

 

[Jeffgtx]

Keep feeling that messages are getting blurred.

Once again... no fault with trying to contribute to the administration. He's being doing that for some time. Doing that makes him a better man than I as I doubt I could do it. Doesn't deserve any pushback for that.

The line that was crossed was the active endorsement of the sec appt. no need for that because what happens is it goes from "Elon is working with the administration" to "Elon musk endorses what we are doing and our views".

Big difference in my mind and I definitely see a difference in how his participation is being reported.

This post is in response to the merc news article this am and a few earlier posts. I don't think you can lump "working with" and "endorsing" into the same bucket.

 

[bonnie]

Keep feeling that messages are getting blurred.

Once again... no fault with trying to contribute to the administration. He's being doing that for some time. Doing that makes him a better man than I as I doubt I could do it. Doesn't deserve any pushback for that.

The line that was crossed was the active endorsement of the sec appt. no need for that because what happens is it goes from "Elon is working with the administration" to "Elon musk endorses what we are doing and our views".

Big difference in my mind and I definitely see a difference in how his participation is being reported.

This post is in response to the merc news article this am and a few earlier posts. I don't think you can lump "working with" and "endorsing" into the same bucket.

Totally get what you're saying - but how do you build trust with a person who clearly makes decisions based on his gut?

Elon didn't exactly endorse Tillerson, he said he had "the potential". That's not the same as saying he was doing a good job. (It's like me telling people 'you may be right'. I'm not saying they ARE right, only that they may be.) Tillerson does have the potential - where I disagree with Elon is that I don't think Tillerson will put his skills to work for us. But he might.

Elon needs to build relationships with these people in order to influence. So again, I'm really glad I'm not in his position because my mouth would probably get the better of me at some point & I'd erupt. But I absolutely believe he's doing the right thing.

 

[1208]

Plus, the only thing Trump wants to put first is Trump.

Say's you...

In the science community we like a thing called evidence.

Embarrassing.

 

[Skotty]

Say's you...

In the science community we like a thing called evidence.

Embarrassing.

Trump pats himself on the back all the time, and succombs to concepts like having the biggest inaugural crowd ever despite pictures that pretty definitively show otherwise. I don't want to draw conclusions here at the moment, but I think it qualifies as potential evidence that Trump just wants to put Trump first. Your response fails to acknowledge these types of things while also striking an unscientific retaliatory tone. To borrow from Trump -- Sad.

EDIT: I just ended that on a retaliatory tone myself. Sorry for that.

 

[ohmman]

Elon Musk.

(I recognize I'm guilty as well, but let's at least focus on Elon's involvement in the administration, and not the administration outside of Elon.)

 

[youlikeadajuice]

Say's you...

In the science community we like a thing called evidence.

Embarrassing.

I'm glad you brought up science and evidence, both of which Trump enjoys ignoring in favor of whatever is convenient for him at the moment. Look at his statements on climate change, or his baseless claims about voter fraud in this election.

 

[Ovulation]

I'm glad you brought up science and evidence, both of which Trump enjoys ignoring in favor of whatever is convenient for him at the moment. Look at his statements on climate change, or his baseless claims about voter fraud in this election.

To be fair our favorite analyst Trip Chowdhry agrees

Chowdhry: Climate Change Is A Hoax, But Tesla Investors Shouldn't Care

He views climate change as a “complete hoax” but sees Tesla as the real deal.

Chowdhry pointed out that the scientific community was constantly talking about the coming Ice Age back in the 1970s before consensus opinions shifted to global warming in the 2000s. He believes the scientific community can “find the data to fit any theory.”

Chowdhry further suggested today’s concerns about global warming will prove just as overblown as fears about global cooling in previous decades.

 

[Jeffgtx]

He replied to an economist article saying he agreed and I read that article as an endorsement. But arguing over whether it was or wasn't isn't the crux of my issue. It's silence versus the implication that he's onboard and that is how his tweets were taken and reported.

Then when explaining the position in that bizarre DM interview piece he basically dismissed the people fighting the pipelines which made it worse for me. He and everybody else would be a lot more vocal about it if it were going through their neighborhoods. But even so I don't think we should be creating jobs around pipelines. Create them around the better alternatives that already exist.

Anyway... I was able to applaud working with. The rest disappoints me. And my belief is that he could have been just as effective without those series of tweets.

We'll never know. But that's what the gut is for.

 

[Canuck]

Say's you...

In the science community we like a thing called evidence.

Embarrassing.

Yes, say's me.

In my opinion, Trump puts Trump first.

Guess what? This is a forum where people post opinions. We don't only post scientific facts and peer reviewed studies. It's odd that we now live in a world where posting opinions is "embarrassing" to some. But with Trump in the White House "odd" is the new normal -- in my opinion.

To bring the thread back on track... As I said earlier in this thread, it's also my opinion that Elon is on the right track by favouring engagement over shunning when it comes to the new administration. But I didn't do a scientific study of the issue, again it's only my opinion, so you're probably going to be embarrassed again.

 

[daniel]

The argument that Trump lost the Popular vote... so he should not have been elected, is pointless. ...

The point is to point out that we do not live in a democracy, and the people did not elect Trump, the electoral college did.

... the only thing Trump wants to put first is Trump.

Say's you...

In the science community we like a thing called evidence.

There is plenty of evidence in the form of many years in the public eye: Trump has shown himself by his words and his actions, throughout his career, to be petty, vindictive, avaricious, and contemptuous of facts.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

The President needs to think of all Americans as his family. If you don't agree with your child, that's fine, and you can take an action that they don't like, but you remain respectful, think before you speak, and remain generally supportive to all. You don't mock your own child you don't agree with just to appeal to the one you do.

I think a lot of people might argue Trump got selected exactly because too many in the political elite talked to the people like they were their underage children. Trump, impressive as it is from a self-important billionaire, actually somehow managed to sound like "one of them" instead of an authoritative father figure. He is many things but he isn't condescending towards the masses and that is, I guess, part of his appeal.

 

[landis]

He is many things but he isn't condescending towards the masses and that is, I guess, part of his appeal

I consider myself one of the condescended masses, but then I could never watch 'the apprentice' either...

 

[T34ME]

I am keeping up. You said you're having second thoughts due to Elon's endorsement. Then, you went on relentlessly ranting about how Elon has sullied the brand. I assume your second thoughts have concreted into an actual cancellation - or are you sullying your own principles by associating yourself with the brand?

Yes.

 

[AudubonB]

This entire thread has gone way off into Forbidden Territory; some bad apples are, understandably, making use of current events to beat their own political opinion drum.
====>THERE IS A VERY GOOD REASON THAT'S NOT ALLOWED<====

So a bunch of the past 50-100 posts deserved to be carved out, including this one. But when I read this:

Elon didn't exactly endorse Tillerson, he said he had "the potential". That's not the same as saying he was doing a good job.

I had to hearken back to early years with my track coach who told me I had potential. "In fact," he clarified, "You're 100% potential."

I don't think he was talking basic electrical theory there....

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

To be fair our favorite analyst Trip Chowdhry agrees

Chowdhry: Climate Change Is A Hoax, But Tesla Investors Shouldn't Care

He views climate change as a “complete hoax” but sees Tesla as the real deal.

Chowdhry pointed out that the scientific community was constantly talking about the coming Ice Age back in the 1970s before consensus opinions shifted to global warming in the 2000s. He believes the scientific community can “find the data to fit any theory.”

Chowdhry further suggested today’s concerns about global warming will prove just as overblown as fears about global cooling in previous decades.

That settles it. He's always wrong.

 

[Jeffgtx]

Credit where it's due. I appreciated Elon tweeting against the immigration executive order.

 

[KaiserSoze]

Elon on Twitter just basically confirmed our suspicions. He's trying to nudge the bar in the right direction.

He's paving the road to hell with his good intentions. Collaborating with the regime only encourages Trump, who interprets Elon's actions as fealty. Is time for Elon to show whether he has principles, or cares for any interests but his own.

 

[⚡️ELECTROMAN⚡️]

He's paving the road to hell with his good intentions. Collaborating with the regime only encourages Trump, who interprets Elon's actions as fealty. Is time for Elon to show whether he has principles, or cares for any interests but his own.

Why don't you and el crucero get a room? It's amazing how many shallow minded crazies are out there. I have very little hope for the human race getting much further. How the hell we got this far is baffling.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

He's paving the road to hell with his good intentions. Collaborating with the regime only encourages Trump, who interprets Elon's actions as fealty. Is time for Elon to show whether he has principles, or cares for any interests but his own.

I'm still thinking Elon's principles might be a bit more aligned with the Trump administration than those of some on the far left. Maybe he is a little more towards the middle kind of guy on the liberal vs. conservative vs. Trump scale. I mean, many people who were pro-Clinton still in different places on that scale and thus have different reactions.

That would explain him taking a measured approach. I can see how for someone whose politics are on the far left, complete non-collaboration makes more political sense and is aligned with their personal principles. But IMO we can only judge the wisdom and principles of Musk's actions based on where we assume his politics are. That changes the calculations.

He did start a company with Peter Thiel after all.