StealthP3D
Well-Known Member
Let the TSLAQ types criticize Tesla for accepting pre-orders, or for fraud, they will do it regardless - Elon cannot prevent it anyway and it doesn't hurt me when they say crazy stuff like that.
As far as Elon's two "taking Tesla private" tweets, those tweets were obviously not true, and Elon knew it. So, the question arises, what was his motivation? I think we can rule out that he is addicted to lying. But I do think it helped burn the shorts and set up the stock for the 2019/2020 blowout. I'm certainly not willing to concede it was a mistake. If it was, maybe we need more "mistakes".
Really, things are not always what they appear, nor are they connected in a simple manner, the world is a complex place and it's impossible to say where we would be with any certainty without the "take private" tweets. It could have been as simple as Elon doing some necessary ground work between him and the SEC to establish some boundaries of their respective sandboxes. It's important to understand that Elon looks at a much bigger picture than most of us are accustomed to. We tend to compartmentalize decisions to things directly connected to those decisions. Elon wonders how things would turn out different if he makes a little tweak here or there. Or maybe one loud brash disruption as the "take private" tweets were. Maybe it was a mistake and maybe it wasn't, it's still not clear because things like this are not simple. I still don't know what his motivation was but I'm happy with the results.
I'm not so arrogant to think I know where we would be today with a CEO who was more predictable and traditional. I have a difficult time imagining we would be in a better place. I've seen people create chaos to gain the upper hand. When the people you are trying to disrupt view you as the enemy and are trying to stymie you every step of the way, apparent unpredictability can play in your favor and empower you.
It's apparent to me that there are a lot of people here who under-estimate the difficulty of disruption and out-maneuvering the very people who seek to stop you. This is not a tin-foil hat conspiracy theory, even world-wise people without a tendency to mental flights of fancy know this. People like Jack Rickard have quantified the billions of dollars that are at stake every day of every year. Without an extraordinary leader the mission would be delayed and stymied beyond the level of my patience. As it is, I'm astounded at it's steam-roller-like character. This is not a coincidence and it's not often you will get a front row seat to such brilliance. This is a far more difficult job than anything MSFT, AAPL or AMZN has done.
Perhaps I would be more arrogant and criticize everything if I thought it would further the mission. But you don't have to be very smart to see that being critical of things you might perceive to be a mistake does not further the mission, even if you happen to be right. And I would argue that, most of the time, someone with less info and less direct experience is probably not right, at least not knowingly so until after the fact when even Elon would see it was a mistake. In fact, even if you are right, second guessing our leader slows the mission. There is no point in it. He's a big boy and can take care of himself.
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