I'm an ardent Musk hater. I call my Senators and MOC regularly demanding action. I participate in protest at state capitols. I share information on how to stand up to his illegal role in government, something I know about as a former career federal employee.
But before all this craziness started, and out of a commitment to reduce our carbon emissions, we bought a model Y. Frankly, I love the car. Yet, my feeling about it has changed from one of virtue, to one of embarrassment -- about the symbol of Musk, not the EV. And, while I suppose we could toss away tens of thousands of dollars to trade it in, that's a hard step to take. I would not buy one today, but we are stuck with what is and try to address it through other actions and "anti Elon" magnets on the car. I feel like we need to make room for situations like this in our civil interactions with others -- all while standing up to Musk.
FWIW I think suggesting a thumbs down to current owners is a fairly tame action. Especially since those owners can always nod in agreement, or as you suggested, add magnets or stickers to show their political views.
I was at one of the state capitol protest a week ago and as a Tesla drove down the street the person in front of me shouted “sell your car!” That demand and attempted shaming is going too far in my view. Most Teslas were bought before Musk went full Nazi, or took on his current illegal role. A vehicle is a big investment and many people bought Tesla’s to reduce carbon emissions, a step we need more of. I think the best approach is not personal shaming for past purchases, but pushing boycotts of future ones; plus, the direct action through many other mechanisms.
Bear in mind that lots of people bought Teslas because they were committed to reducing emissions and because for a long time Teslas were the only viable EV. And it might not be possible, financially, for them to simply get rid of the car right now, especially if they don't want to support gas and oil interests. Focus your anger at the dealership level, discourage new purchases, but don't target individual drivers, otherwise we're just fighting amongst ourselves again.
Musk is also in deep with the Chinese Communist Party, receiving special loans and backing while he successfully sues Chinese customers who have been injured by his malfunctioning vehicles.
I sold my stock ages ago, discontinued our starlink, and do my damndest to avoid charging at superchargers. My car is over 6 years old and precedes any knowledge of the nazi’s nazi tendencies. I bought the car for environmental reasons and cannot afford to replace it. Most of us are good people who were doing the right thing when we bought our cars (cybertruck owners have no excuse). The fact that the CEO turned out to be a giant [expletive, expletive, expletive] is not our fault. Please don’t encourage people to hate us.
Seriously, explain to me how having paid a company for something 7 years ago, and not being able to afford to replace it (ignoring the environmental impact of building and shipping a new car) means that I deserve to get a thumbs down everywhere I go? How does it mean that I deserve to have my car painted. Or as recently happened to me: someone leaving dog shit under my driver's door, so I ended up having to waste a couple of hours cleaning the car before going to the airport for a funeral? Why do I deserve that?
Why, as a person who has paid extra for their electricity to be able to source it from 100% renewables, so the charging I do at home isn't increasing CO2 should I get this kind of treatment?
There is ALREADY a stochastic terror effect, with real vandalism against Teslas, all of which is being cheered on by those thinking selling a car for which Tesla was paid long ago is going to make any difference at all?
Contrary to popular belief, most early owners of the Model 3, for example aren't made of money. After subsidies, it cost less than a mid-level Prius at the time.
That means we can't just go around buying new cars on a whim. But now we have to worry about people literally attacking our cars, because of the anti-Tesla fervor being generated by those pushing the idea that forcing people to sell their cars is going to have any impact at all on the issue.
We are no longer contributing to Tesla's profits. We should not be targeted.
"Make Tesla Toxic" and "Sell your car, sell your car, sell your car!" chants set the stage for making the drivers toxic if we can't comply. (Trust me, I have run every scenario I can think of trying to figure out if we can buy a new car right now, even though we still owe on our loan). We literally can't. We just can't.
Why do people who have been trying to do the right thing for the good of the planet deserve to be punished for someone else being an asshole?
I really want to understand the rationale.
Protesting dealerships 1000% makes sense. Not purchasing new 1000% makes sense. Advocating to cut government subsidies and contracts to his organization 1000% makes sense.
Advocating attacks against people who had NO FUCKING CLUE this is what the CEO would be doing years in the future? How does it make sense?
Just for those who don't know what I mean by the stochastic terror effect:
"Unlike incitement to terrorism, stochastic terrorism is accomplished with indirect, vague or coded language, which grants the instigator plausible deniability for any associated violence." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stochastic_terrorism)
The effect of this kind of targeting campaign is well understood - most normal people won't do anything harmful, but it is 100% predictable that people with certain types of personalities WILL do harmful things, targeted at ordinary people who were trying to do the right thing when they bought their cars.
It's Like I've Been Saying !! His Car's Are Junk !!? His Rocket Isn't Going Anywhere Soon !! All Paid For By US Tax Payer's !!? His Car Company Is Vastly Over Rated !! And Will Crash !!? His Rocket Company Is Nothing More Than A New Low Earth Orbit Rocket !! Not Capable Of Doing Anything Else !!? This Guy Is No Einstein !!? He Was Just In The Right Place At The Right Time !!? Otherwise He'd Be Worth Nothing !!? A Internet Start Up & Wallsteet Made him What He Is Nothing More !!? 🤔🤔🤔
These are great suggestions (and I personally hope to follow though)...but if world domination is the goal, losing a measly car company is just a cost of doing business.
I'm an ardent Musk hater. I call my Senators and MOC regularly demanding action. I participate in protest at state capitols. I share information on how to stand up to his illegal role in government, something I know about as a former career federal employee.
But before all this craziness started, and out of a commitment to reduce our carbon emissions, we bought a model Y. Frankly, I love the car. Yet, my feeling about it has changed from one of virtue, to one of embarrassment -- about the symbol of Musk, not the EV. And, while I suppose we could toss away tens of thousands of dollars to trade it in, that's a hard step to take. I would not buy one today, but we are stuck with what is and try to address it through other actions and "anti Elon" magnets on the car. I feel like we need to make room for situations like this in our civil interactions with others -- all while standing up to Musk.
FWIW I think suggesting a thumbs down to current owners is a fairly tame action. Especially since those owners can always nod in agreement, or as you suggested, add magnets or stickers to show their political views.
I was at one of the state capitol protest a week ago and as a Tesla drove down the street the person in front of me shouted “sell your car!” That demand and attempted shaming is going too far in my view. Most Teslas were bought before Musk went full Nazi, or took on his current illegal role. A vehicle is a big investment and many people bought Tesla’s to reduce carbon emissions, a step we need more of. I think the best approach is not personal shaming for past purchases, but pushing boycotts of future ones; plus, the direct action through many other mechanisms.
Bear in mind that lots of people bought Teslas because they were committed to reducing emissions and because for a long time Teslas were the only viable EV. And it might not be possible, financially, for them to simply get rid of the car right now, especially if they don't want to support gas and oil interests. Focus your anger at the dealership level, discourage new purchases, but don't target individual drivers, otherwise we're just fighting amongst ourselves again.
Swasticars
Musk is also in deep with the Chinese Communist Party, receiving special loans and backing while he successfully sues Chinese customers who have been injured by his malfunctioning vehicles.
https://apnews.com/article/tesla-china-musk-investigation-takeaways-422af6d3c6e7cc88173d12891e8c0a9a
I sold my stock ages ago, discontinued our starlink, and do my damndest to avoid charging at superchargers. My car is over 6 years old and precedes any knowledge of the nazi’s nazi tendencies. I bought the car for environmental reasons and cannot afford to replace it. Most of us are good people who were doing the right thing when we bought our cars (cybertruck owners have no excuse). The fact that the CEO turned out to be a giant [expletive, expletive, expletive] is not our fault. Please don’t encourage people to hate us.
No one is encouraging anyone to hate Tesla owners. Suggesting a thumbs down gesture is fairly tame.
How do I deserve even "mild" negative responses?
Seriously, explain to me how having paid a company for something 7 years ago, and not being able to afford to replace it (ignoring the environmental impact of building and shipping a new car) means that I deserve to get a thumbs down everywhere I go? How does it mean that I deserve to have my car painted. Or as recently happened to me: someone leaving dog shit under my driver's door, so I ended up having to waste a couple of hours cleaning the car before going to the airport for a funeral? Why do I deserve that?
Why, as a person who has paid extra for their electricity to be able to source it from 100% renewables, so the charging I do at home isn't increasing CO2 should I get this kind of treatment?
There is ALREADY a stochastic terror effect, with real vandalism against Teslas, all of which is being cheered on by those thinking selling a car for which Tesla was paid long ago is going to make any difference at all?
Contrary to popular belief, most early owners of the Model 3, for example aren't made of money. After subsidies, it cost less than a mid-level Prius at the time.
That means we can't just go around buying new cars on a whim. But now we have to worry about people literally attacking our cars, because of the anti-Tesla fervor being generated by those pushing the idea that forcing people to sell their cars is going to have any impact at all on the issue.
We are no longer contributing to Tesla's profits. We should not be targeted.
"Make Tesla Toxic" and "Sell your car, sell your car, sell your car!" chants set the stage for making the drivers toxic if we can't comply. (Trust me, I have run every scenario I can think of trying to figure out if we can buy a new car right now, even though we still owe on our loan). We literally can't. We just can't.
Why do people who have been trying to do the right thing for the good of the planet deserve to be punished for someone else being an asshole?
I really want to understand the rationale.
Protesting dealerships 1000% makes sense. Not purchasing new 1000% makes sense. Advocating to cut government subsidies and contracts to his organization 1000% makes sense.
Advocating attacks against people who had NO FUCKING CLUE this is what the CEO would be doing years in the future? How does it make sense?
Just for those who don't know what I mean by the stochastic terror effect:
"Unlike incitement to terrorism, stochastic terrorism is accomplished with indirect, vague or coded language, which grants the instigator plausible deniability for any associated violence." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stochastic_terrorism)
The effect of this kind of targeting campaign is well understood - most normal people won't do anything harmful, but it is 100% predictable that people with certain types of personalities WILL do harmful things, targeted at ordinary people who were trying to do the right thing when they bought their cars.
Good stuff Melissa. I am posting on social media.
Great article, thanks!
“And MAGA voters have been so polarized to hate EVs that they’re not going to rush into buoy sinking sales and save Elon.”
Can’t roll coal in Tesla, and Heritage Fuckdation chief Kevin Roberts reportedly loves to do that.
Musk has all the hubris needed to take his empire and piss it away.
KILL Tesla.
It's Like I've Been Saying !! His Car's Are Junk !!? His Rocket Isn't Going Anywhere Soon !! All Paid For By US Tax Payer's !!? His Car Company Is Vastly Over Rated !! And Will Crash !!? His Rocket Company Is Nothing More Than A New Low Earth Orbit Rocket !! Not Capable Of Doing Anything Else !!? This Guy Is No Einstein !!? He Was Just In The Right Place At The Right Time !!? Otherwise He'd Be Worth Nothing !!? A Internet Start Up & Wallsteet Made him What He Is Nothing More !!? 🤔🤔🤔
Cybertruck=creaper van
These are great suggestions (and I personally hope to follow though)...but if world domination is the goal, losing a measly car company is just a cost of doing business.