Musk’s gesture has received mixed reactions from politicians and academics, with some likening it to a Nazi salute and others saying it was an accidental action made in the heat of his victory speech.
I don’t think he meant it as “let’s go round up the Jews age conquer Europe” (or Canada or whatever). He’s very likely on the autism spectrum and likely thought it was funny and just wanted to see how the mass media would react. He acts like a child in so many other contexts (dancing robots at the Tesla event? Seriously?), why not here?
That doesn’t make it okay, and it’s certainly inappropriate given the event, but it also doesn’t make him a Nazi.
Not to criticize you personally for playing devils advocate but fuck this weak ass justification.
This guy is the richest person in the world and he didn’t become that by being some disadvantaged individual who doesn’t understand what he’s doing at times. He knew full well what he was doing. He was grinning the whole fucking time and acts like he knows he’s untouchable.
I agree that I don’t think he wants to ‘round up Jews and exterminate them,’ but I do think he wanted to empower the nut jobs that do believe in that (not just Jews but every Republican enemy) while also drumming up controversy to get everyone talking about him like he’s always done in the past. He thinks this is all a game with few stakes for himself.
No, but coupled with the other people he’s teaming up with, and the other things he’s done, it’s a pretty sure bet he’s a nazi and meant it as such. Autism is not an excuse, and nazi salutes are not even in the same ballpark as dancing fucking robots! How do you even manage to equate the two???
Autism makes it more difficult to read social norms, and if you mix that with childishness and enough money to not care what others think (and maybe some drugs as well), you get Elon.
I explicitly said it doesn’t make it okay, I said it doesn’t imply anything about his personal political views.
How do you even manage to equate the two???
They’re both childish. There’s really not more to it.
Look up his family history. His grandpa was a technocrat and raved about Orania. He’s a product of his upbringing. His Dad ran emerald mines during Apartheid. Racism is taught. He’s a damn nazi.
My parents were pretty conservative, I’m religious and my religion leans very conservative, and I grew up in a pretty conservative part of a liberal state (lots of, “those libs are holding us back”). You’d assume I’d be very conservative, no? I was as a kid, but once I moved to a conservative state, I saw how both major parties were full of nonsense and found a home with libertarianism (not the Libertarian Party, they’re an embarrassment). I’m a bit further left on many social issues than most Democrats, and I take a bit from both parties on fiscal issues. Most of my neighbors are conservative, most my coworkers are progressive, and I just don’t talk about politics much with either.
My cousin married a white South African and I have a white South African coworker, and both are quite liberal despite having a similar upbringing as Musk (not rich, but certainly benefitted from apartheid) and growing up in my very red state.
I don’t think anyone is “a product of their upbringing.” If Elon is a Nazi, that’s because of choices he made, not his parents. If we consider the totality of the circumstances, I don’t think Elon making a brief, Nazi-looking salute saying “my heart goes out to you” is the smoking gun people claim it is, I think it’s much more likely that it’s him looking for attention. He knew the mass media was going to make a spectacle of him regardless like they always do, so he decided to give them something to talk about.
If Elon or anyone is going to actually do Nazi stuff and mean it, it’ll be behind closed doors, not on a nationally televised Inauguration Day event.
“I dont think he meant to shoot anyone he just walked up to a cop and pointed a gun at them, he likely thought it was funny and wanted to see how the cop would react”
That’s… quite a bit more extreme than what I was talking about. On the other hand, people have gotten shot by police for much less (even just verbally standing up for their rights), so maybe you have a point.
Elon isn’t very classy, but I honestly don’t think he’s a Nazi.
Playing devil’s advocate here.
I don’t think he meant it as “let’s go round up the Jews age conquer Europe” (or Canada or whatever). He’s very likely on the autism spectrum and likely thought it was funny and just wanted to see how the mass media would react. He acts like a child in so many other contexts (dancing robots at the Tesla event? Seriously?), why not here?
That doesn’t make it okay, and it’s certainly inappropriate given the event, but it also doesn’t make him a Nazi.
Not to criticize you personally for playing devils advocate but fuck this weak ass justification.
This guy is the richest person in the world and he didn’t become that by being some disadvantaged individual who doesn’t understand what he’s doing at times. He knew full well what he was doing. He was grinning the whole fucking time and acts like he knows he’s untouchable.
I agree that I don’t think he wants to ‘round up Jews and exterminate them,’ but I do think he wanted to empower the nut jobs that do believe in that (not just Jews but every Republican enemy) while also drumming up controversy to get everyone talking about him like he’s always done in the past. He thinks this is all a game with few stakes for himself.
No, but coupled with the other people he’s teaming up with, and the other things he’s done, it’s a pretty sure bet he’s a nazi and meant it as such. Autism is not an excuse, and nazi salutes are not even in the same ballpark as dancing fucking robots! How do you even manage to equate the two???
I never said it was.
Autism makes it more difficult to read social norms, and if you mix that with childishness and enough money to not care what others think (and maybe some drugs as well), you get Elon.
I explicitly said it doesn’t make it okay, I said it doesn’t imply anything about his personal political views.
They’re both childish. There’s really not more to it.
Look up his family history. His grandpa was a technocrat and raved about Orania. He’s a product of his upbringing. His Dad ran emerald mines during Apartheid. Racism is taught. He’s a damn nazi.
Are you a product of your upbringing?
My parents were pretty conservative, I’m religious and my religion leans very conservative, and I grew up in a pretty conservative part of a liberal state (lots of, “those libs are holding us back”). You’d assume I’d be very conservative, no? I was as a kid, but once I moved to a conservative state, I saw how both major parties were full of nonsense and found a home with libertarianism (not the Libertarian Party, they’re an embarrassment). I’m a bit further left on many social issues than most Democrats, and I take a bit from both parties on fiscal issues. Most of my neighbors are conservative, most my coworkers are progressive, and I just don’t talk about politics much with either.
My cousin married a white South African and I have a white South African coworker, and both are quite liberal despite having a similar upbringing as Musk (not rich, but certainly benefitted from apartheid) and growing up in my very red state.
I don’t think anyone is “a product of their upbringing.” If Elon is a Nazi, that’s because of choices he made, not his parents. If we consider the totality of the circumstances, I don’t think Elon making a brief, Nazi-looking salute saying “my heart goes out to you” is the smoking gun people claim it is, I think it’s much more likely that it’s him looking for attention. He knew the mass media was going to make a spectacle of him regardless like they always do, so he decided to give them something to talk about.
If Elon or anyone is going to actually do Nazi stuff and mean it, it’ll be behind closed doors, not on a nationally televised Inauguration Day event.
“I dont think he meant to shoot anyone he just walked up to a cop and pointed a gun at them, he likely thought it was funny and wanted to see how the cop would react”
That’s… quite a bit more extreme than what I was talking about. On the other hand, people have gotten shot by police for much less (even just verbally standing up for their rights), so maybe you have a point.
Elon isn’t very classy, but I honestly don’t think he’s a Nazi.