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This morning, Reuters And AutoNieuws.com published headlines that read “Protesters at Tesla factories hold out in trees as German police clear the camp“And”German police clear protest location at Tesla Gigafactory“, respectively. These headlines highlighted that Elon Musk, once considered an environmentalist, is quickly approaching “Robber Barton” status.
Musk, the robber baron
For a historical perspective of what qualifies someone as a robber baron, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica
Robber Baron-A pejorative term for one of the powerful 19th-century American industrialists and financiers who made their fortunes by monopolizing vast industries through the formation of trusts, engaging in unethical business practices, exploiting workers, and paying little attention to their customers or competition …It has been argued that these capitalist pioneers were the “antecedents” of the organized crime that emerged in the United States during the Prohibition era (1920-1933). The robber barons transformed the wealth of the American frontier into vast financial empires, making their fortunes by monopolizing vital industries. These monopolies were in turn built on the liberal use of tactics that are the hallmark of organized crime today: intimidation, violence, corruption, conspiracies and fraud..
Delve a little deeper into infamous American robber barons of the past and the name “Leland Stanford” comes to mind, with uncanny similarities in transportation (building a transcontinental railroad) and politics (forming the Pacific Association, which used this to bring political influence to Stanford’s way of thinking and then become a US Senator).
Historically, such forms of American “the end justifies the means” capitalism have been praised among notable figures for their “tireless pursuit of success and material wealth,” leading to their glorification as enterprising magnates sometimes more politely referred to as “Captains.” of the industry.”
Musk, the environmentalist
Not long ago, during Tesla’s early years, the advocacy and praise for electric vehicle development was attributed solely to Elon Musk. Its popularity initially soared in places like California, where its implicit marketing messages of “Here is the future at your feet, and it’s all about creating a greener planet” overnight converts and acolytes for Elon Musk and Tesla created.
You couldn’t read a pro-Tesla comment without some pseudo-flowery child remark like “ICE vehicles are so stupid – why do those owners insist on poisoning our planet?! I would never buy a gas car.”
Oh…childhood. To feel the sting again.
However, you don’t have to look much to see Musk’s fall down a slippery green slope.
As an article was posted online in The Guardian stated just a year ago: “…contradictions run deep his (Musk’s) work and life:
“…once hailed as a kind of green Tony Stark – the genius inventor who leads a double life as superhero Iron Man – for single-handedly tackling the climate crisis Tesla for Tesla, helping shape a clean energy future and pushing for new taxes on fossil fuel use reduce fuel consumption.
But the world’s richest person’s climate credentials have been clouded by his embrace of right-wing politicians, some of whom decry global warming, and by his management of X, formerly known as Twitter, which has seen many climate scientists flee the platform amid climate change. an increase in misinformation about the climate crisis.”
More recently, Fortune magazine pointed out that “The battery that once sparked a great love between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and California car buyers slowly fade“in an article titled”As Tesla CEO Elon Musk continues to bash California and support Trump, West Coasters are taking revenge.”
One like that sentiments before the presidential election were on display on Twitterwith a former Musk fan admitting that Musk has changed, and that this now affects his decision to buy a Cybertruck.
Musk, the anti-environmentalist abroad
This brings us to today’s news about environmentalists and local groups in Germany protesting a European Tesla Gigafactory. It turns out the same gigafactory was the site of an earlier anti-Tesla protest over Elon Musk’s plans to double the site’s capacity to 100 gigawatt hours of battery production and 1 million cars per year, which would lead to Tesla becoming the European EV market would dominate.
The environmentalists expressed fears that expanding the plant, which is located in a drinking water protection area, would endanger the region’s water supply.
Here’s a video of that protest earlier this year:
Germany: Police clash with hundreds of climate protesters trying to storm the Tesla factory
Back to the robber barony
Unfortunately for anti-Musk and former Musk fans, the US presidential election did not go as they had hoped. In fact, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy were recently tapped on the back (if not knighted) for overseeing a sworn, newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was proclaimed as the US’s need for “super-high quality’. -IQ Small Government Revolutionaries” to get started on cost savings.
Currently, DODGE is a small advisory body and not an actual department, with a name “inspired by a joke cryptocurrency,” as The Economist notes. What becomes of this later may not be a joke.
Unless, of course… you’re the robber baron calling the shots.
As stated in a November 11 article titled “Tesla is not the only winner under Donald Trump“in the Economist,”Exactly how much Mr. Trump and his friends will benefit is uncertain. Elon Musk has added about $40 billion to his fortune thanks to the rising price of Tesla shares, up about 30% since November 5 – a nice return on the roughly $100 million he spent helping elect Trump..”
Hmmm… maybe those pesky German protesters are on to something after all.
Or as the German philologist and folklorist Jakob Ludwig Karl Grimm, co-writer/creator of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, once wrote:
“She’ll stab you one day,
Oh, very softly,
so you hardly ever feel it.
until you drop dead.”
For additional related articles on the effect of electric vehicles and their makers on country and culturemake sure you click on these two: “EV owners are causing an obesity epidemic“And”Cybertruck-type EVs that are probably worse for the environment than most ICE vehicles.”
Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and works on restoring older vehicles with engine modifications for better performance. He also reports on modern cars (including electric cars) with a focus on do-it-yourself mechanics, buying and using tools, and other related current auto repair news. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites as well as on Facebook and his car blog “Zen and the art of DIY car repair” for useful daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.
Image source: photos dump
Reference: Robber Baron | Definition, Meaning and Captains of Industry | Britannica money.
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