Exactly 4 years ago today, I picked up a new Tesla Model 3 from a dealership in St. Louis.
I think the car is fantastic. It still feels like I’m driving something from the future. It drives itself on highways, it knows who I am when I approach the vehicle, and it gets all the fuel it needs from my garage. Thanks to software updates, it’s an even better car than when I bought it in 2021.
4 years ago, Elon Musk was a kooky billionaire who was making–or trying to make–futuristic technology today. He’s far from alone–Tesla has over 100,000 employees. A lot of people put their time, expertise, and creativity into making Tesla vehicles. But Elon has played a key role in making the company a success.
But since that time, Elon has gone from an eccentric billionaire to a far right-wing activist with an immense amount of power. He owns Twitter, he’s accessed secure government records, and he seems to be the president’s sidekick. Together they are dismantling the government at a startling rate, laying off thousands of people who keep us safe, who protect America’s nature, and who speak for those who have no voice. That’s really just the tip of the iceberg. The entire last month has left me deeply disturbed about what has happened and what is to come.
Meanwhile, I continue to drive around in a Tesla. Instead of feeling excited to drive my Model 3, I feel ashamed. The car is fully paid off, so Musk only benefits on the rare occasion when I use a supercharger to refuel. Part of me believes that a good way to not support Musk is to drive the car for as many years as possible. But another part of me feels like driving a Tesla is like driving a billboard for Musk, even if I stoutly disagree with him politically. This leaves me hoping that there will be another electric car in the not-so-distant future that is just as good as the Model 3. If/when that happens, I will seriously consider changing.
What do you think?
Ben has a BMW i4 and we love it. He says it is the equivalent.
Thanks for the recommendation! I’ve heard good things about that car.
I saw a Tesla with 2 bumper stickers today:
“I bought this before I knew Elon was a tool”
And
“F Elon”
That person felt the same you did!
I’ve looked into some bumper stickers, and they’re either along those lines or they call Musk “crazy”. While I strongly disagree with his political views and actions, I also don’t want to be a voice of hate towards anyone.
Lean into the hate. They will.
Best to combat hate with love. Love those you would love, no matter what anyone else says or does. Speak for those with no voice. Speak for the marginalized. Help those who need help. Hating will just raise blood pressure on both sides.
We had a 2021 Tesla 3, also paid off. On November 7 my wife told me she wants to get rid of it. On November 9 we traded it in a got a Chevy Equinox EV which has been fantastic so far. Personally I was indifferent in keeping it or not even when I saw the direction he went in but I can tell you today that I’d be disgusted in driving a Tesla. Not even from the perspective of supporting him, just the fact that it’s identified with him, I want nothing to do with Teslas.
I can very much relate to that, Nir, and I’m glad you like the car!
Jamey,
Other people gave the same concern. Some have bought funny bumper stickers like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Bought-Before-Bumper-Sticker-Accessory/dp/B0C696QHYQ
Other people, like Shania Twain, have donated their Teslas to NPR.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fauxmoi/comments/1ipt1vr/sheryl_crow_sells_tesla_and_donates_money_to_npr/?rdt=57697
Asa
Thanks for sharing! Impressive by Shania.
Thank you for your article. I strongly disagree with you politically, but that doesn’t mean I should stop buying and playing your games. I respect you as a designer and will continue to do so.
Also, calling him a far-right activist is unfair—it’s like labeling all Democrat supporters as communists. I grew up in a communist country, and I’m surprised by how easily people in the West fall for the communist agenda.
Thanks.
It’s not about objecting to a public person’s politicial views, it’s about objecting to blatant corruption and a proto-oligarchy.
It’s surprising you don’t find yourself agreeing more here. One of the many critiques of communism is that these injustices were allowed to flurish without democratic checks and balances.
There are plenty of artists and some designers who I disagree with politically and I have no problem enjoying or buying their art. That’s not the issue. If Jamey pushed his way into the government and started actively hurting the country, I would probably stop buying Stonemaier games. just like I wouldn’t buy a car from Mussolini.
I also grew up in a communist country and there’s nothing I see Democrat do get even near what communism did. Most western European countries are much more to the left that US Democrats and while you can disagree with their policies, nobody calls them Communist regimes.
I think there are plenty of other EVs that are just as good, if not better than Tesla. Tesla Cybertrucks are actually banned in Europe and UK for safety reasons and Tesla sales in Europe have fallen by over 60% in some countries. Unfortunately, if you drive a Tesla now, you run the risk of being viewed, explicitly or implicitly, as a Musk supporter, especially if you are driving a new Tesla. Putting large anti-Musk stickers is one way to highlight you do not support him but people should be careful if they do this as they might be more likely to incur the wrath of some MAGA extremist.
As for the last comment by John B – there is a world of difference between Musk and Jamey. Stonemaier brings joy to everyone and treat all their customers with respect and dignity. Musk on the other hand is fast becoming the antithesis of everything Jamey and Stonemaier stand for in the board game community – Jamey and his team exemplify humanity, inclusion, ethics and morality. Musk has none of these qualities.
The world is descending into a very dark place when the leader of the most powerful country is openly trying to become
America’s Putin and a large swathe of the population are enthusiastically cheering it on – someone who portrays openly fascistic tendencies on authoritarianism, ultra-nationalism, cult of personality, corporate elitism, machismo and contempt for minorities, propaganda and disdain for the free press and rule of law. Musk is supporting far right MAGA in the US, the AfD far right party in Germany and far right Reform UK party in Britain. He allows far right and nazi content on twitter to go unchecked. If Musk looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck….and no I’m not talking Quedlinburg.
With today’s social media and US media focus on ratings over the public good, I have some sympathy with James O’Brien’s catchphrase used for Brexit but repurposed for MAGA – “contempt for the conmen, compassion for the conned”. While many people in the US like Trump’s and Musk’s bull in a China shop approach to tearing down institutions and agencies, hopefully they will come to realise before its too late that they are the china.
My experience has followed yours. I also bought a Model 3, just a couple of months after you did. I felt similarly about Elon when I bought it, and my opinion on Elon has shifted in largely the same way yours has.
It’s unfortunate. I certainly would not buy a new Tesla today, as a result. However, I already have it, and truthfully, both you and I use products every single day that are made by companies owned by terrible people. Many of them nearly as bad as Musk, just less publicly so.
I’m not a bumper sticker person, and I don’t really feel the need to make my car a political statement one way or the other. I don’t live in the US, so I’m not stuck in a “my team, their team” mentality. But I certainly acknowledge that it makes the car more divisive, and it does make me enjoy the car slightly less, even though I agree with you that it’s an incredible vehicle.
If Musk hadn’t become who he is now, Tesla or Lucid would basically be the only cars I’d be considering for my next purchase, and it probably would have been another Tesla. It won’t be, now.
I appreciate you relating to this conundrum. The same thought you mentioned has crossed my mind about other companies. I don’t want to assume the worst about them, but no company is perfect, and it seems that the bigger the company, the less perfect they (and their owners) are.
I’m keeping an eye on the Lucid. Currently their options are a little bigger than what I want from a car (the Model 3 is the ideal size for me), but perhaps that will change in the future.
This is an interesting subject, as it’s one that I had considered far more for media and art than science. My examples, Bill Cosby, H.P. Lovecraft, and Penn State’s Joe Paterno. The first, in my mind remains one of the funniest clean comedians ever. Watch “Himself” and I defy you to think otherwise. Stephen King is one of many who would consider Lovecraft the father (or grandfather) of modern horror. Finally, Paterno’s Penn State football team was an exemplar of gentlemen playing the game. All three of these men had significant issues which tarnished, if completely shredded, their reputations. As I’ve gotten oler, I have been able separate the art from the artist. In the same way, I own a Tesla and love it…but I’m not a fan, especially as a federal civilian, of Elon Musk. He should not be in the position he’s in and there may be real issues for him in the future.