It’s hard not to be impressed by our collective humanity when the world’s wealthiest person is forced to retreat.
Don’t get me wrong—Musk is by no means defeated or contained. But his advances have been thoroughly rejected by the masses. We should keep this victory (even if partial) in mind as oligarchs continue trying to undermine democracy: the people still have the power.
This fact, that we still have the power, upsets the oligarchs. Despite their best efforts at forcing subjugation and their attempts to blind us from the truth of humanity - equality and justice -, we can still mount a collective response when the foundations of our civilisation are threatened.
Musk was (is) such a threat. He overstepped and we put him back in his place. Tesla’s value will likely never recover. Musk will remain toxic to anyone associated with him. Not so much a bloody nose for Musk, but a loss of a limb for his company. He can, of course, afford the best prosthetic to feign recovery, but it will take a lot of therapy for him to unravel the humiliating rejection of his worldview.
Musk will unlikely take this defeat as he should: a sign he needs to reflect on his behaviour and world views. Instead, he will, like all immature, entitled oligarchs, find others to carry the blame. Perhaps it’s that Trump didn’t properly listen to him. Perhaps it was ‘other’ intelligent people undermining his plan; because they can’t fully see the genius of it: if only we had let Musk lead the way, and shape society in his own image, all would be well.
As has become apparent over the last few months and years, Musk isn’t one of the world’s great thinkers. Far from it.
He is not wrong that if everyone submitted to his beliefs and followed his lead that there would be less conflict and perhaps even some economic propesperity for his disciplies. So shallow is Musk’s insights into the human condition that he can’t see that this would be true for virtually anyone. Had we all followed Mussolini then there would be less conflict. Had we all obeyed any leader of modern times there would be much less conflict. Musk’s ‘magic recipe’ for success is the same argument made by every dictator: sacrifice your own individuality and a large part of your ability to influence the world around you, and in return, I will give you stability. Stability to do what? This simple question breaches the available ‘wisdom’ to Musk and all other oligarchs; they will have the power and really that’s all that matters.
It sounds like a slight when we recall the evidence: greedy people have underdeveloped brains. It sounds like a convenient partial truth that makes us all feel a bit better. But it isn’t. It is factual that the greediest amongst us (a small proportion of people, <5%) have underdeveloped brains. They have failed to mature. At some point in their lives (in part genetics, in part their upbringing) they have failed to develop the key areas of the brain that separate us from most other animals; and bring consciousness will and creativity. It is a factually correct statement to say: that oligarchs are amongst the least neurologically developed humans.
They can’t handle complexity. They can’t even process the details involved in normal, social relationships. When discussions on how to balance resources with need, or personal freedom with social cohesion, they simply can’t even put the ideas into their heads. Instead, they will look to reduce it. If society follows them then we end up with less of all the things we care about: relationships, choice, freedom, individuality, security.
Musk, like other oligarchs, think they are right not because they have considered social theory, evolutionary neuroscience, neuropsychology, or even political sciences; they think they are right because they can’t consider anything else. They don’t even have the basic morals required to lead a society that is (and always has been) based on social norms and values. They cannot understand the very thing they are trying to control.
Musk will retreat to save his empire. He will default back to manipulating the masses through Twitter and strategic spending and lobbying. Musk remains powerful and maligned. But we, the people, defeated him. We the people showed him that all his power over us - every last bit of it - came from us. All his aggressive takeover attempt has done is to remind us of this: the people hold the power. Let us never forget.
This is so beautiful because it states the truth. The responsibility is, always has been, and will always be with us.
He needs to go to mars with his baby mommas and start a new inbred society .