Technology

I'm willing to give him credit where credit is due. I am not willing to simply give him the benefit of any doubts though.

He does deserve credit for speeding innovation in the electric vehicle arena, no question. Battery technology was also pushed forward by this. You cannot say it wasn't inevitable simply because entrenched interests were resisting though. This implies that A: big companies cannot change, and B: no other individuals were ever going to make a play with a new company. This is giving him the benefit of doubt. This positive is also colored by the fact that electric vehicles are a good and important step, but not really a solution to anything. You have to be careful that your electricity generation is clean, otherwise you simply move emissions from the tailpipe to the power plant.

Similarly, I do give him credit for spurring advances in re-useable rocketry. A Mars base, however, is a pretty terrible idea that is still many decades away from even the planning phase. A Moonbase or an orbital base, now that's a better idea. I would go into why, but many, many people have already done this, and it's a long, science-filled discussion.

These things granted, they do not exist in a vacuum. I also weigh them against any negatives Musk creates for the world. His gigafactory in Shanghai, his purchasing of twitter, his support for strongmen, pushing pro-Russian narratives etc.

When this weighing is done with as much neutrality and objectivity as I can, personally I find him wanting. On top of this, having formerly been a very big fan of his, this strikes as a betrayal. He used to be a positive impact on the world, but in the final balance, is no longer. I don't quite hate him, but I am certainly no fan any more.

If you want to see things accurately, try to avoid bias both for, and against. Nobody actually deserves benefit of doubt. Make sure you understand the arguments both sides put forward. Then you can weigh. While we can never be perfectly objective and know all the factors, this will at least get a person closer to actual fairness.

When I personally do all this, I arrive at Elon simply being a major corporation, no different from the rest of them. Mainly resting on a bed of marketing bullshit. I treat him as such.

Buddy, look up some facts on the distance to and conditions of Mars. Then look up how far a real human being has actually gone in space.

Mars colonies are a stupid fucking idea that scientifically literate people who understand basic facts about Mars know wont ever happen. Makes it that much more painful how easily Americans buy into that as a "plan" that a company is realistically pursuing.

When he entered, there were no cars produced yet. Elon entered in '03, the first Roadster was produced in '08.

Yeah, that is how small companies start.

It's a turn of phrase. No one's denying what Ford was.