A Letter to Elon Musk: Childhood envy to political resentment
Connecting politics, science and personal sentiment
Dear Elon,
I grew up in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area, which happens to be located in the state that has been leading in Tesla car sales for the past sixteen years. I could barely spell the word “Tesla” back in 2008. I remember growing up driving around with my dad seeing the “shiny- spaceship cars,” the older I get the more we’d see. We even started playing “punch buggy” with Teslas instead of Volkswagen bugs. It was a sign of status in the Bay Area, not only that you were progressive and “care about the environment” but you were well to do and could drive a luxury car if you weren’t so green. We never drove a Tesla… couldn’t afford it but my dad remodeled and built houses for those who did. So, thank you Elon for making me aware of the wealth gap while I was riding in my dad’s old pickup truck on the way to elementary school.
That being said, you've also provided me quite a bit of technical inspiration. As an engineering student, I am genuinely fascinated by the cutting-edge technologies being developed at Tesla, Neuralink, and SpaceX. These companies are at the forefront of innovation, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the realms of electric vehicles, brain-computer interfaces, and space exploration. Tesla, the engineering challenges are immense, requiring advancements in battery technology, power electronics, and motor design. Neuralink's brain-computer interface technology holds incredible promise, with the engineering feats required to develop these miniaturized, biocompatible devices being mind-boggling. And then there's SpaceX, which has revolutionized the space industry with its reusable rocket technology, showcasing the brilliant minds shaping the future of transportation, healthcare, and space exploration. It's the politics you’ve placed behind me that concerns me.
Let’s take a walk together down the winding road that is your political affiliations, shall we? I have observed with great interest the evolution of your political leanings over the years. In the early 2010s, your focus was firmly on the technological advancement at Tesla and SpaceX, maintaining a politically neutral stance. I understand this, sometimes tech needs to stay neutral to develop to its fullest potential, to not be used for someone else's gain. However, after that tiny glimpse of neutrality, I struggle to understand you. Starting in 2015, you began publicly supporting certain Republican candidates and policies, particularly around issues like carbon taxes and government support for sustainable energy. Sure, you picked a side that seemed to suit your primary company at the time.
By the 2016 election, your political alignment seemed somewhat fluid. You initially expressed support for Hillary Clinton, but later met with then-candidate Donald Trump and joined his business advisory council. Even after Trump's election, you remained on the council, though you also criticized some of his policies, such as the withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement. I believe most of us still weren’t sure where you stood after this, I sure wasn’t.
Once again you pulled a huge electric powered U-turn during the 2020 election by endorsing the Democratic candidate Tulsi Gabbard, citing her positions on free speech and reducing the influence of big tech. So how on earth did we get to you fully endorsing former President Trump this Summer? I must’ve blacked out due to whiplash from one of the previous turns. Suddenly, the thousands of Teslas with a “Biden X Harris” bumper sticker slapped on I’ve seen in some of the most liberal cities in the country are about as hypocritical as you. What a perfect picture of United States politics.
For the sake of argument, I will pretend for a moment that this choice to support and amplify the conservative viewpoints of Trump makes sense. Let’s focus on the fact that your close relationship with former President Trump and your control of the social media platform X have raised alarms about the risks of misinformation and the potential to sway election outcomes. A breeding ground for political debate being owned by someone incredibly politically biased… sounds like a great combination. Additionally, your ability to leverage your platforms and wealth to influence public opinion and policy decisions is deeply concerning for the integrity of our democratic institutions.
Getting more into the technical weeds from which your success has grown, your political alignment with Trump has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest between your personal political agenda and the operations and sales of your companies, particularly Tesla. The prospect of policy changes that could benefit Tesla due to your political connections is a troubling development with broader implications for the tech industry and its relationship with the political sphere. The ethical implications of tech leaders like you influencing the development and regulation of emerging technologies, such as Neuralink's brain-computer interfaces, are particularly alarming. The concentration of political power in the hands of tech moguls poses significant risks to the responsible advancement of these technologies and the broader societal impact they may have. Musk, your political positions and actions could directly impact the trajectory of Neuralink's technology, raising concerns about the ethical implications of brain-computer interfaces being shaped by political agendas. Robust governance and public oversight are crucial to ensure the responsible development and regulation of Neuralink and similar emerging technologies, safeguarding against the risks of unchecked political influence. Don’t even get me started on the implications of politicizing SpaceX.
To conclude, surging political activism and the growing concentration of tech power in the hands of a few individuals demand urgent attention and action. Increased scrutiny and regulation are necessary to address the risks posed by the tech-politics nexus and uphold the principles of democratic accountability and ethical technology development. I would urge you to rethink your decisions, but I know you won’t. So instead, I will thank you for your existence, your technology and your decision making that provided me quite an education in not only social economics but especially in politics and hypocrisy. Whether that's a lesson in what to do or what not to do, I will leave that for you and your engineers to figure out.
Your student,
Michael