At first I thought this might be one of the weird misunderstandings
that arise from the fact that “middle class” means something very
different in the UK than it does in the US, but … Douglas Coupland?
Canadian Douglas Coupland? Where on EARTH is he getting the idea that
Musk’s family background is “about as middle class… as was possible in
the late 20th century”?
To be fair Elon Musk upbringing was pretty typical for the middle class, His father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. His mother was a fifteen year old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet. His father would womanize, he would drink, he would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Some times he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy, the sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. His childhood was typical, summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring he'd make meat helmets. When he was insolent he was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds, pretty standard really. At the age of 12 he received his first scribe. At the age of fourteen, a Zoroastrian named Vilma ritualistically shaved his testicles. There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum, it's breathtaking, I suggest you try it.
This made me realize I myself have turned into Elon 'names spaceships after 80s movies' Musk. (I mean, I also make stupid movie references all the time).
AMA im middle class Musk, me and my Goth GF broke up however.
I just want somebody to ask him about body modification in the Culture novels, so he can confirm or deny the rumors he had work done down there, and if it is powered by bluetooth. (E: Apparently this rumor was started by the trueanon podcast)
I guess it depends on how far you go with "family background", my understanding is that Musk's dad acquired an emerald mine under shady circumstances, but that before that they weren't exactly wealthy, and when his racist granddad immigrated to South Africa they were fairly middle-class.
If you look at the actual context, the piece quotes someone else's claim, and responds to it.
Are you really this illiterate? You didn't notice that the various claims/headlines are in fact not the author's own claims?
I can’t believe someone got paid money to publish what amounts to the
detached incoherent ramblings of a middle schooler defending his
favorite superhero
I absolutely believe I'll live to see every gain by organized labour torn down and trampled by the rich out of pure spite, but unlike this guy I know they won't pick favourites.
Guess I live in a different multiverse, in mine only Jobs had that ability, Musk tries to, but his shit just doesn't seem to work, or even worse, it looks like it works, until Musk gives a press conference, then Robots turn human, bulletproof glass breaks, solar panels fail (*).
He should have never build that Tesla plant on Native land.
E: (More serious, it is not just musk of course: https://doctorow.medium.com/drone-delivery-is-bullshit-5e659eb60ba3 )
*: im joking here about the time where Musk presented something and went 'all the houses here are covered in our new solar panels, you can order them in 4 variants', where most of them simply didn't work (and you can only get 1 variant). (So to be technically correct, he didnt lie, there were solar panels, they just didnt work, and also the solar panels didn't fail, as they didnt work but, some comedic license was taken)
> My theory is tech companies promise to deliver impossible things n order to cultivate an air of mystical capability that’s invoked to mask real-world awfulness.
Holy shit. That perfectly describes it. A bunch of smoke and mirrors about high-flying nothing to distract from the mundane harm being done.
The big one: "going to Mars"
Solving climate change is more critical for human survival than pretending to be in a sci-fi novel (or at least pretending to be a few hundred years in the future, which might be the earliest a Mars colony can be self-sustaining)
But talking about AI threat and random extinction threats that mean we need to go to Mars is a great way to draw attention away from the destructive practises of current Earth-capitalism. It's excellent escapism.
>Musk gives a press conference, then Robots turn human, bulletproof glass breaks, solar panels fail.
Huh? They never claimed that the dancer was a robot. In fact, he said so right after the dance.
Yes, bullet proof glass can break under the right circumstances. So?
The solar panels didn't fail.
What are you talking about? I just pointed out to you that no one claimed that it was an actual robot, and that they said so right after the dance.
At this point, it seems you are just trolling and don't care about reality.
In my universe he did say it was a working prototype which he would perfect in a year when his car AI would become self aware so it could also do chores. Then the robot transformed into grimes in a suit.
Just look at the vids, they are on youtube. There is a list somewhere, look for the one where they talk about the factories he build on native land and The Curse.
Funding secured.
E: Lol your post history, the musk must be defended. (Im not kidding btw, this person runs a 'the anti musk people are wrong' [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/SRRTS/) (1 regular poster, guess their name ;) ), and a 'the competitor of tesla is bad' subreddit).
Ow look a liar. Tesla isnt private funny guy.
And I dont just hate, I also make joke references to 80s media. Look Morty, I changed myself in a musk, im middle class musk Morty! I also hate shorts!
Redditor, are you seriously saying here the '420' tweet was serious? And not you know a lie/joke? Hahah you are the perfect encapsulation of the simpsons meme
That's not what we were discussing. Now we were discussing your claim that anyone said that Tesla was already private.
And yes, the 420 tweet was serious. As court papers showed, he had actually talked to specific investors about it, who said they were interested. However, he never had a contract so nothing formalized or finalized. There was no formal offer, just people showing interest.
You got to admit, this guy coming back here again again to defend the honour of Grand Lord Of Innovation Musky is a funny. Esp when [he is totally missing subtext](https://www.reddit.com/r/SneerClub/comments/pe05ah/til_middle_class_emerald_mines/hb33he7/). We should introduce him into Rationalism, see how long it takes for him to go full racist neo-nazi.
So transitioning the world to sustainable energy and transport is destructive?
I suppose you would prefer the fossil fuel industry to carry on as normal.
So transitioning the world to sustainable energy and transport is destructive?
I suppose you would prefer the fossil fuel industry to carry on as normal.
[deleted]
At first I thought this might be one of the weird misunderstandings that arise from the fact that “middle class” means something very different in the UK than it does in the US, but … Douglas Coupland? Canadian Douglas Coupland? Where on EARTH is he getting the idea that Musk’s family background is “about as middle class… as was possible in the late 20th century”?
Who is Douglas Copeland arguing against here? Presumably the same people aren’t making both those points…
Sad to hear that Coupland has come down with brainworms.
Odd to see the grauniad pick “pro tax-dodging, covid-minimising, antivaxx* multi-billionaires” as a platform to champion.
I can’t believe someone got paid money to publish what amounts to the detached incoherent ramblings of a middle schooler defending his favorite superhero
lol, searched the article and not a word about his covid/vaccine skepticism tweets.
Look, some people just love the taste of boot.
Elswhere, Douglas Coupland states that “there will be no more weekends, it’ll be one smooth flow” as if this is a positive improvement.
What emerald mines?