A few years ago, I bought a used Tesla, not because I’m a car fanatic, but because I’ve been a hypocrite. For years, I have been outspoken about the risks of carbon emissions from cars. However, at the same time, he was driving an old fuel cell that got about 25 miles per gallon, and it felt like a rocket launch every time he started the engine. The car was not practical, but it had sentimental value. My environmental activist friends were I wasn’t inspired by my diligent urban composting, my LED light bulb installations, and my energy-efficient appliances. I had to do more to reduce my car’s carbon footprint. The icebergs were melting, my friends said, and at least one polar bear was wandering around homeless and hungry because of me. Many insisted that Teslas were the most productive for the environment. They are expensive but they value it. So I said goodbye to my power gunner and took the plunge.
Opinion To what extent will a mercurial Elon Musk, who doesn’t enjoy running a social media site, push his moderation limits? November 10, 2022 Someone once said Teslas were smartphones on wheels, so for a technologically challenged adult like me, getting into the driver’s seat for the first time was like trying to master calculus after failing algebra. Where was the ignition? How to make things happen? What is a keychain? It took me a few weeks to get the gist of it, but I began to feel a genuine affection for the car’s elegant design and amenities. But this feeling did not last long. Due to the recent revelation of Elon Musk’s political views (all of which I hate), I’m starting to worry about the kind of politics the car is generating. Will other people see me as a symbol of right-wing environmentalism, a living oxymoron? When I bought the car, I had no genuine opinion on Musk’s somewhat murky political beliefs. Now that Musk is said to have moved to the far right (banning journalists on Twitter and reinstating neo-Nazis), he horrifies me at being associated with his logo every time I drive anywhere. What plans does Musk have with this acquisition and destruction of Twitter? Commercial? Political power? This is definitely not a monetary strategy. If there’s one demographic that’s unlikely to buy a Tesla, it’s climate change deniers and the anti-science voices they accommodate. Musk has turned Twitter into an unpoliced playground for neo-Nazis and other random hate mongers and flamboyant QAnon followers. He was all Trumpian and responded lukewarmly to Kanye West’s scandalous flirtation with Hitler. As if all that weren’t enough, the cruel remedy Musk gave to his Twitter workers (a pre-Christmas layoff with no severance pay) was downright Dickensian.
Freedom of expression is not limited to expressing your opinions. It is also about the right to persuade, to pay attention and to be heard. This can’t happen on Twitter if Musk spreads incorrect information. 27, 2022 Given Musk’s political descent to the dark side, I wonder if I deserve to sell my Tesla in protest. How would this negatively affect Musk? Actually, not at all. Selling a used Tesla would not pose any challenge for the company. Even if I were part of a larger movement and many other politically conscious potential Tesla homeowners opted for other, newer electric vehicles, would a hit to Tesla inventory really replace any of Tesla’s policy? Musk? There would be collateral damage. How many other people would lose their jobs if other people stopped buying Teslas? I don’t know if I’m worth selling it, but I know I don’t feel as comfortable driving it anymore. It’s a superbly designed, carbon-neutral car and, above all, I was proud to own it and be noticed behind the wheel of a vehicle that demonstrated my fear for the environment. But I’m a liberal, and if Musk’s policies don’t radically replace it for the better, driving a Tesla will become, at least for me, as hypocritical and unsustainable as driving a gas-guzzling car once was. John Blumenthal is a former magazine editor. He lives in Santa Monica. A Cure for Common Opinion Get thought-provoking perspectives with our weekly newsletter. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Notice October 9, 2023 Notice October 9, 2023 Notice October 9, 2023 Notice October 9, 2023
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