Well, I Guess This Makes Me A Traitor

Thirty Eight years working for the defense of the nation, twenty-one wearing its cloth, and it turns out that I am a traitor. At least as is defined by Donald Trump’s ketamine-addled, extra-Constitutional co-President, Elon Musk, who took this opportunity to impugn the motives of a genuine American hero/Naval Aviator/Astronaut Senator who happens to disagree with him and his co-President. Because as I read the straightforward statement of the Senator in this Tweet, I agree with every single word. More to the point, I want to see Russia LOSE, and by that I mean withdraw their forces from ALL of Ukraine. I await the authorities presumably en route to put me in irons to face trial.

Here are a few other beliefs/examples of my potentially justiciable treachery:

• Birthright citizenship is the law.

• The President does not have the authority to spend or not spend appropriated funds, unless the appropriation gives him this special authority.

• The Article I branches are superior to the Executive in our form of government.

• Immigration is a net benefit to the United States.

• Tariffs are always and everywhere a tax on consumers.

• Entitlement spending must be reformed.

• Russia is our political, economic, and military adversary.

This is all very unlikely to end well.

Is a Car Just A Car?

Speaking of Elon Musk, when he isn’t Co-President, he (among other things) runs the world’s largest manufacturer of Electric Vehicles, Tesla. Long-standing and attentive readers (H/T Jack Henneman) will recall that I recently (September) purchased an EV (a Lucid Air Pure), or rather, I leased it. In the run up to that decision, I closely evaluated the Tesla Model S, which is not only an engineering marvel, but it is also a very attractive car.

In conversation one day with Dash 1 (my elder daughter), she asked what cars I was looking at. “You’re not going to buy a Tesla, are you?”. I was intrigued. This was August or so, and while he clearly had begun to play his political cards by then, he was not as yet, Co-President. We had a little chat, and in this exchange, she made it clear that her personal aversion to Mr. Musk’s politics would make her unable to buy one of his cars. I indicated that while I was no fan of the future Co-President, his politics/conduct were not at all involved in which car I’d eventually settle for. Truth be told, I thought the Model S looked too much like a Porsche, which while ordinarily a good thing, was not the “look” I was going for as a 59 year-old man.

Seven months later and Mr. Musk’s (see above) journey into unelected political power matched by unparalleled media coverage has proven somewhat problematic. I have grown from neutrality when it comes to his person and admiration when it comes to his achievements and capacity, to simple disdain. I do not like him, I do not feel his growing power is good for the country, and I would certainly not knowingly put money in his pocket by buying one of his cars. I suppose it was just a matter of degree. My girl reached her conclusion earlier than I did, but I am right with her now.

But what if I had not been looking for a more luxe vehicle seven months ago, and I fell for the (wonderful) Tesla S? Where would I be today? Would I be one of these people who is performatively getting rid of their Tesla for all of social media to see, in some vain attempt to spite the Co-President? I don’t think so. While I do support their act, I am less supportive of the reasons they put forward to sell. You bought the car because it was cool, because it was “sustainable”, and because you thought it good for the environment. None of that has changed. You didn’t buy the car because of how you felt about Musk.

That said, I know damn well that if I HAD bought a Tesla, every time I got behind the wheel of the car these days, it would take a little out of me.