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Oh, I'm one of the libbiest libs that ever libbed, but Elon Musk is the sort of capitalist that I can respect. He uses his money to do stuff and build stuff, not taking over the world with leveraged buyouts and strategic defaults.
I honestly can't say I am up enough on SolarCity to offer much of an opinion.
I think I disagree there. No reason to not harness the power of the market where it's useful. If we accept the premise that we need space launch capacity, let's get some people competing for it to drive the price down.
There's nothing costly about SpaceX, they're slashing prices.
Hope springs eternal, but I do not share your optimism here.
He can have all the great intentions with the wisest ideas he wants but in the end he's still a capitalist. Not that there's anything wrong with that but he will be compelled to play along like everyone else and he will start to do the same things other more openly brazen capitalist do.
Did you know that musk is demanding exemptions from California?
He wants to be exempt from CEQA, enacted by Reagan while he was governor. Jeez!
The Oregonian broke the story that through a third party SolarCity took to prison labor to build their solar panels. The state hired two solar companies; solar world and SolarCity to spearhead a solar array project. The two firms were expected to buy and hire locally in order to goose the regional economy and create high-paying area jobs. What happened? SolarWorld couldn't cut it and so Musk's Solar City took over and created the jobs---in prison for .93 cents an hour!
SpaceX I applaud for bringing ULA to its knees but its outcome is still in the air and its finances shrouded in secrecy.
Whenever I debate my fellow progressives about corporate welfare we see eye to eye when it comes to GOP backed welfare but when it comes to Musk's companies the ends always justify the means.
Then the argument they need subsidies and mandates is completely bogus.
That isn't the argument. The DOE program is to speed commercial growth of these technologies because they produce beneficial results. The program has clearly been an outstanding success.
That isn't the argument. The DOE program is to speed commercial growth of these technologies because they produce beneficial results. The program has clearly been an outstanding success.
Can you explain their success? SpaceX's profitability is still under wraps.
The one successful thing I can think if is that it pushed the market for EVs. But then again the DoE also supplied the funds to Nissan and they came out with the Leaf. It's selling better.
Well it is the rich who have the means to use their own money to start an electric car company, solar company, and space company to reap the subsidies.
That's wonderful. So let them do it with their own money. Not taxpayer money.
Roadking that's being too purist. Most advanced nations invest in and take stake in many many joint ventures with private business. That's how richer nations pay for their sovereign welfare while we play cat and mouse trying to tax rich people.
The US is unique in actually offering low interest loans to companies with no strings attached. No stock options! You may not like that, I don't. But can you at least agree that if the DoE would've been a little more demanding with Tesla they could've paid off the dud that was Solyndra?
If the US govt wants to play venture capitalist like the big boys it should demand what all the big players demand in compensation.
Roadking that's being too purist. Most advanced nations invest in and take stake in many many joint ventures with private business. That's how richer nations pay for their sovereign welfare while we play cat and mouse trying to tax rich people.
They expect something in return. We only expect votes.
Quote:
The US is unique in actually offering low interest loans to companies with no strings attached. No stock options! You may not like that, I don't. But can you at least agree that if the DoE would've been a little more demanding with Tesla they could've paid off the dud that was Solyndra?
If the US govt wants to play venture capitalist like the big boys it should demand what all the big players demand in compensation.
Leaders in other countries seem to have at least some of the best interest of the country at heart. Here they only care about what is best for their party.
Roadking that's being too purist. Most advanced nations invest in and take stake in many many joint ventures with private business. That's how richer nations pay for their sovereign welfare while we play cat and mouse trying to tax rich people.
The US is unique in actually offering low interest loans to companies with no strings attached. No stock options! You may not like that, I don't. But can you at least agree that if the DoE would've been a little more demanding with Tesla they could've paid off the dud that was Solyndra?
If the US govt wants to play venture capitalist like the big boys it should demand what all the big players demand in compensation.
would you loan money to a stranger with no strings attatched? More realistically and worse yet, would you give your money to a stranger,to loan to another stranger?
would you loan money to a stranger with no strings attatched? More realistically and worse yet, would you give your money to a stranger,to loan to another stranger?
It's not the money of the one loaning it. Of course no one else would do that.
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