Elon Musk: Hair Tuft of Hot Air

Oligarchy, natural disasters, and privatization of public goods

Photo by Sebastian Schuster on Unsplash

As Nashville peaks out following the devastating ice brought by Winter Storm Fern, an examination of why this weekend of cold, wet weather wreaked such havoc is taking place.

State Rep. Aftyn Behn of Nashville offers up some thoughts in her latest newsletter:

Nashville is in survival mode after Winter Storm Fern thrashed its icy wrath across the city and the state, splitting thousands of electric poles, smashing regal trees into oblivion, and forcing hundreds of thousands to live without power, with updates that it could take up to two weeks for full grid recovery.

Elon to the Rescue?

Then, yesterday, Elon Musk — the tech oligarch and Epstein file case number — announced that his company, xAI, was coming to the rescue. Ah, our benevolent tech overlord! Our Governor thanked him publicly and praised the partnership. Elon’s a hair tuft of hot air, so I remain skeptical. However, when billionaires and multi-national corporations show up as saviors in a crisis, it’s usually because the systems AND GOVERNMENT that were supposed to protect us were deliberately neglected, underfunded, or set up to fail…and then, of course, be privatized.

Behn hits the nail on the head. Oligarchs want control of all valuable resources. Power, internet, AI, infrastructure — Elon’s company is building a tunnel from downtown Nashville to the airport. The state just gave him access.

The point: the more control offered to the oligarchs, the less accountability.

This provides Musk with power, and the people with zero recourse should things go wrong.

The rapid expansion of unchecked Musk projects reminds me of the coal barons that ravaged Appalachia so many years ago. Company houses, company stores, company-created currency, company-built roads — and no ability to hold the company accountable for any malfeasance.

When the people become dependent on the services provided by a single individual, that person wields immense power.

Instead of the often messy democratic process for redressing grievances, there’s only the whim of the Top DOGE bro.

The question: Will more elected officials like Behn call out the Musk injustice and stop the handover of our resources before it’s too late?

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