Photo: Tesla Motors
If you have paid any attention to the recently concluded elections in the U.S., then you should be well aware that the new president, Donald Trump, does not believe in global warming or the need to protect the environment.
Of course, everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but when yours can have a dramatic impact on the future of billions of people - some of whom might not have even been born yet - then you can't just add IMHO after everything you say and pretend like everything's alright.
People have long suspected that Trump's views don't so much stem from his beliefs, but a very carefully constructed agenda. But who would go through all the trouble of trying to silence the voices that are blowing the whistle on climate change?
Needless to say, those who would benefit if the status-quo remained unchanged: the oil industry. You could say that it's all a conspiracy theory put together by liberal sore losers, but Trump's recent nominations for key energy- and environment-related positions come to support this idea.
Naturally, a man like Elon Musk who runs three major businesses, two of which go head-on against the companies dealing with fossil fuels, could not escape this people's attention. And that's how a website called "Stop Elon From Failing Again" got created, where somebody's publishing unsigned articles that spread misinformation about Tesla, electric vehicles, and solar energy.
That "someone," according to Electrek, is public relations specialist and Trump supporter, Laura Ingraham. She is the National Chairman of the "Citizens for the Republic" group, a movement started during Ronald Reagen's administration that, after a long hiatus, was relaunched last year by Ingraham.
"We are challenging not just Elon, but the entire culture of corporations making billions of dollars off of the American people for almost zero return to the consumer," reads the description on the website that, in spite of this sentence, only has Elon Musk's name in its title. "CEO’s like Musk are taking advantage of Americans, and it is our intention to end their free ride."
It all sounds noble - a bit Robin Hoodish even - if only it weren't completely wrong. The group bases its argumentation on the alleged $4.9 billion of tax payer's money that Tesla defrauded in the form of subsidies, grants, and "other favors." The EV maker has cleared the air over these accusations long ago, but that doesn't mean they can't still be used to raise anger among the less informed citizens. At the same time, the website completely ignores the fact that fossil fuels-related industries have been some of the most heavily subsidized, with a historical cumulative total of $446.96 billion in 2010.
While a direct connection between Trump's administration and this website will never be established, it's becoming increasingly obvious that U.S. electric car makers are facing a hard struggle, and only the stronger will be able to survive. Ironically enough, it looks like Tesla finds itself in the best possible position.
People have long suspected that Trump's views don't so much stem from his beliefs, but a very carefully constructed agenda. But who would go through all the trouble of trying to silence the voices that are blowing the whistle on climate change?
Needless to say, those who would benefit if the status-quo remained unchanged: the oil industry. You could say that it's all a conspiracy theory put together by liberal sore losers, but Trump's recent nominations for key energy- and environment-related positions come to support this idea.
Naturally, a man like Elon Musk who runs three major businesses, two of which go head-on against the companies dealing with fossil fuels, could not escape this people's attention. And that's how a website called "Stop Elon From Failing Again" got created, where somebody's publishing unsigned articles that spread misinformation about Tesla, electric vehicles, and solar energy.
That "someone," according to Electrek, is public relations specialist and Trump supporter, Laura Ingraham. She is the National Chairman of the "Citizens for the Republic" group, a movement started during Ronald Reagen's administration that, after a long hiatus, was relaunched last year by Ingraham.
"We are challenging not just Elon, but the entire culture of corporations making billions of dollars off of the American people for almost zero return to the consumer," reads the description on the website that, in spite of this sentence, only has Elon Musk's name in its title. "CEO’s like Musk are taking advantage of Americans, and it is our intention to end their free ride."
It all sounds noble - a bit Robin Hoodish even - if only it weren't completely wrong. The group bases its argumentation on the alleged $4.9 billion of tax payer's money that Tesla defrauded in the form of subsidies, grants, and "other favors." The EV maker has cleared the air over these accusations long ago, but that doesn't mean they can't still be used to raise anger among the less informed citizens. At the same time, the website completely ignores the fact that fossil fuels-related industries have been some of the most heavily subsidized, with a historical cumulative total of $446.96 billion in 2010.
While a direct connection between Trump's administration and this website will never be established, it's becoming increasingly obvious that U.S. electric car makers are facing a hard struggle, and only the stronger will be able to survive. Ironically enough, it looks like Tesla finds itself in the best possible position.
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