Elon Musk Calls Lockdown and Shelter-in-Place Norms Fascist Actions
The world is facing a significant crisis in the form of COVID-19. The deadly pandemic is continuing to spread aggressively through Europe and North America. As countries struggle to grapple with the epidemic and deal with the aftermath of the viral disease, most economies are facing strict sanctions. For instance, most of the world’s schools and colleges have been shut. In the US, several states still have a lockdown in place, which bans public gatherings and the functioning of non-essential services. While some states have eased lockdown regulations owing to pressure from the public, certain others are maintaining social distancing norms to prevent further spread of the disease. Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has come out in favour of the easing of such lockdowns. In a statement released yesterday, Elon Musk called all shelter-in-place orders within the San Francisco Bay area and the US in general actions that are “fascist”. Here’s a look at what Musk said, and what implications his words might have.
Freedom at Risk
Elon Musk believes that asking people to stay-at-home as a part of the lockdown measures are fascist in nature, as they strip people of their rights. Musk stated that curbing people’s freedom isn’t how nations should handle such an issue. While announcing Tesla’s earnings call on Wednesday, Musk reiterated his belief in easing the lockdown measures, to much criticism from the public. A day earlier, he had faced flak for a remark he made on Twitter, wherein he echoed President Trump. The tweet was simple, having the words Free America Now, in all caps, much like how the President expresses himself online.
Production Worries or Safety?
Musk started talking about the repercussions that such a lockdown could have on the economy and ranted about not being able to meet production demands. He stated that issues in the Bay Area were seriously going to affect their production, and is hence a severe risk. The rant came as a result of the Six Bay Area counties extending their lockdown orders until May 31st. The recent changes in the lockdown order will affect Fremont, San Francisco, and other similar cities. Musk has called the shelter-in-place a way of forcibly imprisoning people within their homes, and that this was against their constitutional rights. Musk went on with his rant and stated that such practices were against American principles and that curbing people’s freedom this was just wrong.
Musk continued by stating that people who wished to stay home could, while others should be allowed to go out and do as they please. He believes that it is fascist to force people to stay at home and that the government should start acting democratic and give people their rights back.
Unwilling to Listen
All of this seems to come from the fact that Tesla’s main factory is located in Fremont. When the initial order asking all non-essential services to shut down came out, he stopped production and shut his factory down. Furthermore, Musk also closed his Buffalo plant that specializes in making solar panels. However, Musk was not wholly compliant and shut his factor five days after the order came out. Also, he defied orders last week by asking workers in Freemont to return to work. Furthermore, Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada never shut, defying lockdown orders put in place by the state’s governor.
Elon Musk believes that while Tesla will make it out fine once the COVID-19 crisis subsides, other small companies would not. Therefore, he has called the order to shut non-essential services a threat to everything that people have worked for, and that this would make people angry. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Musk has been critical of the safety measures the administration has taken. However, Musk’s criticism has been quite frustrating at times, as he has questioned science many a time, and even made incorrect predictions regarding the virus’s severity. In the early stages of the lockdown, Musk had said that the US would only have a few cases of the COVID-19 by the end of April. However, the US is grappling with over 25,000 new cases every single day! Since the beginning, Musk’s stand has been troublesome, with people criticizing him for the way he has behaved during this crisis. The public is shocked that someone with such scientific knowledge is being so irresponsible during such a dire situation. During such difficult times, the country needs people who can lead the initiative against the COVID-19, and not someone who refers to it as ‘dumb’
Being a cinephile with a love for all things outdoorsy, Athulya never misses a chance to chase inspiring stories or poke fun at things, even when the subject is herself. Currently pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering, she is someone innately interested in technical and scientific research. Music reviews and op-eds define her as they allow her to explore different perspectives. Though sometimes she thinks she makes more sense playing the guitar than she does while writing.
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