To: Elon Musk
From: Cromwell
Date: Today
Re: Fork in the Road
Elon, you’ve been a great success as an entrepreneur, even though some of your businesses haven’t done too well lately. Your calling card is breaking things. That’s fine in the private sector; you and your investors make money in the long run by learning from your mistakes, and no one outside of a small circle gets hurt.
But America is not a small start-up. Its president is not a CEO of a closely held company. It has citizens, not stockholders and employees. It was created and defended by average people–not by you–to further their collective interests, not just the interests of a handful of tech bros. Breaking things, in the context of government, could result in millions of people getting hurt, not just you and a few investors. What makes you think they will stand for that?
Overreaching will result in a backlash. By this time next year, the midterm elections will be just around the corner, and you will be the most unpopular man in America. At that point, you will have to make a choice. Will you moderate your behavior, or will you encourage Trump to double down on his autocratic tendencies?
I know you’re contemptuous of average Americans, but before you answer the question, consider two facts. First of all, for all of its faults, it was American liberal democracy that made you the man you are today. That would not have happened anywhere else in the world. Second, the powers you give the presidency can be turned against you in the future. Is it worth the risk?