A common trait of Donald Trump and Elon Musk

Elon Musk, the richest man in the world endorsed Donald Trump. I am not gonna spell out the evil things about this alliance. This is a short article on a specific commonality between the two people. No, i am not talking about their arrogance, misogyny and toxicity of their rhetoric. I am talking about delusional grandiose beliefs of these two people. And their beliefs seems fantastic and appealing. The delusional beliefs of Trump and Musk are strikingly similar. They appear to have very certain and absolute view of things, and mystical faith in their own capability.

Trump has a narrative ' I alone can fix it ' about America. When Pandemic came, Trump projected himself as the smartest person who can deal with the crisis (in reality he bungled everything to FUBAR). This idea of - 'I alone can fix it' - goes deeper with Trump. Trump says American dream is dead and politicians and establishment cannot fix it. He and only he can restore America, make America great again.

Elon Musk says he will get humans to Mars in 4 years and colonize it in 20 years. The last several decades of globalization, Neoliberalism and laissez-faire economic system did tremendous damage to this planet (a system of which Musk is a part of). Scientists now say that earth may have already past the tipping point in reversing climate change. Maybe some billionaire plutocrats think that earth is beyond saving and hence it's time to reach out to other worlds. May be the idea of private space colonies and space travel of billionaires is gaining credence in plutocratic circle. Is Elon Musk capitalizing on this idea? But how realistic is this? Elon Musk is a pompous fool, a delusional freak who thinks he can be the 'space czar' of the world. 

Due to laissez-faire economic system, even the general idea of collective survival of mankind was forgotten. The pandemic was a good example that demonstrated priorities of self regulating market even in face of global emergency. The affluent nations hoarded resources. The vaccines & drugs were produced behind paywalls and IPs that produced mega billionaires in pharma sector. And people in poor nations were left standing at the end of the queue without access to these treatments. 

Elon Musk is a prime product of Neoliberalism. An oligarch billionaire who champions himself as the savior of earth and human civilization. And he's a tagging along with Donald Trump who champions himself as savior of America. Whether both of these 'saviors' are genuinely delusional or they are opportunistic scoundrels who're just duping the world with their demagogy, the result will be same. A world in hands of madmen if they win elections.

Off topic stuff 

     

Stephen Hawking once said that mankind has to reach into outer space given all the finite constraints of earth and all kinds of threats to human civilization (Climate change, Nuclear war, diseases, Meteor strike etc) in long run. Space exploration and research should ideally have been strong priority for the governments. And even transcending the national barriers, their should've been collective efforts by all nations for common good of mankind for preservation of this planet as well as space exploration. While i believe that mankind is destined for space travel (perhaps not in my lifetime) and reaching distant worlds, it would be legacy of collective human effort and not of some plutocrat's capitalist ambition.