[KaiserPro]

> I'd say he slipped if he did do it

I mean yeah, but he did it more than once, and it wasn't like it was an odd sort of wave, it was a full on parade standard Hitlergruß (thumpy on the chest hand out at the ascribed hitler angle). Which he then repeated to the audience in the front and the people behind him.

Monty python use to do it all the time, as did a number of other comedies. but the important distinction is that comedians aren't in power.

Musk arguably has more power than the president. So him thinking that it can't harm to try the old nazi salute, with unprecedented power isn't a healthy thing for democracy, regardless of who you think should be in power. Do you think he's going to give up that power willingly?

[dennis_jeeves2]

I have to admit, if I had all the power in the world I'd be openly offending various groups. Although in bad taste, it serves as a test to weed out petty people. Further I'd be offering those groups a clean exit to from their own 'offenseless' society.

Now coming to the democracy thing - I'm not sure it's the best form of governance as is commonly understood, so I personally don't value it. I don't imply that the opposite of democracy is tyranny either. I suspect that groups exist that are outside of typical govts and personally I'd be a part of such group, than participate in a 'democracy' which caters to a relatively low IQ - the stuff that Monty Python highlights.

I would think that EM has already reached that stage of no wanting the approval of those easily offended people.

[KaiserPro]

> reached that stage of no wanting the approval of those easily offended people.

He craves approval, the people that he crave it from are just as easily offended as anyone else.

Can you imagine the death threats if he pulled out a pride flag, or said he loved his transgendered kid?

[dennis_jeeves2]

>> reached that stage of no wanting the approval of those easily offended people.

>He craves approval, the people that he crave it from are just as easily offended as anyone else.

I would not make that assumption unless I knew him personally.

[try_the_bass]

I mean, I don't know him personally, either, but I do think they're correct that he craves approval.

Hell, he tried to get the left's approval for years. However nothing he did was ever good enough to satisfy the loudest, most critical voices, which I think has contributed to his abandonment of the left as a whole.

It probably didn't help that he was outright snubbed by the previous administration numerous times. I think that blatant disapproval helped shape who he is today, too.

I'm mostly basing this on pragmatism, really. He wants to succeed, and if the left isn't enabling that, of course he'll try the right. They seem much more welcoming (ironic!), and much more supportive of his goals (also ironic, given Tesla's position opposing fossil fuels and climate change!)

[drawkward]

>I have to admit, if I had all the power in the world I'd be openly offending various groups. Although in bad taste, it serves as a test to weed out petty people.

In this scenario, it is the people offended by the Nazi salute, and not the person doing it for outrage bait who are petty?

Brother, I have been accused of a lack of self-awareness, but man this is next level! In your own scenario you have all the power in the world; you dont ever have to weed out anyone, by definition.