Don't be that guy
I'm referring to the attacks of various kinds aimed at individual Tesla owners, ranging from vandalism to personal intimidation. These cost the Tesla company nothing; once a car is sold, the company has made its money and does not care what happens to the car it no longer owns. More seriously, such acts target individual persons whose story you do not know. Some people bought Teslas due to environmental concerns, before Musk began supporting Trump; and many people simply don't follow politics closely. Many people who own Teslas can't afford to sell them and buy something else, especially now that the market for used ones is cratering (if the company that made my own car became linked to something shady, it would be totally infeasible for me to sell my car and replace it). Even if the owner is an actual Trump supporter, in a free society people are not punished for having opinions somebody else doesn't like.
This is not at all in the same category as picketing a Tesla showroom. It's like the difference between picketing the entrance to a business where employees are striking, and blocking traffic on a highway -- the difference between targeted action that directly hits the revenue stream of the enemy, and harassing and tormenting random innocent people who have no connection with the problem you're protesting. It does Tesla and Musk no economic harm at all. It also actively drives away potential supporters from the cause. Every video like this is worth millions to Tesla in the form of negative publicity about its opponents. The guy looks like a terrorist and every reasonable person's sympathy is with the victim. Don't be that guy. Don't go anywhere near being that guy.
posted by Infidel753 at 8:32 AM
7 Comments:
I agree with you. Attacks on the property of innocent individuals who have nothing to do with the owner of Tesla are not only pointless but nasty, and won't achieve anything.
I've been saying this! Well, not as eloquently as you did, but yes. I thought of it in terms of my own existence. I currently drive a car that is 13 years old. For my family, a vehicle is a major expense and I don't just go get a new one every few years, preferring to get it paid off and appreciate the lack of car payment and all that goes with it. My oldest kid drives an electric vehicle. He considered a Tesla (I think five years ago or so) while he was shopping, but chose something different because of all the mechanical troubles they were having. Musk is all about hurting individuals en masse. Vandalizing a Tesla or flipping off the driver (or worse) just shows that person isn't any better than Musk.
I appreciate your take on this and agree wholeheartedly with the concept. If you disagree with a company's stance on a topic for whatever reason, a boycott of that company is the most effective way to voice one's displeasure. This is true whether it is Tesla or Bud Light. Protests and attacks on individuals owning or utilizing those products is counter productive.
Nick: Thanks. Attacking the innocent along with the guilty is the fastest way to turn oneself into the bad guy in the conflict.
Ami: I imagine that a vehicle is a major expense for most people, and replacing one is always expensive. One can never make assumptions about an individual owner.
Darrell: Good point about the comparison with Bud Light (I made the same comparison here). I never heard of anybody threatening or harassing individuals who drank Bud Light, and it would have been absurd (and wrong) to do so.
Yes I agree. Boycotting the company is going to be far better than attacking innocent individual people who have done nothing wrong. Plus it won't hurt the company one bit to target individuals.
I think a lot of those who harass individual owners, block traffic on highways, etc are just bullies by nature, and the "cause" is merely a pretext.
Truer words were never spoken.
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