Alex Gibney’s new documentary about Elon Musk is a must-see for all Americans. But if you watch it just to be wowed by rocket ships and robots, you will miss the film’s point. The focus is on understanding Musk’s obsessions, worldview, self-perception, and the threat he poses to our country.
Musk is a complex person. The film shows that many people in his life have found him odd and, at times, difficult to understand. However, there is no denying that he has played an integral role in developing innovative technology and science that millions have enjoyed and benefited from.
Musk’s obsessions:
Rockets: The director illustrates many of Elon’s ideas and space projects using video game visuals. It feels as if Musk is a smart kid playing out his space fantasies through his companies, SpaceX and Starlink. He has successfully secured government contracts by aligning with Trump’s appetite for money.
INTERPLANETARY COLONIZATION- His obsession with Earthlings living on other planets is fueled by his belief that we on Earth are headed for self-destruction. What is ironic about this obsession is that many of Musk’s projects are known to be polluting, and destructive to our planet’s environment, such as his rocket ship emissions, the crashes, and data centers.
HAVING BABIES AND ROBOTS: Musk’s so-called mission has been depicted as an obsessive attempt to populate the world with intelligent people in his image. He doesn’t marry most of the women he impregnates. Rather, he makes financial arrangements with them to have his child. This is not normal.
MARS- Musk is obsessed with getting to Mars. He is selling the idea to people by saying we’re going to need a place to relocate when Earth is destroyed. The film made it clear that Mars’s gravity and air quality make it uninhabitable. CONCERNING.
Musk has a talent for generating innovative ideas and getting people on board to bring them to life. However, the film shows that he is indifferent to how his projects affect people, the economy, and national security.
The documentary showed how both Musk and Trump have emboldened Vladimir Putin, America’s enemy. They have both praised Putin over Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy. Military support for our ally, Ukraine, continues to weaken. Trump blames Ukraine for the war because they won’t give up their sovereignty. Despite Musk’s on-and-off support of Trump, when money and power are involved, he aligns himself with Trump’s cruel, fraudulent, illegal, and unconstitutional policies and actions.
Like Trump and his allies, Musk is driven by power, self-interest, control, and a desire to expand his wealth. He differs from them in that he is obsessed with being the one who saves humankind. After seeing Musk: The Documentary, I was left with the question: “How does relocating us to an uninhabitable planet or replacing us with robots better our lives or save humanity?
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