Ford and Musk. They Made Cars. They Backed Fascists.
prospect.org
Each age’s premier industrialist has had appalling politics.

Summary

Parallels between Henry Ford and Elon Musk illustrate their transformative roles in automaking alongside troubling political affiliations.

Ford’s antisemitism and support for Nazi Germany mirror Musk’s current opposition to unions and endorsement of Germany’s far-right AfD party, which is linked to neo-Nazism.

Musk’s intervention in Germany’s election and promotion of far-right figures on X echoes Ford’s use of media to propagate hate.

Both industrialists are criticized for their social and political impact beyond their industries, with Musk’s actions raising alarm about democracy and labor rights.

    • danc4498@lemmy.worldEnglish
      193·
      3 days ago

      Sure, but I think it’s more important what they are doing with their money and power than their own personal philosophy. I don’t care that Elon musk is a fascist. I care that he is a billionaire who is empowering fascists with his wealth.

      • technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        71·
        2 days ago

        I don’t care that Elon musk is a fascist.

        Why not? It’s a root cause of his empowering other fascists.

        If you were surrounded by poor fascists, would that be ok with you?

        • danc4498@lemmy.worldEnglish
          31·
          2 days ago

          I wouldn’t read an article about them, that’s for sure. But an article about a dude actively empowering fascists, yes, that’s worth talking about.

      • Maiq@lemy.lol
        4·
        3 days ago

        Same, I just don’t want people to be under the wrong impression as “were” implies past tense and that only applies to the dead one.