Elon Musk: Always A Douche

[HVC]

Fair enough on the going full commie, but Josq's point was on the staticity of the left.

[Jacob]

Well here we are in a private space. Go ahead.

I am not DGuller and can not speak for him, but I've known him (virtually) for years...

I expect where he feels the left has moved significantly is on identity politics, policies to address past injustice as seen through the lens of identity politics, and - in particular - on the potential negative consequences (outside of reactionary circles) from being too slow take in and conform to the most recent appropriate language and attitudes.

Leaving aside for a moment whether the change is good, bad, or a mixed bag I do tend to agree that there's been a change. There are things you could say or do ten, twenty, and thirty years ago that result in very different reactions and consequences today.

One example of a change in the left, in my view, is the fairly recent tendency to examine social justice through the lens of privilege. Another change is an increased focus on things like appropriation and representation.

And - of course (and separately) - social media has happened and has had a huge impact on how we perform, interact with, and perceive politics across the spectrum - including on the left.

[Josquius]

It's funny how the left stays static,nudges rightwards even... But conservatives insist they're  going communist.
Well. It would be funny if people didn't swallow it. Depressing is a better word.

I think quite a few people on the left would say that the left has not stayed static, though most would only do so privately, just to be safe from the other leftists.

Well yeah. As said its moved quite a bit to the right. This is a frequent source of infighting on the left.

[HVC]

Musks 2018 56 billion compensation package voided.

[crazy canuck]

Who do you have in mind?

Here the NDP has been having that discussion for at least the last 20 years.  It erupts into the public eye every once in a while. For example he debate over removing references to socialism from the party constitution.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Musks 2018 56 billion compensation package voided.

We'll be seeing a flood of outrage about leftist shareholders.

[crazy canuck]

Well here we are in a private space. Go ahead.

I am not DGuller and can not speak for him, but I've known him (virtually) for years...

I expect where he feels the left has moved significantly is on identity politics, policies to address past injustice as seen through the lens of identity politics, and - in particular - on the potential negative consequences (outside of reactionary circles) from being too slow take in and conform to the most recent appropriate language and attitudes.

Leaving aside for a moment whether the change is good, bad, or a mixed bag I do tend to agree that there's been a change. There are things you could say or do ten, twenty, and thirty years ago that result in very different reactions and consequences today.

One example of a change in the left, in my view, is the fairly recent tendency to examine social justice through the lens of privilege. Another change is an increased focus on things like appropriation and representation.

And - of course (and separately) - social media has happened and has had a huge impact on how we perform, interact with, and perceive politics across the spectrum - including on the left.

You have identified some groups within what might generally be described as "the left".  But the claim is about the whole of the left.  I think that is demonstrably false in the Canadian context.  I won't comment on what is happening in other countries.

[Jacob]

I expect DGuller is not particularly focused on the Canadian context.

[crazy canuck]

I expect DGuller is not particularly focused on the Canadian context.

And that is in part what I am pointing out.  He made a sweeping comment about "the left" that is not accurate for Canada, and I suspect not accurate for a number of other countries as well.

[The Minsky Moment]

Musks 2018 56 billion compensation package voided.

I don't know if the decision holds up on appeal, and there will certainly be some cyclonic twitter tantrums about it.  But the bigger picture is that for a company of the significance of Tesla this should never be an issue; there had to be some epic governance fails for the case to even get to trial.  And that just adds another weight to the downside of the Elon scale, where his erratic management style balances against his entrepreneurial energy and capial raising skills.

[Tonitrus]

I thought the whole purpose of a corporate board of directors was to enrich themselves/each other as much as they can get away with?

[Valmy]

Well here we are in a private space. Go ahead.

I am not DGuller and can not speak for him, but I've known him (virtually) for years...

I expect where he feels the left has moved significantly is on identity politics, policies to address past injustice as seen through the lens of identity politics, and - in particular - on the potential negative consequences (outside of reactionary circles) from being too slow take in and conform to the most recent appropriate language and attitudes.

Leaving aside for a moment whether the change is good, bad, or a mixed bag I do tend to agree that there's been a change. There are things you could say or do ten, twenty, and thirty years ago that result in very different reactions and consequences today.

One example of a change in the left, in my view, is the fairly recent tendency to examine social justice through the lens of privilege. Another change is an increased focus on things like appropriation and representation.

And - of course (and separately) - social media has happened and has had a huge impact on how we perform, interact with, and perceive politics across the spectrum - including on the left.

I mean besides the social media stuff, which happened 15 years ago or something, the rest of that pretty much occurred during the transition when George McGovern won the Democratic nomination in 1972. Hardly some kind of new shift.

[crazy canuck]

I thought the whole purpose of a corporate board of directors was to enrich themselves/each other as much as they can get away with?

Since about roughly 1998, yes

[The Minsky Moment]

Elon's response to the pay package decision has been calm, measured, and responsible.

I'm joking of course.

He went on X to ask the "public" if Tesla should reincorporate in Texas; the highly discerning corporate law experts that constitute his twitter following of course voted overwhelmingly in favor.  Whereupon Musk announced he would hold a shareholder vote on reincorporation.  If the goal was to rebut that concern that Musk has overbearing influence on Tesla governance and treats it as his plaything, I think we can call that a fail.

The real question is whether a Texas court would be less likely to give the same result against Musk or would apply more officer and director favorable legal standards. Musk's X followers and perhaps Musk himself assume yes, apparently based on the stereotypes of Texas as an uber-Randian capitalist paradise, red in tooth and claw vs. Delaware as Bidenland.  The reality is quite different: Texas and Delaware law on fiduciary duty and conflicted transactions are similar, and if anything, Texas may be a little more strict. Texas also has a statue permitting oppressed shareholders to petition to place an entire company in receivership; Delaware does not. Most Delaware corporate disputes are steered to an experienced specialist Court with a key pro-defendant feature: no juries.  Texas just started up its own special business court, which is just starting to hear cases. Juries are still available where otherwise generally permitted.  That's significant because most corporate defendants do anything they can to avoid being dragged before a Texas jury, which still retains a strong rep for whopping pro-plaintiff verdicts.

[Jacob]

How does reincorporating work?