BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Elon Musk is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist who has been in the public limelight for his constant pioneering of technological advancements and ambitious goals. On the other hand, his perceived controversial behaviour has been a subject of debate and criticism in the past. This has only increased in recent years, with many claiming that Elon Musk is a racist.
In 2018, Musk sparked outrage after he referred to a British diver, who partook in the rescue mission of a Thai football team lost in a cave, as a “pedo guy”. He then went on to call a black man who criticisied him a “barnacle” which many people saw as a racial slur. He was also seen giving a Nazi salute at the wedding of his brother and his partner, although he argued it was a joke. This is why Elon Musk has been accused of racism on many occasions, although he has denied these claims.
RELEVANT DATA
Whilst there have been no further specific examples of racism from Musk since then, a deeper look into his past reveals previous allegations as well. In 2014, before he rose to fame as an entrepreneur, he was seen tweeting racist, sexist and homophobic remarks on the internet which he had not yet removed. These include tweets such as “It has matured like a scarce cheese, or homosexual sex”, “Tonight’s lesson: Respect women, or cower & begged for mercy like a pathetic karma churned whore” and “Nobody’s like hey, what about the fat chicks? #superrespected”.
This data raises a few questions. If Musk is indeed a racist, then why is he willing to receive money from black people, such as his previous and current investors? Furthermore, why did he go out of his way to apologize to the British diver and publicly deny the racism accusations? These questions must be answered in order to determine the veracity of the claims about the entrepreneur.
PERSPECTIVES FROM EXPERTS
Many experts believe that these incidents prove Elon Musk is racist, while others insist on the idea that he is simply misinterpreted by the public and is not a racist. Maisha Washington, a renowned civil rights lawyer based in Atlanta, says: “It’s impossible to tell whether or not Musk is racist without being in his inner circle, however, it is evident that he is capable of careless and inappropriate choices, which are often interpreted as being racist.”
However, some experts argue that Elon Musk is not a racist and that these claims against him are made in order to undermine his success and accomplishments. Ashley Bruce, a respected journalist, comments: “I believe these accusations of racism are down to a misconception that his achievements are lucky. Whereas in reality, he has proven himself to be a hard-working visionary. This has resulted in a negative stigma surrounding his character.”
INSIGHTS AND ANALYSIS
In order to conclude whether Elon Musk is indeed a racist or not, one must look at his entire body of work rather than his decisions in the past. His past tweets and statements have been met with tremendous backlash, yet it is any individual’s right to grow and learn from their mistakes. His current efforts with regards to renewable energy sources, the electric car industry and outer-space exploration all point to a dedication to bettering humanity and creating a more equitable society. Elon Musk’s inspiring and ambitious endeavours should be his legacy, no matter his past blunders.
Whilst his past jokes and interpretations of events may have been insensitive, to call Elon Musk a racist from his past behaviour would be unfair. Judging by his current endeavours, he has grown and recognised the damage caused by his decisions in the past. Hence, it is important to allow anyone the right to change and strive for the betterment of society.
ETHICS WITHIN ENGINEERING
It is important to recognise that with any technological advancement comes a degree of ethics that should be adhered to. Hence it is important to consider the ethical implications of technology when looking into Elon Musk’s projects, such as the production of self-driving cars. With regards to his thoughts on artificial intelligence, it is obvious that he has specific ideas on how it should exist in the modern world and how it should be used.
When it comes to engineering ethics, Elon Musk has staunch beliefs and is passionate about promoting safety and sustainability in his projects. For example, in 2017 he launched the nonprofit organisation OpenAI, which is dedicated to research the potential benefits and damages wrought by the development of artificial intelligence. This suggests that he sees the profound effect that this technology can have and is looking for ways to use it for the betterment of society, regardless of race.
However, when it comes to engineering ethics, Elon Musk’s position may be controversial. He is known to favour technology that can be used to benefit large corporations and increase profits, rather than use technology to tackle global poverty or initiate social reform. Whether these decisions are moral or not is up to debate, however it is undeniable that they will have significant impacts on the global economy and could even be the deciding factor between prosperity and poverty.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS VIA TECHNOLOGY
Elon Musk’s passion for technological advancement does not stop with engineering ethics – he is dedicated to the use of technology for the betterment of the environment as well. Musk’s companies are all heavily focused on the development of renewable energy sources and efficient transportation. His efforts with Tesla Motors saw the introduction of the first ever electric car on a large scale whilst frequent advances in solar power technology have been made via SolarCity and its later merger with Tesla.
Perhaps his most ambitious goal when it comes to ecological advancement is the use of reusable rockets by SpaceX. Elon Musk’s plans involve the creation of a transportation system which could transfer passengers from one part of the world to the other in a matter of minutes, with the potential of drastically reducing air travel emissions in the near future. Developments in this field are constant and inspiring, and yet suggest that Elon Musk is pushing for a more sustainable future, free of racial discrimination.
Musk’s plans for a more sustainable future extend far and wide, and yet it is important to understand the implications of heavy industry in relation to the environment. The mining of essential materials and manufacturing of products on large scales often leads to the destruction of surrounding areas. Furthermore pollution from chemicals and emissions are still rampant, and the effects of global warming are continuing to rise due to this industrial caused destruction.
Elon Musk’s efforts to better ecological practices and infrastructure in the transportation and energy sectors are inspiring. However, the effects of his past decisions could still be seen with regards to industries such as mining, and it is important to take note of this before applauding him too much.
EQUALITY WITHIN BUSINESS
Despite his achievements, Elon Musk is still human and is capable of making mistakes. When it comes to his companies, it is important to consider their stance on equality. Although a majority of the staff working for Tesla and SpaceX are male, the companies have implemented initiatives such as ‘take your daughter to work’ day to promote the idea of a more gender fluid working environment.
In terms of racial equality, Tesla Motors recently announced a pilot program known as ‘Tesla University’ which plans to take inner-city youth and train them in auto-mechanic skills in order for them to gain employment in the field. This shows that Elon Musk and his companies are striving for a more diverse and equal society.
However, when it comes to racial equality within the company, Tesla Motors has been seen as an organisation which has been less than equal. A 2019 report by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found that the salaries of minority workers within the company were lower that their white counterparts. This has drawn criticism from some, but Elon Musk has argued that the pay discrepancies were a result of the workers’ levels of experience.
The results of this report suggest that the company may not be a safe and fair space for minorities. Whilst the initiative of ‘Tesla University’ could be seen as an attempt to promote equality, this incident shows that there is still a long way to go before Tesla Motors is seen as an example of racial equality.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it is difficult to ascertain whether Elon Musk is a racist without being in his inner circle. However, his efforts in the technological and ecological fields, as well as his dedication to a fairer society point to the fact that he is pushing for a better future for all. His previous behaviour and decisions do not help his cause, however he has been seen trying to make amends for them. In light of this, it is important to allow for a person to evolve and change and not condemn them for a past mistake.
