4 ms·

Ugh, I completely agree. I'm Canadian and it's been a dream of mine for a long time to work for SpaceX. I'll gladly take a big paycut and live in bumfuck nowhe

Ugh, I completely agree. I'm Canadian and it's been a dream of mine for a long time to work for SpaceX. I'll gladly take a big paycut and live in bumfuck nowhere, California to do it (my wife is another story but that's a different discussion). But every time this USA chant comes up I just imagine what it would be like to be in that crowd and be absolutely exhilarated at each success - not just for the company but for HUMANITY (which I already do through the webcast), and feel nothing but cringe and exclusion when the USA chant started. They really gotta reign that in because you just KNOW it's a couple of aggro-patriotic douchebags that start it and everyone else joins in out of excitement and tribal cohesion not because it's the thing that everyone feels in that moment.

ygra 11y ago
I think I read somewhere that they can only employ US citizens because of government and military contracts. So by definition everyone working there would be American anyway.
- Inconel 11y ago
  Generally SpaceX only employs "US Persons" due to ITAR restrictions. US Persons are either US Citizens, doesn't matter whether native born or naturalized, and US Permanent Residents, often referred to as Green Card holders. There are ways to obtain ITAR exceptions for non US Persons but the process is long and very expensive so it is only utilized rarely. I will say that SpaceX does employ a fair amount of Permanent Residents as well as a few non US Persons.
Inconel 11y ago
As someone who works here and doesn't join in the chants but works closely with and respects many of the people that do, I find your description of them as "douchebags" to be rather uncalled for. You are certainly free to disagree with the chants or the overall tone that celebrations like this set within the company, but I don't think that resorting to personal insults is the best approach to having a nuanced discussion on the topic.
- deanCommie 11y ago
  You're right, I should not have used that term. I apologize.
  - Inconel 11y ago
    No apology necessary but I appreciate the sentiment nonetheless.
simonh 11y ago
> you just KNOW What a complete load of utter tripe. Its a bunch of people getting excited and happy and celebrating success. That's it. Are England supporters chanting after a soccer match aggro-patriotic douchebags? The SpaceX crowd aren't even celebrating a victory over anybody, it's purely about achievement. Good for them.
- usrusr 11y ago
  > Are England supporters chanting after a soccer match aggro-patriotic douchebags? Aggro-patriotic douchebaggery isn't exactly unheard of when it comes to football stadiums. For some it's a feature, for most others it's a very well known bug. Also, you seem to have completely missed his finer point: a nuanced distinction between those who start and those who just sing along because they are in the mood for making noise, any noise. PS: of all the stadium noises, the "god save the queen" of England supporters is by far the most enjoyable (and I say that as a german)
  - simonh 11y ago
    > you seem to have completely missed his finer point That's because I don't think there is a finer point. If the only way a chant like that could happen is if it's started by aggro-patriotic douchebags, which specifically was the contention, then the chanting only exists as a result of aggro-patriotic douchebaggery. That's a slur that taints everyone involved in it, and I don't accept that at all.
    - deanCommie 11y ago
      I should not have used that term to diminish my point, I regret that. My point was that Americans can claim all day and all night that "U-S-A" chants are not meant to insult or condescend to any other country. But ask around and I can tell you most other countries find it INCREDIBLY uncomfortable. Sporting events are a completely appropriate venue for the release of testosterone and patriotism. The very nature of the event is a competition between Country X and Country Y. I don't believe SpaceX's mission is to establish American dominance over other nations. Elon Musk spends a lot of time discussing his lofty aspirations for the future of humanity on Mars, about becoming a multi-planetary species, etc.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

ygra 11y ago

I think I read somewhere that they can only employ US citizens because of government and military contracts. So by definition everyone working there would be American anyway.

Inconel 11y ago
Generally SpaceX only employs "US Persons" due to ITAR restrictions. US Persons are either US Citizens, doesn't matter whether native born or naturalized, and US Permanent Residents, often referred to as Green Card holders. There are ways to obtain ITAR exceptions for non US Persons but the process is long and very expensive so it is only utilized rarely. I will say that SpaceX does employ a fair amount of Permanent Residents as well as a few non US Persons.

Inconel 11y ago

As someone who works here and doesn't join in the chants but works closely with and respects many of the people that do, I find your description of them as "douchebags" to be rather uncalled for. You are certainly free to disagree with the chants or the overall tone that celebrations like this set within the company, but I don't think that resorting to personal insults is the best approach to having a nuanced discussion on the topic.

deanCommie 11y ago
You're right, I should not have used that term. I apologize.
- Inconel 11y ago
  No apology necessary but I appreciate the sentiment nonetheless.

simonh 11y ago

> you just KNOW What a complete load of utter tripe. Its a bunch of people getting excited and happy and celebrating success. That's it. Are England supporters chanting after a soccer match aggro-patriotic douchebags? The SpaceX crowd aren't even celebrating a victory over anybody, it's purely about achievement. Good for them.

usrusr 11y ago
> Are England supporters chanting after a soccer match aggro-patriotic douchebags? Aggro-patriotic douchebaggery isn't exactly unheard of when it comes to football stadiums. For some it's a feature, for most others it's a very well known bug. Also, you seem to have completely missed his finer point: a nuanced distinction between those who start and those who just sing along because they are in the mood for making noise, any noise. PS: of all the stadium noises, the "god save the queen" of England supporters is by far the most enjoyable (and I say that as a german)
- simonh 11y ago
  > you seem to have completely missed his finer point That's because I don't think there is a finer point. If the only way a chant like that could happen is if it's started by aggro-patriotic douchebags, which specifically was the contention, then the chanting only exists as a result of aggro-patriotic douchebaggery. That's a slur that taints everyone involved in it, and I don't accept that at all.
  - deanCommie 11y ago
    I should not have used that term to diminish my point, I regret that. My point was that Americans can claim all day and all night that "U-S-A" chants are not meant to insult or condescend to any other country. But ask around and I can tell you most other countries find it INCREDIBLY uncomfortable. Sporting events are a completely appropriate venue for the release of testosterone and patriotism. The very nature of the event is a competition between Country X and Country Y. I don't believe SpaceX's mission is to establish American dominance over other nations. Elon Musk spends a lot of time discussing his lofty aspirations for the future of humanity on Mars, about becoming a multi-planetary species, etc.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]