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You really think that Tesla and SpaceX would have been started by someone else if Elon Musk weren't around? I don't think that's true at all. The notion that i

You really think that Tesla and SpaceX would have been started by someone else if Elon Musk weren't around? I don't think that's true at all. The notion that if Elon Musk weren't around VCs would have given the cash to the next person in line who would have started those companies seems to just be patently false. How about instead of forcing Musk to not start his company because our immigration laws are a little bit backwards we open them up and invite in all the other would-be Elon Musks?

sheepmullet 9y ago
Sure, but let's cut back all our other immigration first.
frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago
>You really think that Tesla and SpaceX would have been started by someone else if Elon Musk weren't around? I think similar companies would have been founded yes. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_private_spaceflight_companies#Launch_vehicles https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_private_s... http://www.nbcnews.com/id/40887273/ns/business-autos/t/new-car-companies-aiming-big-leagues/ http://www.nbcnews.com/id/40887273/ns/business-autos/t/new-c... >I don't think that's true at all. The notion that if Elon Musk weren't around VCs would have given the cash to the next person in line who would have started those companies seems to just be patently false. I don't see how you can declare that patently false. VCs like electric cars and space companies and there are others in the space so I'm sure they would be funded. Besides it's not just VC money Musk is sucking up, it's also billions in government subsidies. If Musk wasn't sucking up all this cheap money others would be. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-musk-subsidies-20150531-story.html http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-musk-subsidies-2015... >How about instead of forcing Musk to not start his company because our immigration laws are a little bit backwards we open them up and invite in all the other would-be Elon Musks? How about instead of inviting in a bunch of cheap Elon Musks from other countries we put a little bit of work into finding the Elon Musks that already exist here? Also, our immigration laws aren't backwards.
- austenallred 9y ago
  If there's another Elon Musk out there, I promise you VCs are throwing money at him.
  - frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago
    This is our real difference, I have no such optimism. I believe there are probably hundreds of completely unknown Elon Musks in america right now, we've just done a horrible job at cultivating and finding human capital in our own country.
    - austenallred 9y ago
      And I believe that for every Elon Musk in the United States there are 10 that are ready to come to the United States. I also don't believe that capital is the sole limiting factor in finding these folks.
      - frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago
        I guess I don't care that much what the limiting factor is. Finding the ones that exist in our own country is more important than importing cheap ones. I'll admit to having nationalistic tendencies though, we oughtta take care of our own Elons before we start worrying about the ones in other countries.

sheepmullet 9y ago

Sure, but let's cut back all our other immigration first.

frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago

>You really think that Tesla and SpaceX would have been started by someone else if Elon Musk weren't around? I think similar companies would have been founded yes. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_private_spaceflight_companies#Launch_vehicles https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_private_s... http://www.nbcnews.com/id/40887273/ns/business-autos/t/new-car-companies-aiming-big-leagues/ http://www.nbcnews.com/id/40887273/ns/business-autos/t/new-c... >I don't think that's true at all. The notion that if Elon Musk weren't around VCs would have given the cash to the next person in line who would have started those companies seems to just be patently false. I don't see how you can declare that patently false. VCs like electric cars and space companies and there are others in the space so I'm sure they would be funded. Besides it's not just VC money Musk is sucking up, it's also billions in government subsidies. If Musk wasn't sucking up all this cheap money others would be. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-musk-subsidies-20150531-story.html http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-musk-subsidies-2015... >How about instead of forcing Musk to not start his company because our immigration laws are a little bit backwards we open them up and invite in all the other would-be Elon Musks? How about instead of inviting in a bunch of cheap Elon Musks from other countries we put a little bit of work into finding the Elon Musks that already exist here? Also, our immigration laws aren't backwards.

austenallred 9y ago
If there's another Elon Musk out there, I promise you VCs are throwing money at him.
- frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago
  This is our real difference, I have no such optimism. I believe there are probably hundreds of completely unknown Elon Musks in america right now, we've just done a horrible job at cultivating and finding human capital in our own country.
  - austenallred 9y ago
    And I believe that for every Elon Musk in the United States there are 10 that are ready to come to the United States. I also don't believe that capital is the sole limiting factor in finding these folks.
    - frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago
      I guess I don't care that much what the limiting factor is. Finding the ones that exist in our own country is more important than importing cheap ones. I'll admit to having nationalistic tendencies though, we oughtta take care of our own Elons before we start worrying about the ones in other countries.