4 ms·

Can't it be both? The guy has an impressive depth to him. He worked on a payment system and space exploration. Produced a movie and brought to market electric c

Can't it be both? The guy has an impressive depth to him. He worked on a payment system and space exploration. Produced a movie and brought to market electric cars people actually like. What's a little rent-seeking on the side?

calinet6 13y ago
In fact, one could argue that it's necessary in order to ensure the success of your visionary ideas in this economy.
mathattack 13y ago
Very interesting spin on Musk. I don't view the space venture as rent seeking. Someone has to supply the government... Now if he pays lobbyists (does he?) then it's rent seeking. The auto industry is much murkier, because Detroit gets a lot of subsidies too, so you have to subsidize the competition.
- sjg007 13y ago
  All auto manufacturers are subsidized, especially the Japanese.
  - mathattack 13y ago
    I used to say the Japanese were more subsidized than the US, but after the GM bailout I'm not sure you can say that anymore.
Fuxy 13y ago
I would argue Apple after Steve Jobs's death is more of a rent seeker then Tesla with Elon Musk. You don't hear anything but lawsuits from Apple these days and no innovation at all. At least Musk is still pushing the envelope.
- zimpenfish 13y ago
  I'm not sure I'd class the first 64bit mobile phone + OS (months ahead of any competition) as "no innovation".
  - stcredzero 13y ago
    It's pushing the technological envelope by applying existing tech. One could argue that Grasshopper is the same sort of thing. DC-X and the Lunar Lander already implemented hovering by tail-sitting on rocket thrust. Musk is just applying the tech.
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
  - vincentkriek 13y ago
    It's evolution and not revolution. They aren't bringing new amazing tech, they are improving the tech they have already.
    - rimantas 13y ago
      So which did not exist before Musk, electric cars of rockets?
      - Fuxy 13y ago
        Are you saying there were no phones with a touch screen before apple? There's a difference between doing thing and doing things right and going the extra mile and putting in the effort to polish it up making it use friendly and developer friendly by having good documentation. Electric car existed before Tesla but nowhere as good as the Tesla, rockets existed before SpaceX but they were extremely expensive and mostly funded by taxpayer money touch screen phone existed before Apple but they were awful. So what's your point?
- md2be 13y ago
  This is total nonsense. If you want to get a sense of the innovator at apple, read the Johnny Ives book.
raverbashing 13y ago
This He may well be a rent-seeker but the other ones are not doing electrical cars or space devices, they're funding their summer house, or investing in traditional (let's not compete with ourselves) companies.

calinet6 13y ago

In fact, one could argue that it's necessary in order to ensure the success of your visionary ideas in this economy.

mathattack 13y ago

Very interesting spin on Musk. I don't view the space venture as rent seeking. Someone has to supply the government... Now if he pays lobbyists (does he?) then it's rent seeking. The auto industry is much murkier, because Detroit gets a lot of subsidies too, so you have to subsidize the competition.

sjg007 13y ago
All auto manufacturers are subsidized, especially the Japanese.
- mathattack 13y ago
  I used to say the Japanese were more subsidized than the US, but after the GM bailout I'm not sure you can say that anymore.

Fuxy 13y ago

I would argue Apple after Steve Jobs's death is more of a rent seeker then Tesla with Elon Musk. You don't hear anything but lawsuits from Apple these days and no innovation at all. At least Musk is still pushing the envelope.

zimpenfish 13y ago
I'm not sure I'd class the first 64bit mobile phone + OS (months ahead of any competition) as "no innovation".
- stcredzero 13y ago
  It's pushing the technological envelope by applying existing tech. One could argue that Grasshopper is the same sort of thing. DC-X and the Lunar Lander already implemented hovering by tail-sitting on rocket thrust. Musk is just applying the tech.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- vincentkriek 13y ago
  It's evolution and not revolution. They aren't bringing new amazing tech, they are improving the tech they have already.
  - rimantas 13y ago
    So which did not exist before Musk, electric cars of rockets?
    - Fuxy 13y ago
      Are you saying there were no phones with a touch screen before apple? There's a difference between doing thing and doing things right and going the extra mile and putting in the effort to polish it up making it use friendly and developer friendly by having good documentation. Electric car existed before Tesla but nowhere as good as the Tesla, rockets existed before SpaceX but they were extremely expensive and mostly funded by taxpayer money touch screen phone existed before Apple but they were awful. So what's your point?
md2be 13y ago
This is total nonsense. If you want to get a sense of the innovator at apple, read the Johnny Ives book.

raverbashing 13y ago

This He may well be a rent-seeker but the other ones are not doing electrical cars or space devices, they're funding their summer house, or investing in traditional (let's not compete with ourselves) companies.