“The great capitalists in this country are small business owners; they provide jobs and great products and services without bilking taxpayers for the privilege.”
True, but they aren’t going to build cheap space rockets or feasible alternative power systems in the warehouse behind the strip mall.
Politics aside, he reminds me a little of a modern Henry Kaiser. Big things take big risks. He built some ships that sank (electrical welding was high-tech in WWII and took a learning curve to get right) but he also built a LOT of ships that floated very well, and also the Hoover Dam, under budget and ahead of schedule, with new ideas.
Americans used to understand that you got the reward for taking the risks. Not by getting the "little people" to take them for you [in return for which, they get nothing.] There's no real difference between Elon Musk and the Banksters [or GM ownership and the UAW] who put billions at risk, knowing someone else would bail them out. Musk is simply being paid up front.
Right.
Because a dirt-poor kid from Scotland could never rise through the ranks of entry-level and sales jobs to pretty much single-handedly create the United States Steel industry.
Eye Roll.