Are you a maker or a taker? Politicians are often takers. They take our money (and freedom) in the name of achieving goals that are rarely achieved.
Elon Musk and Sen. Elizabeth Warren may be the best examples of makers and takers. They are the stars of my video this week. Warren yells, “Tax the rich!” She particularly wants to tax Mr. Musk, the world's richest man.(Related: John Stossel: Leave California's cliff-hunting to the 'experts')
Eager to get his money, she spread the scandal to the media by claiming that Musk had paid her. no tax. She has appeared on TV many times, and in 2018 she told People that “he didn't pay!” It was true. In 2018, Musk paid no federal income taxes. But that's because his salary was all in the form of “stock options” and they gave him no income that year.
But at the very moment Warren launched her “zero taxes” mantra, Musk was paying $12 billion to the U.S. government. This is more taxes than anyone in history has paid. Warren didn't mention it.
I wish Mr. Musk paid less taxes. The world would be better off if he spent $12 billion on himself rather than giving it to Warren and his cronies. I say that because the manufacturer, Mask, does so many beneficial things. This includes things that the government cannot do.
NASA gave up building the spacecraft. Even NASA bureaucrats now understand that they aren't doing things very well. In 2008, NASA Administrator Mike Griffin called on private companies to join the space race, saying, “We can't keep doing the same old thing.''
That's how we got the results. By 2020, Musk had sent astronauts into orbit, something NASA had not been able to do for nine years. Mr. Musk has reduced the cost of nearly every component of spaceflight. NASA spent his $1,500 on the door latch. Musk's team modified a toilet stall latch, a part he produced for $30. Musk has developed a reusable rocket, significantly reducing costs.
“We'll reuse the rocket, say, 1,000 times,” Musk said. “Then the capital cost of the rocket per launch would be only about $50,000.” Why didn't NASA do that? Because in government, people do what they've always done. It's not about lowering costs.they are spending other people's money.
Musk also founded Starlink. Starlink satellites currently provide low-cost internet service to people around the world. He has been very successful in launching satellites, so largely The satellite currently orbiting the earth is Mr. Musk's satellite. He has given more poor people access to the internet than any previous government. Mr. Musk has created the world's most popular electric car, provided internet access to the poor, fueled space exploration and created 110,000 jobs.
So does Warren want to punish him? She sent a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission asking the government to investigate Tesla, saying she “does not adequately represent shareholders.”
That seems like a strange accusation considering Tesla stock's value has increased by $790 billion. Warren didn't like that Musk became CEO of Twitter. She called for an investigation into “conflicts of interest.”
But it's great that Musk bought Twitter. He told Joe Rogan that despite the company's losses, taking over Twitter was still “everything” worth it because it protects open discussion.
Agree. Twitter's previous owners censored political views that did not conform to left-wing bias. They even reduced the number of my Twitter followers. For the first time since Mr. Musk took office, the total exceeded 1 million again. Now, Musk's company Neuralink is trying to help paralyzed people access the internet and operate prosthetic limbs simply by using their thoughts.
Neuralink, Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink. Masks are makers and heroes! Warren the Taker attacks those who create wealth. She is spreading distorted stories about “greedy” corporations. Of course, companies are greedy! Greed works. It motivates people to try harder. But greedy people (outside the government) can only satisfy their desires by pleasing their customers.Unlike politicians, they can't do that. Power Anyone can pay.
Our world needs less Elizabeth Warren and more Elon Musk.
every Tuesday JohnStossel.com, Stossel posted a new video about the battle between government and freedom. He is the author of “Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Scammers, Fraudsters, Fraudsters and the Liberal Media's Scourge''.
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