Right, we’re done here. Elon Musk has gone off the deep end and called British diver Vern Unsworth – who was instrumental in recently rescuing a Thai boys’ soccer team trapped in a cave – a pedophile, after Unsworth balked at the billionaire’s idea of using a small “submarine” to help bring the boys back to safety.
Musk’s accomplishments speak volumes about his business acumen, ability to drive innovation and lead businesses. But his tweets show that he is thin-skinned, reacts poorly to criticism, and straight-up picks on people when he feels he’s being attacked. What’s more, those tweets, which reach close to half as many people as US President Donald Trump, seem to encourage toxic behaviour among his followers against those he disagrees with.
I have no issues with Elon Musk trying to build an escape pod for children trapped in a cave thousands of miles away, especially when it was being speculated that it could take months to rescue them. Heck, if that’s your idea of a publicity stunt, by all means, go right ahead and make a name for yourself by trying to help others.
With a following as large as yours, dear Elon, you can use your influence to draw attention to scientific and technological innovation, encourage people to try new ideas like the Hyperloop, and let us know about monumental achievements like building a reusable rocket.
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But when you use that platform to accuse someone of being a pedophile when they’ve been tasked with the incredible challenge of rescuing children in a cave, you prove to the world that you’re not capable of handling a Twitter account like an adult. The same goes for lashing out against the media for reporting on your company’s missteps.
He didn’t just call the British rescuer in Thailand a pedophile. He called him a pedophile because he couldn’t imagine another reason for a white guy to be in Thailand. Which is a false assumption. Sometimes white guys visit Thailand to show off their useless submarines.
— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) July 15, 2018
I don’t believe I’m in a position to judge how people think and feel intrinsically. But on a public platform like Twitter, I believe you can certainly do better – or at the very least, pay someone to do better on your behalf.
It’s time, dear Elon, to do yourself a favor and quit Twitter. It’ll feel weird at first, but as the days go by and the world becomes a better place, you’ll find it to be one of your smarter decisions in recent times.
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