It's actually kind of tragic. Tesla would have been, no, should have been a key domestic EV maker. They should have been our global offering in a strategically important industry. But instead, they're rapidly becoming a pariah. And it's all because of one man. One terrible, terrible man.
This is a very, very important lesson that America MUST learn: just because someone is rich, that does not mean they are smart, or good, or trustworthy. Personality matters, a lot. I am certain that if Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning could go back, they would tell Mr. Musk "no thank you, we're not interested in your investment," even though they really needed the money. It wasn't worth it, it came with strings attached. Within just a few years of taking Musk's money, both men were forced out of the company, and Musk was well on his way to convincing millions of Americans that we was a super genius who singlehandedly invented the electric car.
In this country, we have not only tolerated megalomaniacal narcissists like Musk, we've celebrated them. That has to stop. Look at where it has gotten us. One of them is president now! If we don't learn from this, and start to see men like Trump and Musk as the disease that they are, we are doomed. If we don't get these men under control, they will control us.