> We need to change the law to treat political views as a protected trait
Just as soon as someone can define what “political views” are and aren’t, I guess? To choose an extreme example: if I’m a racist that’s bad but if I believe in the political concept of a whites-only ethnostate is that protected?
It’s very, very difficult to define where “politics” starts and stops.
Bad views are protected. That's the point of it. Not difficult.
Not really a 'class' though, since the protection applies to everybody.
I had a different experience. Watching a Cybertruck which had flat-bottomed itself in sand as my Subaru winched it out made me think more about getting an F-150 lightning.
Both Cybertruck and F-150 are trucks, not cars or SUVs.
I'd love to see a small EV truck or wagon with its motor attached to an actual 4x4 transmission. Don't care if auto or manual (but no CVT please, I'm not entirely a fan of mine) but the slight loss of power and gentler acceleration of the tires actually helps when you're on stuff like sand. You don't want to instantly spin your wheels, even in tiny pulses. You want as even of a power profile as you want to stay on top and not dig yourself down like the Cybertruck did.
https://www.npr.org/2021/10/05/1043336212/tesla-racial-discr...
I would challenge people to consider the possibility that they too could someday run afoul of the powers that be for not ascribing to the proper political beliefs of the ruling party. Even if you find Elon Musk's political beliefs absolutely abhorrent, please do not support such disgusting politically motivated abuses of power against him. We don't punish people for their political beliefs in a proper democracy.
Equal.
> Tesla as a company seems to think protected class doesn't matter.
I don’t see evidence for this. Sure any examples of discrimination like those in the article are bad. Is it deserving of $137 million in punitive damages that are arbitrarily decided? I don’t think so. But regardless of that case, I am fairly certain most people in Tesla and Musk himself feel race should be a protected class.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/10/california-reject-m...
It's absolutely disgusting whether you agree with his politics or not. As Americans we're better than this.
Take the L here. Acknowledge we're not better than this and arguably never have been. Next time consider, "we should aspire to be better than this".
And to be clear, I didn't vote Harris or Trump, both parties do this gross stuff.
E.g, Twitter/X is still flourishing in the US while regulators in the EU frequently threaten it.
Is this the sort of action that Californians would broadly support? If so, then more power to them. If not then this is the political class playing petty games to the detriment of the people they're supposed to be representing.
Also, don’t confuse gerrymandered elections with overwhelming support. Texas turned disenfranchising people into an art form. What the voting lines say and what the people want are rarely aligned. The Texas government knows this. The people know this (ex Texan here). Its cleverly and not secretly crafted to make it nearly impossible for the state to go blue.
Ted Cruz is a Senator - gerrymandering plays 0 role in his victory, which was far more dominant in 2024 than 2018.
If that's accurate then the way they're holding it against him is making him follow the existing rules. But maybe that's a smokescreen? I'm unsure how to judge that situation.
But for the topic article, if he's going to be inside the group of people that are cutting federal EV subsidies, I don't think he gets to complain about not getting EV subsidies.
In my opinion 16 years is long enough for the experiment, and it is an appropriate time to discuss the usefulness of EV subsidies going forward.
Based on what?
> We need to change the law to treat political views as a protected trait, to protect individuals and organizations.
Why would we want to do that? It's also totally impractical because everything is politicized.
Isn't there room for a different "better product" for each individual?
You may like a MacBook and I may prefer a ThinkPad. One is not better than the other, it depends on our individual needs.
My Kia EV6 is a much better car for me than any Tesla.
Just a few of the many reasons:
Physical controls that are so much like my old gas Kia: A stalk for the lights. Another for the wipers. Plenty of buttons on the steering wheel that I can find by touch. And regen paddles like the gear shift paddles on some gas cars, so I can adjust the regen level without taking my eyes off the road. I only rarely have to use the touchscreen while driving.
Dual displays, with essential driving information right in front of me, and "infotainment" functions on the center display.
"Vegan suede" seats that feel like a high quality cloth seat and keep me cooler than a leather seat (vegan or not).
Of course if a Tesla is a better car for you, I have no quarrel with that. I'm glad you found the best car for yourself, just as I have.
Fuck that company.