It's only unproductive if assume their goal is honest dialogue, which it is not. Their goal is to tear down a political enemy. Attacks are generally productive, as those who've watched general internet sentiment regarding Elon swing from admiration to frothing, mindless hatred can attest. The truth is entirely beside the point.

This is true of the same crowd on any topic, btw.

He is absolutely a fraud. He has been lying about many things for more than a decade to boost his stock. He has more in common with Trevor Milton than anyone else.

An atheist might call Franklin Graham or Jerry Falwell a fraud, but the people who fill the stadiums and pews keep coming back, year after year, decade after decade, generation after generation. They are obviously getting something positive out of the experience.

Same with Musk and the stock market. At some point, victim-blaming may be the only rational explanation left. His followers are rubes falling for a fraud, yes, but it can hardly be considered involuntary or exploitative at this point. The rubes have become rich simply by sticking together under Musk's benevolent gaze, dominating financial discourse in the broader market. It will continue to work for them, right up until it doesn't.

He's been lying through his teeth for the better part of two decades, "fraud" is true and productive.

> Elon is a social dumbass with the emotional maturity of an edgy 14 year old boy, but calling him a fraud I'd say is false and unproductive.

Given the massive string of lies he spun about "full self driving" over the last decade or more, I don't think so.

Even before his recent political turn when he got widely vilified, I didn't trust him because of his record.