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Besides the fiction, innuendo, and crybaby writing that made me mad, what really rubs me the wrong way is "mute point" (ok, not really... ;-)). The author and the world would be better served if he just stayed mute and didn't make any points. I'd write WSJ myself to get them to censure Mr.Jenkins, but given other invented-fact articles by other authors that WSJ happily publishes, that's probably a moot activity.
Sorry. Moved a quote of the suggestion to search for the article on Google into that post and edited it a tad more to make more sense without the full text.
Johan
Ex got M3 in the divorce, waiting for EU Model Y!
Everyone here should tweet @elonmusk and ask him to call the WSJ on this bullcrap. If we all do it maybe he'll bite. I did. He has a long boring flight ahead of him to China, he might hit the Twitter... 
ddimit
Member
Again, this was not a news article. It was an opinion column by someone whose opinion of Tesla was already well known.
Am I the only one who can't find this article? Every Google result I see on the first 2 pages has a link back to wsj.com
This link was provided on reddit which seems to work reliably:
Holman Jenkins: Tesla: Just Another Car Company - WSJ
Holman Jenkins: Tesla: Just Another Car Company - WSJ
Mobster
Member
AHHHHHHH. I just opened my Wall Street Journal and read the sheer idiocy that "Holman W. Jenkins, Jr." wrote as an opinion (more fantasy than opinion). I love WSJ and this is not them it's a elite ignorant JEALOUS fool writing an "opinion". I learned a lot. It doesn't take minutes to recharge at a supercharger it takes HOURS. Damn, last week it took me 20 minutes by my watch and now I learn a need a new watch. I learned that our (owners) greatest fear is having to be towed home. Damn, again I learned what I was afraid of and my recollection is never thinking about it. So I need a new watch and a brain scan. I learned that I am rich and part of a "stupid and perverse" policy of getting a subsidy. Damn, again, I have received subsidies for my heat pump from the government and other purchases that they decided they wanted to encourage. I did not know I was rich. I thought I was just a middle class guy who made a choice not to have a speed boat, a newer house, a motor home or camper like others in my plain Jane neighborhood. I just used my few extra dollars of disposable income to sacrifice some budgets for a car I wanted. Now, I need to look at my watch, my fears, my rich status, and my "stupid and perverse" accountability for accepting numerous subsidies from light bulbs to my new efficient washing machine. He should do at least a little research on real issues such as subsidies that were wasted on GM and the incredible "subsidies" that went to banks who did not use the money to shore up loans but, rather deposited it in reserves (I can furnish you the incredible chart from the Fed showing where the "bailout" money sits since 2008). AHHHHH This writer (Holman) - and I use the term very losely -- puts words in Elon's mouth, tells us what we don't know (without a clue about what he writes) that undoubtedly is only in existence to be sold to someone else! And on and on and on with sheer manure. Please, someone write a "letter to the editor" of the WSJ. They are very good at publishing letters pointing out flaws in the opinion piece "facts". Today, several people had letters to the editor challenging "facts" in a previous "drone warfare" piece. I know you will say I should do it...but I am so disgusted with this guy I cannot be civil with him. And I want to stay civil. I want to thank you for starting this thread. It helps to vent. I run into so many people who only feel better about themselves by tearing down successful "ground breaking" entrepreneurs. Whether you love 'em or hate 'em companies like Amazon (who did not show profits for years - but changed the landscape) AND SpaceX (I am retired from Boeing who is now facing a surprise competitor in heavy lift capabilities) AND Tesla are risk takers and visionaries that many "expert writers" have an almost vitriolic loathing and jealousy of. (sorry for the dangling prep). The sad thing is the uninformed will take this writers logic "if then...else" as some kind of science or informed business savvy and join the ranks of Elon Musk townspeople with torches. I get more and more empathy for entrepreneurs that risk all their wealth, all their reputation, much of their family life ..... to make a difference in the world. Whew....end of rant even though I have a lot more to say!! Thanks
Mobster
Member
Well I have libertarian views and don't believe pollution is ok. But I want to point out that we are off topic here. This article was not about pollution. I notice you do not own a Tesla. I want to let you know I would have bought mine WITHOUT ANY SUBSIDY. And I am not "rich" as that hater wrote in his article. I just choose not to buy the speedboat, or vacation cabin, or camper/ motor home that so many others have in my very ordinary neighborhood. If I did not have incentives offered to me ..... I would have to save more money...but STILL have bought my Tesla. I believe the other owners I know would say the same thing. I don't believe I am saving the planet...that might be a whole other discussion...HOWEVER...I believe I have the car for me, a wonder of engineering, with an unbelievably wonderful, supportive company who is constantly keeping in touch with me, either with wonderful software car feature upgrades or by email news. I owned 5 Corvettes between 1995 and 2009 (loved them, not GM however) and all I got was misinformation and poor support from GM. But, of course, we had to use taxpayer dollars to "subsidize" them resulting in a company that did not learn any lessons from their near disaster other than they could convince intellectuals that they were "too big to fail". Bah. Anyway I have not found that incentives affect how much we love our cars. Additionally, the concept that Elon will have to sell the company to the bigger players as outlined in this silly WSJ article is the rantings of ignorance.
bluenation
Member
....you guys act like this is the first time you've come across WSJ op eds.
they're known to be Rupert-Murdochian. It's not just against tesla, fyi.
they're known to be Rupert-Murdochian. It's not just against tesla, fyi.
Jenkins is off-base, but that's because he doesn't realize a) Tesla's GAAP losses are due to high investment levels, not cost of sales and b) that Tesla's sales do not depend on subsidies, even though they benefit from them. Tesla has built a straight-up competitor for vehicles in their segment.
I see this as telling one side of the story. Yes tesla used government money to fund their factories, but the other car manufactures get funding too.
And yes tesla has played catchup with safety "technology" (autonomous driver assist) BUT in a crash the model S was the safest car ever tested.
This guy doesn't write with any balance, I hate these articles and I hate fanboy articles. So hard to find articles with both sides of the story.
And yes tesla has played catchup with safety "technology" (autonomous driver assist) BUT in a crash the model S was the safest car ever tested.
This guy doesn't write with any balance, I hate these articles and I hate fanboy articles. So hard to find articles with both sides of the story.
tonybelding
Active Member
This is shameful, IMHO. Anybody with some education or experience in business economics should get that a startup company operating in growth mode (especially in a capital-intensive business!) doesn't work like an established company, and none of their financial numbers are going to look much alike. They're not just spending money to make and sell cars; they're also spending vast sums to build a car company. The faster they spend it, the sooner they'll start getting some returns.
I guess the problem for people in the car business is... There are no startup car makers of any scale (setting aside boutique shops) other than Tesla. They have no experience even analyzing startup car makers. They put Tesla's financial reports next to those of GM, Ford, Toyota, Honda -- or even smaller companies like Mazda or Mitsubishi -- and it looks weird to them. Then they start whining, "Tesla isn't making a profit! Why is everyone so hyped about a company that can't make a profit?" It's absurd.
Everyone's reaction is the same but what are the repercussions when future events prove he is dramatically proven wrong? No one seems to bother following up and making him pay for obvious lies. That's way more frustrating for me than reading another Tesla bashing article. No one follows up with specific "this is what you said", so what do you think now?" spears to make him pay. Basically this kind of writing is slander to the nth degree.
mesalum
Member
Mayhemm
Model S P85+ "Lola"
This is my biggest issue with today's politics as well.
It's not that people say ignorant or stupid things, that's never going to change. But that nobody seems interesting in holding people accountable for their BS.
Everything is documented or recorded theses days. It should be simplicity itself to fact-check these morons and call them on it. Yet no one can be bothered. Sad.
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