Freedom is a word that comes up a lot with Elon Musk.
The billionaire has almost made it the cornerstone of his actions and initiatives.
It is in the name of freedom of expression, which is a derivative of freedom, that he said that he acquired the social network Twitter for 44,000 million dollars, which he defines as the town square of our time.
“Since Twitter serves as the de facto public square, failing to adhere to the principles of free speech fundamentally undermines democracy. What should be done?” he asked last March.
A few days later, he began buying Twitter shares, making a takeover bid in the process.
‘He won’t have a home’
It is also in the name of freedom of expression that the serial entrepreneur decreed a general armistice on Twitter by reactivating most of the accounts banned by Twitter 1.0, including that of former President Donald Trump for violating the internal policy against xenophobia, violence, racism, antisemitism and the spread of misinformation.
Furthermore, freedom is at the center of their ambition to colonize the planet Mars.
“When the first colony of Mars begins @elonmusk, what documents would you recommend using to establish a system of government? US Constitution/Bill of Rights? Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Humanist manifesto? The rebellion of Atlas? Against the State: an anarcho-capitalist manifesto? editor Michael Shermer asked him in June 2018.
“Direct democracy by the people,” replied the billionaire. “The laws must be brief, since there are deceptions in the extension. Automatic expiration of the rules to avoid death by the bureaucracy. Any rule can be eliminated by 40% of the people to overcome inertia. Freedom”.
The CEO of Tesla (TSLA) – Get a free report and SpaceX also justified its decision in 2020 to sell all of its physical assets in the name of freedom.
“I am selling almost all physical possessions. I will be homeless,” Must tweeted on May 1, 2020.
He added a few hours later: “Freedom”.
Therefore, the billionaire believes that freedom is the alpha and the omega. He must guide our actions, as well as those of our elected officials and those who govern us.
So it’s no wonder he just stated that in the name of freedom humans should be able to die whenever they want.
This comment risks creating a lot of controversy because it also touches on the issue of suicide and euthanasia, which is considered illegal in several countries around the world.
Euthanasia also provokes an ethical debate among experts.
‘When you’re sure you want to’
It all started with a Twitter thread with podcaster Lex Fridman complaining about seeing good things end abruptly.
“I hate that everything wonderful comes to an end,” Fridman wrote on January 20. “I wish it would last forever.”
Musk doesn’t seem to agree. For example, he considers being eternal to be one of the two worst curses.
“Two of the worst possible curses: you will live forever (and) you can have whatever you want,” the serial entrepreneur commented.
This comment sparked tweets about rights and death. It was in this context that a Twitter user asked Musk directly if humans had to choose when to die. Musk’s response was clear. He builds on his approach to freedom.
“Do you think humans should be able to choose when to die?” asked physician and businessman Peter H. Diamandis of the billionaire.
“Absolutely,” replied the tech mogul. “Freedom means freedom to die when you’re sure you want to.”
As expected, the comment caused strong reactions on Twitter. If some users saw Musk’s position as an affirmation of individual liberties, other users in the name of religion disagreed.
“The fact that our country does not allow sick and dying people to choose to end their lives with dignity is a shame. No one should have to suffer through the final stages of cancer or any other disease for no reason,” said one Twitter user.
“We can’t play God,” said another user.
But other users wondered about the “insurance” mentioned by Musk.
“What does ‘safe’ mean?” asked a Twitter user.
“I second you, but on second thought, how can one be sure that it is the right time to do it?” Added another user.
“How can you be sure?” said another user.
Musk’s position revives the debate on various issues related to individual rights and death. Of course, there is the question of suicide, assisted suicide and finally the great debate on euthanasia.
Euthanasia for humans is illegal in most US states. As of June 2021, the only jurisdictions that allow this procedure are Oregon, Washington, DC, Hawaii, Washington, Maine, Colorado, New Jersey, California and Vermont, according to Cornell Law School.
