Businessmen in Politics: Elon Musk, Ross Perot, Etc.

An article by David French gave me a memory. David’s piece was titled “America, Can We Talk About Our Guru Problem?” The subtitle was, “The rich and famous might feel less like they belong on Mount Olympus if we stopped treating them like Greek gods.” David’s point was that knowledge and success in one area — say, business — does not necessarily translate into wisdom about politics or public policy. He spent some time on Elon Musk, one of the outstanding figures of our age.

A long time ago, a group of us was talking about Ross Perot. I said that I considered him dopey about some matters. But, trying to be humble, I said, “I acknowledge that someone who has made three billion dollars has to have a lot on the ball.”

Bill Buckley would have none of it — slapping my remark down with this: “There is zero correlation between business success and political intelligence.”

I realized that WFB must have had long, long experience with successful businessmen, and other very rich people, talking to him about politics.

• The relationship between the Right and Elon Musk is interesting. For a long time, righties dunked on Musk. For one thing, they didn’t like electric cars, considering them prissy, and Musk is the king of electric cars. Then there were his children — some ten of them, with various women. People dunked on the kids’ names: “Exa Dark Sideræl,” for example, and “X Æ A-12.”

But then he was a hero. Last month, the House Judiciary Republicans tweeted a kind of trinity: “Kanye. Elon. Trump.”

• Speaking of Trump: On his personal version of Twitter, Truth Social, Donald Trump was writing about Glenn Youngkin, the governor of Virginia. He said, “Young Kin (now that’s an interesting take. Sounds Chinese, doesn’t it?) . . .”

It’s amazing to think that such a man was nominated by the Republican Party for president and then went on to win the election.

• The George W. Bush Presidential Center highlighted a statement by Tsai Ing-wen, the president of Taiwan. “The menacing behavior of authoritarian regimes should be a wake-up call to all democracies. We must work together to strengthen our resilience and safeguard our values.”

Well stated.

• “Despite Restrictions, Citizens Conducted Hundreds of Protests Across China in Recent Months.” That is a report from Freedom House, the New York–based organization. To protest in China requires a bravery that is almost . . . incomprehensible.

• To return to Elon Musk: Earlier this year, he opened a Tesla showroom and offices in the Xinjiang region, where the Chinese government is carrying out its genocide of the Uyghur people. (The State Department has designated China’s persecution “genocide.”) Musk is an entrepreneurial whiz, about whom there is much to admire. Think of his space exploration. But then . . .

I think some things are more important than making money, and I think one can skip Xinjiang, and totalitarian states altogether.

• Here is something remarkable, from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty: “How A Czech Janitor Hid 13 Jews In Budapest’s Gestapo Headquarters.” Go here. The glorious man in question is Emanuel Zima. Can you imagine?

• I wish to recommend something else: “Prince Harry: How I learnt to deal with grief: In letter to children of parents who died serving in the Armed Forces, Duke of Sussex says speaking about his mother’s death helped him cope.” Go here.

Obviously, Harry is a bête-noire for many. But I find much to admire in him. He served two combat tours in Afghanistan. He flew Apache helicopters. That is something, for a prince. For anybody, frankly.

• I know that you can make too much of a desecration of a cemetery. One miscreant does not a troubled society make. There are always miscreants — loony or malicious individuals. Still, this news report gave me pause: “‘Kanye was rite’: Jewish cemetery vandalized with swastikas in suburban Chicago.” Celebrities — for example, pop idols — give permission to others.

• “Longest serving president in the world with 43 years in power wants sixth term.” (Article here.) That would be Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the dictator of Equatorial Guinea. In such cases, I never say “serving”; I always say “ruling.”

• “Samuel Folsom, 102, Who Fought the Japanese Above Guadalcanal, Dies.” Holy Moses, what a man. “He went to war at 22 with limited flying experience but dodged Zeros, knocked out bombers and won the Distinguished Flying Cross and a Purple Heart.” Read about this man (here). Hero. Flat hero. Could have died at 22, lived till 102. Hero.

• This is one of the most interesting obits I have read in a long time. It is about Daniel Smith, believed to be the last child of an American slave. Born in 1932, he has died at 90. His father was Abram Smith, born during the Civil War, and 70 when Daniel came along.

Daniel was born in Connecticut and went to Springfield College, in Massachusetts. He was one of very few black students there — but he was elected president of the student council.

In 1963, he attended the March on Washington. In 2009, he attended the inauguration of Barack Obama.

For many years, Smith was a federal employee, setting up health programs. He faced discrimination and violence. But he apparently never stopped believing in American democracy and the American promise. When he retired in 1994, he volunteered as an usher at the National Cathedral.

In this single obit, there is a lot of American history. I think it ought to be passed out in classes.

• Care for a little music? This is a review of the Berlin Philharmonic in Carnegie Hall. This is a review of a trio — an ensemble — in Wigmore Hall (London).

• Some more music? I had to smile at this item: “Finns Name an American Chief Conductor.” Finland has more conductors than saunas. Practically every fifth Finn is a conductor. They lead orchestras all over the world. And an American has been tabbed to lead a Finnish orchestra?

It’s as though Newcastle has imported coal!

• This is one of the pictures of the year, as I see it. It was snapped by Mig Greengard. Garry Kasparov is with Abhimanyu Mishra, the world’s youngest grandmaster (chess, we’re talkin’, as you know). He is 13 and from New Jersey. Mig asked, “What year will you become world champion?” The young fellow answered, “2030.” Garry reacted with delight — and Mig snapped the picture.

• On Twitter, Fred Schultz circulated a video of a rhino startling a dog. (I believe it is a rhino. Zoology was not my forte.) Schultz comments, “Would definitely get your blood pumping waking up to that . . .”

See it here.

• I myself posted a picture:

My comment:

I consider fall beautiful, rather than sad or decadent — in the original sense (falling, decaying). There is the hope — no, the certainty — of spring. Winter, too, has its beauty. Hell, I just like the seasons. All the earth cannot be San Diego!

A reader replied,