I agree and it’s an important distinction but it’s also a big asterisk. Fascism is on the rise again in Germany (and many other places) call corporations have one value and it’s profit, they’ve proven over and over they don’t care about people. If fascism becomes profitable again what do you think they’ll do?
Also my comments are regarding auto corporations not Germany as a country.
I disagree on it mattering, and there are plenty of correlations including executives with histories across the auto industry. These companies aren’t as nimble or efficient as their branding suggests - they’ve operated with the same tactics for decades and the holocaust was not that long ago. Id argue the only thing that’s changed is corporate rebranding & propaganda because a new image was profitable, not because they magically became altruistic. Companies that escaped their problematic moments should not have escaped them - the fact that they did is itself problematic. ‘I’m sorry’ is not payment enough for profiteering off of genocide in my opinion. Well aware of how many companies are problematic, I just think we can do better.
Focusing on Elon for his actions right now is a great step and focus area tho!
Because they and many other modern car companies supported nazi genocide and fascism for money that I don’t think it’s a coincidence we’re seeing the same with Tesla. Time doesn’t change the past.
I have one that’s nearly 7 years old, fully paid for and still works well. I hate having to own any car and environmentally, the best car is the one you already have. Getting an equivalent car at a reduced trade-in price would cost 20k and I would do it on principle if I could afford to.
BMW and Mercedes both supported Nazi’s during the holocaust and I believe they should receive the same treatment but it’s been the better part of a century and they’re still here. I’d go so far as to argue that cars are just consumerized war vehicles that a civil society has limited use for given the potential benefits of mass transit.
Oil companies bribed and lobbied against clean, efficient, exciting transit decades ago and were all poorer for it.
As someone said in a different thread, it’s a first step in gauging support for a broader effort. It gives a sense of how effective getting the message out is, and how many people join on.
I agree with some of your points and the only thing I’d add is brands are symbols, and if a brand is left intact after an atrocity what does that say? I don’t think the brands should exist any more than keeping the same people in charge.