You Think Elon Musk Is A Problem Here? He Just Endorsed Germany’s Nazi Party In February’s Elections

Before World War II, many wealthy American industrialists were very enthusiastic about European fascism, driven by a combination of economic self-interest, ideological alignment, and anti-working class sentiment. While not all supporters were full-fledged fascists, many saw authoritarian regimes as a bulwark against socialism, communism and labor movements, as well as a model for economic stability and industrial order. Fascism’s emphasis on hierarchy and “survival of the fittest” appealed to elites who viewed wealth and power as evidence of moral and biological superiority.

The 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia sparked fears of communist uprisings worldwide, especially during the Great Depression, when socialist and labor movements gained traction in the U.S. Fascism’s overtly anti-communist stance made it appealing as a counterforce to Marxist ideologies. American, British and French industrialists viewed fascist regimes as defenders of private property and free markets, albeit under strict state control. Fascist leaders like Mussolini, Franco and Hitler were perceived as capable of crushing labor strikes, socialist parties, and radical unions that threatened corporate profits. On top of that, Germany’s economic recovery under Hitler, driven by rearmament and infrastructure programs, made it a lucrative market for American companies. Fascist regimes promoted partnerships between government and industry, limiting competition and empowering monopolistic practices, which appealed to industrialists who were wary of New Deal regulations and the rise of organized labor in the U.S. There was a great deal of hostility among the very rich to the New Deal, which expanded government intervention in the economy, imposed regulations, and strengthened labor unions. In 1933 some of these American fascists actually tried to overthrow FDR and install a dictatorship.

None of these people were executed for treason; they should have been because if they had, maybe Musk would be treading a little more carefully today— or maybe not.

• Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, was openly anti-Semitic and published anti-Jewish propaganda in his newspaper, The Dearborn Independent. Hitler even mentioned him positively in Mein Kampf. Ford received the Grand Cross of the German Eagle from the Nazi regime in 1938, one of the highest honors given to foreigners. 

• Standard Oil, now ExxonMobil collaborated with IG Farben, a German chemical company that supported the Nazi war machine. They supplied materials critical for aviation fuel production, which aided Germany’s military expansion.

• Irénée du Pont admired fascist ideology as a means to suppress labor strikes and combat communism and was one of the organizers of the 1933 Business Plot. More than most, he should have faced a firing squad.

• Prescott Bush, bankster and father/grandfather of two right-wing presidents, helped manage investments and financial dealings connected to Fritz Thyssen, a German industrialist who supported Hitler. His company’s assets were seized in 1942 under the Trading with the Enemy Act for ties to the Nazi regime.

• Charles Lindbergh, the famous aviator and spokesperson for the America First Committee, was a Nazi who loudly admired Germany’s technological advancements and its military discipline and cheered on Germany’s anti-Communism. He was a virulent anti-Semite and isolationist.

• Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. was another rich American anti-semite and Nazi, who, while serving as ambassador to Britain, expressed defeatist views and suggested the U.S. should appease Hitler rather than confront him. His son went on the become president of the U.S. too.

• Thomas Watson was chair of IBM when his punch-card machines were being used by the Nazis for census-taking and managing logistics, including tracking Jews and other persecuted groups. He accepted the Order of the German Eagle from Hitler’s government in 1937.

• James Mooney, a top executive at General Motors maintained close ties with Nazi officials and received the Order of the German Eagle in 1938 for his role in strengthening economic cooperation. He praised Hitler’s economic recovery policies and maintained cordial relations with Nazi leaders until the U.S. entered the war. GM’s Germany subsidiary, Opel, built vehicles for the Nazi military.

• William Randolph Hearst and his papers published editorials critical of communism while downplaying the threat of fascism. When he visited Germany in the 1930s, he met with Hitler, and spoke positively about his leadership in stabilizing the country.

And that brings us to… today when Welt am Sonntag (which also owns Politico) published an OpEd by South African Nazi Elon Musk endorsing the modern Nazi Party, AfD, prompting the commentary editor to resign in protest. In the op-ed, Musk argued that Germany’s economy is handicapped by regulatory overreach and bureaucracy, just as he does here in the U.S. “The AfD,” he wrote, “has understood that economic freedom is not just desirable, but necessary. Its approach of reducing government over-regulation, cutting taxes and deregulating the market reflects the principles that made Tesla and SpaceX successful. If Germany wants to regain its industrial strength, it needs a party that doesn’t just talk about growth, but also takes policy action to create an environment where companies can thrive without heavy government intervention... The traditional parties have failed in Germany. Their policies have led to economic stagnation, social unrest and an erosion of national identity. The AfD, even though it is labeled as far-right, represents a political realism that resonates with many Germans who feel their concerns are ignored by the establishment.”

The Guardian reported that Musk used populist and personal language to try to deny AfD’s extremist bent and the piece expanded on his post on Twitter, on which he last week claimed that “only the AfD can save Germany.”

Musk wrote, lying, that “The portrayal of the AfD as rightwing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!” Never heard of early Nazi strongman Ernst Röhm?

The AfD has a strong anti-immigration stance and, like incoming president Donald Trump in relation to the US, is calling for mass deportations from Germany. Earlier in December, Musk not only posted in favor of AfD but the party’s hard line on immigration appeared to resonate with the incoming US vice-president, JD Vance, MSNBC reported.

…Underneath Musk’s commentary, the newspaper published a response by [the paper’s editor-in-chief designate, Jan Philipp] Burgard.

“Musk’s diagnosis is correct, but his therapeutic approach, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally false,” he wrote, referencing the AfD’s desire to leave the European Union and seek rapprochement with Russia as well as appease China.

The AfD backing from Musk, who also defended his right to weigh in on German politics due to his “significant investments,” comes as Germans are set to vote on 23 February after a coalition government led by the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, collapsed late this fall.

The AfD is running second in opinion polls and might be able to thwart either a centre-right or centre-left majority, but Germany’s mainstream, more centrist parties have pledged to shun any support from the AfD at the national level.