Don't demonize Musk by calling him a foreigner

[DavidDvorkin]

He's a naturalized citizen and therefore as American as any native-born American. Don't demonize him because he's a white South African immigrant. (Waves hand vigorously.) Demonize him because he's a demonic piece of shit.

[kimbutgar]

1. And a supporter of Nazi's in Germany!

[BannonsLiver]

2. So now we're policing what we call a creepy Bond villain.

I think I’ll call him whatever I want.

[EarlG]

15. Awesome

I'm a naturalized American citizen too, and let me tell you, I never get tired of hearing people imply that foreigners like me aren't real Americans.

Great work, keep it up.

[Greybnk48]

3. He's an African American, right? n/t

[jimfields33]

7. Yes. Born in Africa.

[DeepWinter]

12. Legitimately

he is.

[BannonsLiver]

22. Apparently bringing that up is verbotten.

I'm glad we're all endeavoring not to offend poor Melmo as our rights are stripped away by someone who is unelected and evil to his core.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

23. Afrikaner

[DavidDvorkin]

35. No, he's not an Afrikaner

One of his forebears was an Afrikaner, but the majority of them are/were English.

[marble falls]

4. He can't be President.

[Attilatheblond]

26. But he can put one on his payroll and be the boss of him, evidently

[lame54]

5. Haven't you heard? Those rules no longer apply

[mymomwasright]

6. I'm still learning about his questionable path to citizenship.

So, I'll view the "as American as" with suspicion.

[maxsolomon]

8. Meh.

I am not persuaded by this argument.

I'm also not demonizing Musk because the rest of DU is doing it for me, over and over in OP after OP.

[GusBob]

9. It has been reported

The path of this person from a foreign country to citizenship is murky and sketchy. For awhile he may have been an illegal immigrant and how he became a citizen may have been purchased or obtained nefariously. The guy is a Nazi and a fucking crooked SOB who is fucking with our representative government

Nobody but you is comparing him to you sir, dont worry

[Irish_Dem]

10. Elon Musk is the least American person around.

He acts and behaves like a foreigner, he has no loyalty to the American people.
He has no allegiance to our country or democracy.

PS: I'm tired of being told what I can do and say, when the GOP does whatever the hell they want to do.

[Conjuay]

40. I disagree

He's the most American person there is!
He's the epitome of the greedy capitalist, right down to having powerful politicians in his pocket.

[USAFRetired_Liberal]

11. I will demonize him for those things

I will demonize him for being from South Africa and an immigrant for the following reasons:
1. His mother’s family left Canada—a country where Black people were treated more fairly—to move to South Africa during the height of apartheid. This suggests they knowingly and willingly accepted apartheid. Why else would someone move to a country with such an oppressive, racist government unless they supported it?
2.His father financially benefited from the apartheid system and reportedly took land from Black South Africans, further entrenching inequality.
3.He conveniently left South Africa when apartheid ended, just as Mandela and the ANC began taking control, raising questions about his motives.
4.He entered the United States under the guise of attending graduate school but overstayed his visa, effectively becoming what some would label an “illegal immigrant.”

[C_U_L8R]

13. You don't have to be a billionaire to be an asshole

But it sure helps.

[Blappy]

14. I think EviLON is an alien

but I have no idea what planet it is from

[Justice matters.]

17. I think he's from Mars, as he wants to return there...

I hope he does and never comes back.

[Raven123]

16. Excellent point.

His place of birth is irrelevant. His loyalty (or lack thereof) to the Constitution of the United States is. Many foreign born people residing in the USA who respect us are at risk of being caught up in this conflict through no fault of their own.

Issues regarding his ineligibility to serves a POTUS are legitimate. Otherwise, demonizing Musk for not being born in the USA is pretty darned close to what Trump has been doing.

[Justice matters.]

18. What if he overstayed his foreign student visa?

He never claimed refugee status as the law requires (granted, he could never have done that).

So, if true, that would make him an "illegal immigrant" for a period of time before he applied for citizenship.

Would that mean he got a free pass (for how much?) by one (or more) Civil Servant(s) at the immigration desk?

Why nobody seems interested to find out the truth of what happened is suspicious (I haven't heard anyone who's investigating him yet).

[Raven123]

20. Certainly legitimate questions expressed well.

Just be precise in your objections or concerns. The term “foreigner “ is not precise. I think that is the point made by the OP. I could be wrong.

[Justice matters.]

21. Foreigner from Mars who misses his homeland...

I hope he will get back to Mars and never comes back...

[Blue Full Moon]

19. He is here illegally, he lied on application.

Hunter was pillorized for lying on an application. Musk wants to deport illegal immigrants so his rules apply to him.

[Hope22]

24. This! Nt

[Attilatheblond]

29. Naturalization Oath of Allegiance

https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learn-about-citizenship/the-naturalization-interview-and-test/naturalization-oath-of-allegiance-to-the-united-states-of-america]

I suppose he had his fingers crossed?

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."

Note: In certain circumstances there can be a modification or waiver of the Oath of Allegiance. See the USCIS Policy Manual.

The principles embodied in the Oath are codified in Section 337(a) in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which provides that all applicants shall take an oath that incorporates the substance of the following:

Support the Constitution;
Renounce and abjure absolutely and entirely all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which the applicant was before a subject or citizen;
Support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;
Bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and
A. Bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; or
B. Perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; or
C. Perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law.

The language of the current Oath is found in the Code of Federal Regulations Section 337.1 and is closely based upon the statutory elements in Section 337(a) of the INA.

Additional Resources:

History of the Oath of Allegiance

Can we deport people who lie to taking the oath of citizenship when they plan a hostile takeover of the government? And by deport, I mean set adrift with a liter of water, a granola bar, broken oar in a leaky canoe? Maybe, at least design an extremely specific draft law?

[Bengus81]

37. Kicking THIS! n/t

[dchill]

25. He's a white South African apartheidista...

...and an economic terrorist.

[question everything]

27. He and the MAGATeers want to expel legal immigrants for "trying to force us to follow their rules"

Or something. Sharia law?

Well, this is what he is trying to do.

And while there, you may add Rupert Murdoch to Australia.

[wolfie001]

28. How bought apartheid baby?

He didn't learn anything growing up with that system of government. This is quite the wet noodle post. Definitely seems to be one of those enervating responses to a very complex and nasty m6therf6cker.

[Probatim]

30. Do I have to remove my "Deport Elon" bumpersticker then?

[sarisataka]

31. Some people are short-sighted

and unable to see why using 'foreigner' as a slur can very easily backfire.

[SixteenTons]

32. Yep...saw this yesterday and said basically WTF.

"He's not American. He doesn't know about our democracy. He doesn't know about our processes."

--Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.)


As others stated in this thread, there's plenty to go after Musk on without that proclamation. I'm thinking to myself, here's someone representing leadership of a party that supposedly defends immigrants and says something like that. The implication is clear on her real view of immigrants, after that statement, and a cursory look into other statements in her history. Her entire view of immigration is broken down into one overriding thing... "we" need "them" here to bolster "our economy." The objectification of immigrants, as nothing other than a unit in the labor force "to serve us." Who will pick "our fruit", who will pick "our crops", who will "serve us" as we sit back and get fat and large off "our investment portfolios" in "our economy." Annie Kuster was far from alone in making that case. It's got nothing to do with giving a shit about immigrants with that crowd. It's about getting cheap labor, to continue on with a system that thrives on savage inequality, to serve the top 10-20 percent of the economic pyramid that benefits from that savage inequality. People then turn around and ask why the Democratic Party is viewed as elitist. Well, there's one answer.

[carpetbagger]

42. Musk had meetings with Putin and didn't disclose w US.

If you have security agreements with America requiring it, kinda shows where your loyalty lies.

As to this unamerican stuff, spare me the handwringing. Welcome to DU, we've heard that unamerican shit for the entirety of our existence.

[Blue Owl]

33. Strikes me as the type....

Who has a secret room somewhere filled with Nazi memorabilia and personal items owned by Hitler, where he spends most of his free time…..

[City Lights]

34. He's just a low-quality human. nt

[lapfog_1]

36. too bad he never had diplomatic immunity

[Bengus81]

38. Boy...I sure don't want to demonize him as he starts to work tirelessly

to take my social security and medicare away from this 71 year old.

[GreenWave]

39. Whatever it takes to bring him down is good for me.

They lied to get in power. Grocery prices, gas prices both run by their fellow GOP for the most part. Yet they can't tell their greedy bastard donors to stop it?
Fox and others 24/7 bs,
AM radio 24/7 bs.
RW pseudo churches bs
voter suppression
rigged SC
etc.

And we are supposed to be flawless good little pudding children who must always be sweet and polite while they knife apart our democracy?

[JCMach1]

41. Because taking the high road got us so far?

Musk is fair game on everything.

He is a greedy, adddled, foreign, drug addicted, Dipshit' and weird POS.