We Went To The Town Elon Musk Took Hostage

In Brownsville, Texas, one of the poorest communities in America, Elon Musk sold hope for the town to climb out of stagnation into growth. Instead, SpaceX has caused earthquakes, rampant workplace injuries, skirted regulations, threatened wildlife, and displaced local communities, while securing millions in corporate welfare. We went to Texas in January, just as SpaceX was gearing up for the seventh launch of its Starship, and this is what we unraveled.
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[AltevBaka]

It’s infuriating to hear “we have to go to mars because our planet is dying” coming from the people actively destroying said planet.

[PLat-ct]

Company towns are a notoriously bad idea for everyone involved except the corporations. Mining & steel company towns in Appalachia destroyed entire communities. Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

[e.l.france]

The professor all but shouted, yet I've never forgotten, all these years later... "NO, history does NOT repeat itself! PEOPLE repeat history!"

[deannevictor]

Musk says, "humanity", and I need folks to understand he doesn't see most of us as human. He isn't talking about taking us.

[stephaniesanderson]

If he's so rich, why is the government paying for everything?

[piergiorgio]

As an engineer i always found funny the whole lets abandon earth, spend a trillion dollars and go to a planet with no atmosphere, no water, no magnetic field to stop radiation, nothing to sustain life. It's so stupid i'll never understand. Its like being concerned by a famine, taking 10000 loaves of bread and turn it into 1 loaf of bread.

[Swordsman]

"Overregulation is impeding progress" I recall a certain now-deceased submarine ceo saying something similar and literally everyone called him out on it.

[vitalivour]

If you can terraform Mars, it would be 1000s of times easier to just stop ruining Earth

[Italiaiskawaii]

What's actually happening is landlords are raising the rent to insane prices in Brownsville but most jobs still pay $7.25-10 the hour.

[MrDd]

why can't mainstream media do critical reporting like this? Thank you more perfect union.

[azmidlyf]

Makes so much sense to spend billions to go to a planet, that is uninhabitable, instead of saving the one that is inhabitable and in trouble.

[pandora]

Except the locals didn’t get the jobs; employees were imported from elsewhere.

[mimisunshine]

Hello. I live nearly 50 miles from a SpaceX Facility in Central Texas. Just today alone, there have been 3 incidents that have caused my house and the entire neighborhood to shake. There is an underground facility that has been conducting tests. These tests, whatever the hell they're doing, is causing rumbling and rattling for at least a 50 mile radius. I've been awoken several times by these nuisances, and I am confused, scared, and frustrated. This is just another problem to add to the long list of issues plaguing my community.

[moneystrb]

Haven’t we learned from company towns in Appalachia? My god, history really does occur in a circle.

[denisex]

TERRIBLE! He IS the biggest leech on the Fed Govt!

[mrjurassicyt]

RGV Native here. I can confirm that the reality is much worse.

[GenreBGoode]

"The earth doesn't have infinite resources"

Its been doing pretty well for millions of years before we arrived on the scene.

Choosing to nope out to Mars over making our life sustainable here on earth is like going to a party, drinking everything, smashing everything you can get your hands on, taking a dump on the carpet and just walking out. Its a disgusting, selfish attitude and its lazy.

[RitaWarde]

Once again we are subsidizing the rich !

[peterschoen]

All billionaires have one thing in common is love taxpayers' money, why they don't have to pay it back.

[SilverSlayer]

Billionaires are the most dangerous minority in this country.