Tom Bernhardt on AOC's comment that Elon Musk is "a billionaire con man"

I’ve seen this meme posted on X and Facebook by many active Dems.  It’s remarkable on several levels.

Long before Musk’s recent sojourn into politics, I considered him to be the most consequential person this century.  He changed payments with Paypal, propelled the electric car business from niche to mainstream in Tesla, radically reduced the cost of space lift with SpaceX, gave us low-latency global internet with Earthlink, advanced AI at OpenAI, Boring Company provides new tunneling tech, evolved Twitter to being a better free-speech platform with X, and Neuralink advanced brain-computer interface giving hope to victims of neurological damage.  He is a business polymath and tech visionary by any definition.

Contrary to AOC’s post, Musk is a brilliant engineer.  Several years ago, I recall listening to Musk on Lex Fridman’s podcast where he talked in depth about topics such as rocket engine design and autopilot AI for over four hours.  I was very impressed.  But it is his extreme ability to spot opportunity, hire top talent and fearlessly execute that sets him apart. 

Entrepreneurs significantly differ (on average) from the general population in several of the Big Five personality factors, notably being far lower in Agreeableness (going along with others) and Neuroticism (negative emotions such as anxiety) and higher in Openness (curiosity and attraction to the novel).  You see this in spades with Musk, Jobs and others (Gates, Ellison, etc.).  They are very difficult to work for, but the results speak for themselves. Geniuses such as Musk are also often quite eccentric. 

Musk was a hero of the left when he was a lifelong Dem.  Now he is the victim of metastasized TDS.  It’s not surprising that an ex-barista would say something this dumb.  What is surprising is that Dems are picking this up as some piece of important insight.  Until they emerge from this psychopathology, the electorate will shake their collective heads in disbelief and vote otherwise.

~ Tom Bernhardt, Facebook post, March 22, 2025

Tom Bernhardt on Trump shutting down USAID

Trump 1.0 promised to drain the swamp but was largely ineffective because he was naïve and got continually blocked by the powerful establishment.  I didn’t expect Trump 2.0 to be much improved.  I voted for him primarily as punishment to the Dems whose actions so deserved another round. 

But Trump 2.0 is surprising.  He came prepared and loaded for bear.  Maybe it was the time of reflection during the lawfare prosecutions, civil suits, impeachments, Russiagate, and assassination attempts, but something clearly changed. 

So he just did the best thing, maybe the best thing ever by any president.  Trump shutdown the mothership of discretionary and unaccountable corrupt power: USAID. 

For those that watch corporate news and think the AID stands for aid and other humanitarian goodiness; that’s fake, even opposite.  USAID is an extension of the CIA that performs regime changes around the globe, creates/supports political movements, funds compliant media for propaganda, funds a large area of bizarre unamerican causes, and generally acts as a money-laundering slush fund for those in power and their friends (97% vote Dem).  The result of the chaos they create is war, destruction and the death of millions. 

It doesn’t get any better domestically.  USAID, through its myriad of NGOs, funded BLM, which burned down American cities in 2020.  They fund Soros-backed DAs around the US that don’t prosecute many crimes, especially property crimes.  If you recall my motorcycle theft/recovery experience, this is but one personal example of countless around the country.

~ Tom Bernhardt, Facebook post, February 10, 2025

Tom Bernhardt on uncertainty and success

People naturally hate uncertainty, but the ability to deal with it is critical to success.  And it’s not just about business; it’s a pervasive attitude and discipline. 

The ability to say “I don’t know” or “it’s probably this, but might be that” is a vital component of critical thinking.  It’s also a prerequisite to having a constructive discussion with others, especially those having a different view. 

When people fall into a cognitive gravity well of certain belief, the intractability makes them unable to listen and evaluate contrary information and perspectives.  They become less than useless.  Unfortunately that’s where most people increasingly are these days.

~ Tom Bernhardt, September 29, 2021

Tom Bernhardt on police services

I hope that conservatives wake up to the reality of police.  Police are the violence/enforcement arm of the state and its dictates. 

The right has reflexively supported this arm of government because they focus on its theoretical mission of protecting people from criminals.  But this isn’t what they do most of the time.  Police mostly enforce petty laws and exert control.  You can count on most of them to go full totalitarian if their political management decrees so.  There will be little resistance among their ranks. 

As to the relative role and value of police, answer the following question: when you suddenly see a policeman, is your first reaction most often anxiety/alarm or appreciation/happiness?  When roving bands of thugs and looters burned cities and accosted people, police mostly stood down.  But they were there to arrest those that dared defend themselves and their neighbors. 

The left’s complaint about policing is a mostly-contrived claim of racism.  They don’t touch the fundamental issue because at the end of the day, they need the police and their guns to implement their edicts and control.  Ditto for the military and intelligence agencies.  Hoping for reform is naïve.

~ Tom Bernhardt, Facebook post, April 25, 2021

Cops harrassing teenagers on bikes
without a license in Perth Amboy, NJ

Tom Bernhardt on vaccines

No one should be forced to take the vaccine. The research shows that the vaccines both protect you and against you transmitting. Whatever (mostly imagined) excuse there was is now gone. 

I see people fall into the following categories: 

1. Get the vaccine and STFU. 

2. Get healthy, take the risk and STFU. 

3. Recover from an infection with immunity and STFU. 

If there is another category, be assured it includes STFU. No situation includes telling me or anyone else what to do.

~ Tom Bernhardt, Facebook post, April 7, 2021

Tom Bernhardt on progressivism

The progressive movement has been a continual blight on mankind for way too long.  It's brought us Prohibition, eugenics, Federal Reserve, income taxation, WW I, and so many other horrors.  It stems from some theological-type notion of human plasticity and perfectibility to be molded by enlightened central planners.  It appeals to the hubris of the intellectual classes in academia, journalism, law, politics and now Big Tech.

~ Tom Bernhardt, Facebook post, February 18, 2021

Tom Bernhardt on the difference between monarchy and democracy

When the government is a dictatorship or monarchy, the conflict is between the people and the ruler. In a democracy, the conflict is between groups of people, each seeking to control the state apparatus to impose their values/preferences on everyone else.

~ Tom Bernhardt