According to a recent article by The Atlantic, Elon Musk’s grandfather, Joshua Haldeman, was a “radical conspiracy theorist” and a member of the technocratic political movement known as Technocracy Incorporated. This movement believed that an authoritarian group of tech-savvy overlords could solve the world’s problems. Haldeman was convicted in Canada for his involvement with this movement.
Technocracy Incorporated had some unusual principles. They advocated for a totalitarian regime led by engineers and scientists based in North America, who would use technology to solve societal issues. They also believed that people should only work for 20 years before retiring. The party gained popularity during the Great Depression and at its peak had over half a million members in California.
The organization referred to people as numbers, and members dressed in identical gray clothes and drove identical cars. They even greeted each other with special greetings. Some critics compared the movement to an incipient fascist movement due to its authoritarian tendencies.
Canada eventually banned Technocracy Incorporated after it opposed the country’s participation in World War II and considered it a threat to national security. Haldeman was arrested and convicted for his involvement.
After his conviction, Haldeman became involved in other movements, including the Social Credit Party of Canada, which promoted baseless conspiracy theories about Jewish people. The party faced criticism for its anti-Semitism, but Haldeman defended its beliefs while making anti-Semitic statements himself.
Haldeman even defended the publication of “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” a fraudulent text detailing a supposed meeting between Jewish leaders aiming for world domination. He claimed he witnessed the rapid development of these protocols.
Interestingly, Elon Musk’s ideas about technology solving society’s problems reflect some of the same technocratic beliefs promoted by his grandfather. Musk has expressed support for establishing a technocratic base on Mars and has named his children with Grimes using unconventional names reminiscent of the number-filled nicknames used by technocrats.
However, Musk has also faced criticism for spreading anti-Semitic rhetoric and blaming George Soros for the “destruction of Western civilization.” The Anti-Defamation League denounced him for this, but Musk defended himself and even called himself “prosemite.”
After his involvement in politics, Haldeman became a passionate supporter of apartheid and moved to South Africa. He wrote about international conspiracies of world domination in pro-apartheid newspapers and self-published books.
Joshua Haldeman was born in 1902 in the United States before moving to Canada. He was a chiropractor before eventually settling in South Africa. He married Wyn Haldeman, who was a dance instructor, and they had three children. Maye Musk, one of their daughters, is Elon Musk’s mother.
It is interesting to see how family history can influence individuals’ beliefs and ideologies. While Elon Musk may have inherited some technocratic ideas from his grandfather, he has also faced criticism for promoting conspiracy theories and spreading anti-Semitic rhetoric.
It is reported that cited above ( Joshua Haldeman’s involvement with Technocracy Incorporated and other movements is well-documented.
