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Though everyone has seen the video of Elon Musk doing that salute at the inauguration by now, the discussions produced by it have not been properly analysed. Perhaps the most audacious justification of his actions has been that he is autistic – or as he prefers to say it, he has Asperger’s Syndrome.
The infantilisation of autistic people is not new by any means, with representation in the media being almost universally simplistic and oftentimes offensive. To make it clear, autistic stimming has nothing to do with expressions of hatred or anti-Semitism in the slightest. To conflate the two is to absolve Musk, and others, of responsibility for their actions, whilst simultaneously demonising all autistic people. This worrying precedent has already been established by a January 6th Capitol rioter using autism in his court defence.
Additionally, it is not Musk himself who credited his actions to autism, which is even more revealing. Musk has continued to make light of the situation, posting ‘jokes’ on X. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League has labelled this ‘inappropriate and offensive’, concluding ‘the Holocaust is not a joke’. Musk has faced further criticism for a video address to the far-right German Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, in which he suggests Germany is too focused on its Nazi past. At minimum, he is failing to treat references to the Holocaust with the respect and seriousness they deserve.
Given the recent dialogue surrounding Elon Musk, it is also important to bring attention to his use of the term ‘Asperger’s Syndrome’. Asperger’s is no longer in diagnostic use and is highly problematic due to its’ origins. Asperger’s originates from the Nazi ‘scientist’ Hans Asperger, who’s abhorrent classification of some autistic children as less than “worthwhile” led to dozens of children being murdered by the Nazi regime. Although some autistic people continue to use this term due to personal preference, it has also been used problematically towards the autistic community.
‘Aspie supremacy’ is the term used to describe autistic people who identify with the Aspergers’ criteria, and consider themselves superior to both other autistic people and neurotypical people. It is a harmful, ableist, right-wing belief that has gained traction in recent years, and has been embraced by figures in the Trump administration. Musk himself responded to an X user’s claim that only “aneurotypical people” can be trusted to make decisions in government by calling it an “interesting observation”. This claim has no evidence.
This dangerous and frankly ridiculous rhetoric is the latest incarnation of an obsession with savants, or geniuses. Both ideas position autistic people as having value only in the ways in which they can contribute to society, and only in the ways in which they are exceptional. These claims are dangerous and replicate ableist ideas that neurodivergent people and other disabled people must prove their worth to society and deservingness of care. Autistic people do not owe society their utility in order to be respected, and needs vary greatly among the autistic population. As an autistic person – figures like Elon Musk do not speak for us.
Image: Elon Musk, Mars by Tumisu, 2019 // Pixabay Content License
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