SpaceX, and its owner Elon Musk, serves as quite the lesson for us all in manufacturing belief, regardless of reality.
Jun 17, 2026
9 min read
Supporters at Times Square watch a video of Elon Musk speaking ahead of SpaceX's IPO (Image: EPA/Sarah Yenesel)
I studied economics at university and the world seemed orderly. Supply met demand. Prices carried information. Rational incentives shaped rational behaviours. And “ceteris paribus”, the economist’s handy assumption that all other things remain equal, did a heroic amount of tidying up. Then I went into politics.
Between writing speeches, sitting in focus groups, losing elections and, on one memorable occasion, being spat at in the street, I discovered that people rarely behave like the neat actors of economic theory. Instead, they vote from places of hope, fear, identity, familiarity, habit and resentment.
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CrikeyIndependentCenter2 days agoThe provided text appears to be the introductory content from the Crikey website, which describes itself as an independent Australian news source covering various topics including politics, media, economics, health, and more. The text includes an 'Acknowledgement of Country' recognizing Indigenous Australians.
Bias read (Center): The text does not discuss any specific political issue, event, or controversy. It merely introduces the publication and includes a standard acknowledgment of Indigenous Australians, which is a common practice in Australian media and does not indicate a political leaning.
CrikeyIndependentCenter4 days ago SpaceX shows the most valuable brand attribute is beliefThe article discusses how SpaceX and Elon Musk exemplify the power of creating belief, even when it diverges from reality. It contrasts this with traditional economic theories that assume rational behavior based on supply, demand, and incentives. The author reflects on their experience in politics, noting that human behavior is often driven by emotions such as hope, fear, identity, and resentment rather than purely rational decision-making.
Bias read (Center): The article does not present a clear ideological slant. It uses a personal reflection on economic theory versus real-world political behavior without taking a stance on specific policies or parties. The discussion remains analytical and does not favor one side over another.
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