Elon Musk Wanted the Cybertruck to Look Like “the Future.” But It Reminds Us of One Particular Past.

Elon Musk's Tesla Cybertruck blurs the boundaries between the battlefield and the public street.

In the 1980s , the Casspir was a ubiquitous sight in South Africa's townships.

The Casspir became an iconic global symbol of apartheid oppression.

The U.S. military has been steadily steadily off-loading military equipment to police populations for use on domestic civilian streets.

The Cybertruck is not designed for actual combat, but it allows consumers to play make-believe.

Elon Musk himself declared that “sometimes you get these late-civilization vibes” and that the “apocalypse can come along at any moment, and here at Tesla we have the best in apocalypse technology.” The vehicle’s appeal lies in its vision of the world as an apocalyptic battlefield..