As someone who believes democracy is the least worst system, this conclusion is for me extremely troubling, but nonetheless the logic seems unassailable. If we believe Pollyannaishly that we can have growth & green (with no trade off), then I assume you'd disagree with me. I refuse to believe this.

But then again it might take revulsion at the pollution downsides of renewed domestic industrial production for the American public to get serious about climate change and environmental protection, which they seem perennially loathe to acknowledge.

Even Elon Musk won't be exempt from this principle. All tyrants have quickly eliminated alternate power centers when consolidating power: the economic oligarchs will be the first ones to be castrated.