No, we can't revoke Elon Musk's citizenship by online petition

And that's a good thing, because it's a terrible, authoritarian idea.

“Patriotism” and “nationalism” are often used interchangeably, but they aren’t the same. The former makes people do great things for love of their country. The latter makes people do stupid things out of hatred for the other country.

And here’s an example of the latter:

A petition calling for the Canadian government to revoke Elon Musk’s citizenship has gained traction, with more than 170,000 signatures as of Monday morning.

The online petition hosted on the House of Commons website was launched by B.C.-based author Qualia Reed and sponsored by NDP MP Charlie Angus – an outspoken critic of Musk.

The petition filed Thursday claims that Elon Musk “has engaged in activities that go against the national interest of Canada.”

It accuses the tech billionaire of supporting U.S. policies that undermine Canada’s sovereignty – with emphasis on his advisory role to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Musk, born in South Africa, has Canadian citizen through his mother, who is from Regina. He also has U.S. a…