It's funny -- about 8 years ago I remember this exact same issue came up, but the other way around. There was this guy, James Damore, basically a republican who said the diversity program was grievance politics or whatever, sent out a memo to hundreds of other employees, created a kerfuffle, ultimately was fired. He sued and retracted.
Anyways back then I felt some sympathy for the guy, talking politics at work, because as far as I could tell he was a good-faith free-speech proponent. I even wrote a blog post about it and shared it on this site.
However now seeing how much the tables have turned, and how little that cultural swing had to do with free speech, I feel embarrassed about my past self. It's incredibly clear to me that at most a small % of those "free speech" advocates are genuine, because I never see them speak up for the other side (like I did).
Honestly, why should they? People with even a hint of a non-leftist opinion have gotten fired, cancelled, and can't find jobs. Content creators were kicked off the Internet (removing many people's revenue streams) and are even now getting murdered for their opinion.
People on the left can freely talk about murdering their opponents and other horrific things and don't ever have to worry about getting fired. I see the luigi memes all the time, and we all know what it means. Nobody is held accountable for anything.
You've had the luxury and privilege for so long, even a small amount of push back makes you feel like you are having your speech suppressed.
We need more crack down on free speech. When it get's bad enough for the people on the left, maybe we can come to a middle ground.
The largest cancelling brigade in the history of cancel culture was done by the right after the Charlie Kirk shooting, where more than 600 people were doxxed and lost their jobs for "social media posts that celebrated Kirk's assassination or were seen as disparaging of his legacy". [1]
Exactly my thoughts! Now google is not the "making a world better place" prestige place but just ordinary well paid job. Just with less cubicles. "Don't be evil" my ass.
Asking to leave a federal contract? Wouldn't that have downstream consequences with future potential federal contacts? If I were the customer I wouldn't give them my business of they pulled out of a federal contract because of politics
Google: "Google CEO Sundar Picchai has been a fixture at the White House, attending parties and events. He oversaw Google’s $22 million donation to the White House ballroom and its $1 million donation to Trump’s inaugural fund. Brin, meanwhile, has become a Trump supporter."
I'm surprised this kind of speech was tolerated in the first place. Tbh even if it was, I'd do the devil and speak up in a way where I'm identifiable #futurecareerprospects
I admire the courage of the people that do it anyway though.
Yes, but cencorship is also politics. What happens if someone just tries to stay apolitical and "work safe" and are still cencored? Any attempt at fighting this will be categorized as "political", "difficult" or worse.
Remember when they "censored" the guy who had the gall to write "men and women are a little different" at Google. There's an object lesson here, even if you disagreed with that guy.
I agree, though if all someone has to go on is that I stayed silent, it might be difficult to conclude whether I am uninterested, indifferent, or scared stiff.
Pretty much all the big tech companies allow this. It's just that they are pro-ICE and pro-current administration in the workplace speech. Their CEOs have already bent the knee, made the tens of millions to half billions in donations to the Trump family, and expect everyone under them not to undermine their sycophancy.
Most US companies are run like tiny little fascist dictatorships, which is a great training ground for the real thing. Contrast eg Norway, where businesses operate inside of a formal 3-way agreement (Trepartssamarbeidet) between the government, employers associations, and trade unions.
It's going to take probably a few rounds of fascism and many millions dead before Americans widely decide to change the fundamental nature of business.
Excellent! A company is a place to work, not do politics. I've left jobs due to overly woke colleagues who made every single meeting into a crusade against white men.
In my current company, political discussion is forbidden, and I am very happy about that.
People who love politics should go into politics, and leave their jobs. Plenty of public sector organizations who only talk politics for them, and peace of mind for me at a company.
And you'd be happily working at IBM building "resource management" software and hardware for the Nazis because "what they do with this software is not your responsibility".
It ain't so black-and-white, and people with this kind of mentality are what enable the atrocities we've seen in the past and are seeing today.
Google are not unionized at all are they? Seems like they keep trying to pull stuff like this, but its really hard to do without proper organization and representatives.
While I'm not huge on having political discussions in the workplace, I also think employers should be accountable to their employees, and I think workplace organization to collectively express displeasure in a way that employers actually feel and are forced to respond to is 100% legit.
It's funny -- about 8 years ago I remember this exact same issue came up, but the other way around. There was this guy, James Damore, basically a republican who said the diversity program was grievance politics or whatever, sent out a memo to hundreds of other employees, created a kerfuffle, ultimately was fired. He sued and retracted.
Anyways back then I felt some sympathy for the guy, talking politics at work, because as far as I could tell he was a good-faith free-speech proponent. I even wrote a blog post about it and shared it on this site.
However now seeing how much the tables have turned, and how little that cultural swing had to do with free speech, I feel embarrassed about my past self. It's incredibly clear to me that at most a small % of those "free speech" advocates are genuine, because I never see them speak up for the other side (like I did).
Honestly, why should they? People with even a hint of a non-leftist opinion have gotten fired, cancelled, and can't find jobs. Content creators were kicked off the Internet (removing many people's revenue streams) and are even now getting murdered for their opinion.
People on the left can freely talk about murdering their opponents and other horrific things and don't ever have to worry about getting fired. I see the luigi memes all the time, and we all know what it means. Nobody is held accountable for anything.
You've had the luxury and privilege for so long, even a small amount of push back makes you feel like you are having your speech suppressed.
We need more crack down on free speech. When it get's bad enough for the people on the left, maybe we can come to a middle ground.
The largest cancelling brigade in the history of cancel culture was done by the right after the Charlie Kirk shooting, where more than 600 people were doxxed and lost their jobs for "social media posts that celebrated Kirk's assassination or were seen as disparaging of his legacy". [1]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reprisals_against_commentators...
Confidently stating opinion as fact...
> You've had the luxury and privilege for so long
Ah yes, the United States. Famously pro-left wing since Nixon.
Big Tech to grow required deceiving its workers into thinking they all worked together towards a new future.
Thankfully, that veil has come down, showing it is business as usual.
It's pretty clear now that this new future will be more like Google's AGI repressing humans.
Exactly my thoughts! Now google is not the "making a world better place" prestige place but just ordinary well paid job. Just with less cubicles. "Don't be evil" my ass.
Asking to leave a federal contract? Wouldn't that have downstream consequences with future potential federal contacts? If I were the customer I wouldn't give them my business of they pulled out of a federal contract because of politics
Google Defenders: "Keep politics at home!"
Google: "Google CEO Sundar Picchai has been a fixture at the White House, attending parties and events. He oversaw Google’s $22 million donation to the White House ballroom and its $1 million donation to Trump’s inaugural fund. Brin, meanwhile, has become a Trump supporter."
I'm surprised this kind of speech was tolerated in the first place. Tbh even if it was, I'd do the devil and speak up in a way where I'm identifiable #futurecareerprospects
I admire the courage of the people that do it anyway though.
> “Most folks are afraid to discuss anything remotely political at work.”
There are plenty of other places to talk politics, religion, or share personal opinions. Work is best kept for work.
Yes, but cencorship is also politics. What happens if someone just tries to stay apolitical and "work safe" and are still cencored? Any attempt at fighting this will be categorized as "political", "difficult" or worse.
Remember when they "censored" the guy who had the gall to write "men and women are a little different" at Google. There's an object lesson here, even if you disagreed with that guy.
Choosing not to discuss something and being afraid to discuss something are very different in very important ways.
I agree, though if all someone has to go on is that I stayed silent, it might be difficult to conclude whether I am uninterested, indifferent, or scared stiff.
[dead]
Doesn't mean you should be afraid to lose your job when you sign the petition tho
Why did the Google CEO attend the Trump inauguration then? Isn't that politics?
What tech company allows this at workplace these days? How's Apple these days?
Pretty much all the big tech companies allow this. It's just that they are pro-ICE and pro-current administration in the workplace speech. Their CEOs have already bent the knee, made the tens of millions to half billions in donations to the Trump family, and expect everyone under them not to undermine their sycophancy.
It's a real problem with the tech industry. Repeating IBM's WWII mistakes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_and_the_Holocaust
Most US companies are run like tiny little fascist dictatorships, which is a great training ground for the real thing. Contrast eg Norway, where businesses operate inside of a formal 3-way agreement (Trepartssamarbeidet) between the government, employers associations, and trade unions.
It's going to take probably a few rounds of fascism and many millions dead before Americans widely decide to change the fundamental nature of business.
Does google still have employees who spend all their days in the chat rooms advocating for their lifestyle choices while on the clock?
what's most disturbing rn is the number of comments implying that there's nothing political about work :?
This getting flagged is kinda ironic
Excellent! A company is a place to work, not do politics. I've left jobs due to overly woke colleagues who made every single meeting into a crusade against white men.
In my current company, political discussion is forbidden, and I am very happy about that.
People who love politics should go into politics, and leave their jobs. Plenty of public sector organizations who only talk politics for them, and peace of mind for me at a company.
And you'd be happily working at IBM building "resource management" software and hardware for the Nazis because "what they do with this software is not your responsibility".
It ain't so black-and-white, and people with this kind of mentality are what enable the atrocities we've seen in the past and are seeing today.
"It ain't so black-and-white" - uses the word Nazi to describe the entirety of the Immigration & Customs Enforcement agency.
I think they were referring to the actual Nazis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_and_the_Holocaust
Google is pro-gestapo now? They have fallen so far from "Don't be evil."
Not just them, all BigTech/GAFAM are
“Sir, this is a Wendy’s.”
[flagged]
Good
Google are not unionized at all are they? Seems like they keep trying to pull stuff like this, but its really hard to do without proper organization and representatives.
As it should be.
Leave politics, and the conflict it invites, at the workplace's door.
Or go create a toxic work environment elsewhere.
You forgot the #hailcorporate.
While I'm not huge on having political discussions in the workplace, I also think employers should be accountable to their employees, and I think workplace organization to collectively express displeasure in a way that employers actually feel and are forced to respond to is 100% legit.
But that doesn't mean you should be afraid to lose your job if you sign a petition lol.