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Google Employees Resign in Protest Against Pentagon Contract

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Re: Google Employees Resign in Protest Against Pentagon Contract

#61

Post by murph-almighty »

easytiger wrote: post #35
Pigo wrote: post #23

I left a good job with an insurance company, not in protest really, but just because I hated the idea of being a part of an industry I despise so much. Unfortunately my departure didn't shake the foundation of their business, but I'm no longer embarrassed to talk about who I work for.

Without insurance, much of all business and life cannot be risk managed and is not viable in any way. Pretty silly POV

I don't disagree with you- insurance does perform an essential function in risk management. However, this doesn't mean that individual actors in this space have always performed in the "best" way. Not to mention the nature of insurance in general is adversarial against the customer- if you pay out on too many policies you're underwater.

Re: Google Employees Resign in Protest Against Pentagon Contract

#62

Post by tootie »

thrwwy75337 wrote: post #29

My personal conspiracy theory is this is Google’s way to get its notorious horde of SJWs to resign en masse. I left years ago, and even back then the internal Google+ was a festering, aggressively intolerant SJW cesspool. There are dozens of people who seem to spend all day there posting the most ludicrous SJW bullshit and virtue signaling, and seemingly do nothing else (according to eg Critique, the internal code re…

No adults use the term SJW.

Re: Google Employees Resign in Protest Against Pentagon Contract

#63

Post by sjg007 »

jakear wrote: post #51
tzakrajs wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least in the United States, it's a trope that insurance salespeople and civil litigation lawyers are scumbags. I think it's completely bullshit, we need these industries.

I once agreed. But three months ago I broke my leg in a skiing accident and my insurance (fuck you, Cigna) has refused to cover it because I didn't get "prior approval" for my emergency room visit. Thats right, I was supposed to call my fucking insurance company while lying in agony with a broken leg on top of a mountain waiting to be med-evac'd. On top of that, they've refused to cover my physical therapy, sending m…

Be sure to appeal. Also file a complaint with the state insurance commissioner. Any ER is covered.

Re: Google Employees Resign in Protest Against Pentagon Contract

#64

Post by emodendroket »

tzakrajs wrote: post #55
jakear wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I once agreed. But three months ago I broke my leg in a skiing accident and my insurance (fuck you, Cigna) has refused to cover it because I didn't get "prior approval" for my emergency room visit. Thats right, I was supposed to call my fucking insurance company while lying in agony with a broken leg on top of a mountain waiting to be med-evac'd. On top of that, they've refused to cover my physical therapy, sending m…

Oh wow! Fuck Cigna is right.

I think you could probably turn up similar stories about most insurers.

Re: Google Employees Resign in Protest Against Pentagon Contract

#65

Post by tzakrajs »

tootie wrote: post #62
thrwwy75337 wrote: post #29

My personal conspiracy theory is this is Google’s way to get its notorious horde of SJWs to resign en masse. I left years ago, and even back then the internal Google+ was a festering, aggressively intolerant SJW cesspool. There are dozens of people who seem to spend all day there posting the most ludicrous SJW bullshit and virtue signaling, and seemingly do nothing else (according to eg Critique, the internal code re…

No adults use the term SJW.

Their comment must have been the result of a recent spawning of Pepes.

Re: Google Employees Resign in Protest Against Pentagon Contract

#66

Post by detaro »

easytiger wrote: post #35
Pigo wrote: post #23

I left a good job with an insurance company, not in protest really, but just because I hated the idea of being a part of an industry I despise so much. Unfortunately my departure didn't shake the foundation of their business, but I'm no longer embarrassed to talk about who I work for.

Without insurance, much of all business and life cannot be risk managed and is not viable in any way. Pretty silly POV

Parent didn't say insurance is not necessary/useful. You can think something is a good idea and be disgusted by (large parts of) the industry around it.

Re: Google Employees Resign in Protest Against Pentagon Contract

#67

Post by philipodonnell »

dx034 wrote: post #32
Pigo wrote: post #23

I left a good job with an insurance company, not in protest really, but just because I hated the idea of being a part of an industry I despise so much. Unfortunately my departure didn't shake the foundation of their business, but I'm no longer embarrassed to talk about who I work for.

Why is it embarrassing to work for an insurance? Most insurances exist for a reason and are vital for most people/businesses. It's often said that insurances can be boring to work for but never heard that the sector has a terrible reputation.

> Most insurances exist for a reason and are vital for most people/businesses. It's often said that insurances can be boring to work for but never heard that the sector has a terrible reputation.

C'mon, you've never heard of any part of the insurance sector having a terrible reputation?

> According to a recent Harris Poll, health and life insurance companies are among the least-trusted companies in the US. Just 7% of the surveyed 2,250 adults told Harris they trusted their health insurance company, while 10% said the same of life insurance companies. ... The health and life insurance sectors narrowly beat out telemarketing and social media companies, with a 6% approval rating; oil companies with 4%; and tobacco companies with an abysmal 3%.

https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/breaking-news/a...

Re: Google Employees Resign in Protest Against Pentagon Contract

#68

Post by jahaja »

sjg007 wrote: post #52
jahaja wrote: post #13

Very respectable decision in my book. Walking the walk, not just talking the talk. You just can't abstract yourself away from ethical decisions ad infinitum. The level of self-deception needed to convince oneself that this, or whatever US military tech for that matter, would only be used for defensive purposes is mind-boggling to me.

Well... yes and no.. AI research is funded and has developed out of darpa contracts. If you rule out the abstraction then we’d have no research. But it’s fine if they say they don’t wa t to do this particular work.

Hence the 'ad infinitum'. There's always a spectrum.

Re: Google Employees Resign in Protest Against Pentagon Contract

#69

Post by CamTin »

unpopular42 wrote: post #18
kawfey wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China and Russia, and the general lack of democracy in certain oil-laden countries.

China is not a threat. Russia, North Korea, and certain Middle East countries are.

China could be a threat in the next 10 years, but it isn't a Germany-and-Japan-in-1941 level of threat, not even close.

Russia and whatever jihadi wannabe idiots in HiLuxes in the middle east don't even rate. There are street gangs in the US that are more worrisome.

Re: Google Employees Resign in Protest Against Pentagon Contract

#70

Post by tzakrajs »

emodendroket wrote: post #64
tzakrajs wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh wow! Fuck Cigna is right.

I think you could probably turn up similar stories about most insurers.

Is it bad that I have this cognitive dissonance of being fine with hating specific insurance companies but not the concept of insurance more generally?
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