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US workers may have to change social media use as firms adapt to China's rules

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Re: US workers may have to change social media use as firms adapt to China's rules

#61

In two words: bite me. there aren't too many things that i'm a raving aboslutist about, but the freedom of political speech is one of them. If my employer attempts to step on my neck for saying things about china that china doesn't like, on my time, and my personal accounts, their next contact from me will be from an ACLU lawyer.

I'd say that whatever I do outside of work should stay outside of work, not just political speech. Whatever personal pictures I post on my personal instagram are none of my company's business. That said, I don't post anything public outside of forums like this.

Re: US workers may have to change social media use as firms adapt to China's rules

#62
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Part of the deal is that the Chinese are much more hypersensitive than the Russians. The Chinese seem to have a deep inferiority complex about their country (a couple centuries of being over-run by foreigners can do that to you), and they are responding by aggressively trying to shut down any criticism whatsoever of China. But strong nations don't need to do that. Weak nations do. Russia is actually stronger than Chi…

Maybe but Russia has had a history of being weak and controlled as well as being a target for colonization by two at the time super powers of Europe with visions of grandeur. They also likely feel “victimized” as losers of the Cold War... (though wrongly).

If you're talking about French war and WW 2, then both of those wars were won by Russians, so those are examples of Russian superiority when we're talking about nation pride. Also I don't think that many Russians thinks that Russia lost Cold War. It was internal rebellion and has nothing to do with US. Last time Russia lost was Mongol invasion but it was so long ago.

Re: US workers may have to change social media use as firms adapt to China's rules

#63
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What case would you have? We've heard over and over that we have freedom of speech, not freedom from the consequences of our speech. If a corporation wants to exercise their right to stop associating with you, that trumps our right to be employed by them or to use them as a platform - or so we're told. And it's not the US government leaning on them, but a foreign government. Don't see a legal case here, and it's even…

>We've heard over and over that we have freedom of speech, not freedom from the consequences of our speech. Thats some nice doublespeak. By that definition the chinese people have total freedom of speech, just no freedom from the consequences of being disappeared by the CCP!

This has been cited around here more times than I care to count: https://xkcd.com/1357/

"Freedom of Speech" is a Western concept generally traced back to Greece and Rome. Why would you expect China to adopt a similar position when it's not part of their philosophy, history, or culture?

Re: US workers may have to change social media use as firms adapt to China's rules

#65
post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AFAIK, political speech is not protected against employer discrimination.

That's honestly part of the problem. Increasingly, every single right that we have that was enumerated in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights has been encroached upon by the government via workarounds and loopholes (see: Commerce Clause).

If it’s such an issue then surely a larger federal government is the solution.

Re: US workers may have to change social media use as firms adapt to China's rules

#66

In two words: bite me. there aren't too many things that i'm a raving aboslutist about, but the freedom of political speech is one of them. If my employer attempts to step on my neck for saying things about china that china doesn't like, on my time, and my personal accounts, their next contact from me will be from an ACLU lawyer.

Relevant XKCD from way back in 2006: https://www.xkcd.com/137/

He has since changed his mind: https://xkcd.com/1357/

Re: US workers may have to change social media use as firms adapt to China's rules

#67
post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AFAIK, political speech is not protected against employer discrimination.

That's honestly part of the problem. Increasingly, every single right that we have that was enumerated in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights has been encroached upon by the government via workarounds and loopholes (see: Commerce Clause).

Government encroachment of these rights has always been a problem, but the real issue is that America tries to nurture two systems within itself: a liberal, democratic government with correspondingly enshrined rights and an economy arranged around authoritarian hierarchies with no such protections.

While it’s all well and good to prevent the government from quashing speech and other rights, when your boss can fire you for saying something they disagree with or if you refuse things like workplace surveillance (potentially costing you your housing and healthcare in the process), these protections seem pretty threadbare. I think we need to do more to check the authoritarianism of our economy if we have any real aspiration to adhere to them.

Re: US workers may have to change social media use as firms adapt to China's rules

#68
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe but Russia has had a history of being weak and controlled as well as being a target for colonization by two at the time super powers of Europe with visions of grandeur. They also likely feel “victimized” as losers of the Cold War... (though wrongly).

If you're talking about French war and WW 2, then both of those wars were won by Russians, so those are examples of Russian superiority when we're talking about nation pride. Also I don't think that many Russians thinks that Russia lost Cold War. It was internal rebellion and has nothing to do with US. Last time Russia lost was Mongol invasion but it was so long ago.

Ok, but then China won against Japan in WWII and won against the nationalists and also defeated the Manchurians... although they had a draw against the Vietnamese... but then there is Afghanistan for the USSR

Re: US workers may have to change social media use as firms adapt to China's rules

#69
post #18

They can bite me as well. This a foreign nation exerting its will over our politics via economic control. The govt should make strides to curb this imo.

Hopefully tariffs and sanctions convince them to back off. This kind of commercial censorship is arguably a trade infringement that can be responded against in kind.

Re: US workers may have to change social media use as firms adapt to China's rules

#70

> Cathay Pacific CEO Rupert Hogg stepped down after one of the airline’s pilots was found to have taken part in the protests. Wow, that is crazy.

They asked him for a list of employees who participated, and he sent them a list with 1 name: his own. Resigned immediately after. It was a badass move.
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