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Tim Cook Appears Alongside Trump in Re-Election Campaign Ad Shot

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Re: Tim Cook Appears Alongside Trump in Re-Election Campaign Ad Shot

#21

Post by microtherion »

Schoolmeister wrote: post #16

From the guidelines on what to submit to HN: "If you had to reduce it to a sentence, the answer might be: anything that gratifies one's intellectual curiosity." This does not fit that criterion.

It seems a legitimate debate to me to what extent a company should acquiesce to governments of all sorts.

And it's a question that Apple, in particular, has to debate over and over again. iPhone unlocks for the govt? If so, what governments? Allow apps that facilitate protests in Hong Kong? Tolerate or even facilitate oppressive manufacturing or mining conditions?

These are not easy questions for a company that has so many world wide dependencies. And, for some of these questions (unlocks, manufacturing, mining), Apple has decided to take a stand on ethical principles rather than convenience.

Re: Tim Cook Appears Alongside Trump in Re-Election Campaign Ad Shot

#22

Post by microtherion »

docdeek wrote: post #20
microtherion wrote: post #17

Disappointing. Even beyond the question of malfeasance, there should be at least three policy areas I can think of off the top of my head that Cook should be opposed to: * Constant disruption of international manufacturing and trade relations with a chaotic assembly of policies (as Paul Krugman has pointed out, each individual policy you can, in principle, adjust to. But policies changing on a weekly level are imposs…

> It's admirable that Cook consistently avoid making things about himself, but I think you ought to draw the line at collaborating with politicians who question one's very right to exist. Does Trump really question the right of gay men like Cook to exist?

Maybe not "exist" in a narrow sense, as long as that existence does not include being employed, getting sheltered, adopting, receiving health care, or using a bathroom:

https://transequality.org/the-discrimination-administration https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/03/trump-attack-l...

Re: Tim Cook Appears Alongside Trump in Re-Election Campaign Ad Shot

#23

Post by docdeek »

microtherion wrote: post #22
docdeek wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's admirable that Cook consistently avoid making things about himself, but I think you ought to draw the line at collaborating with politicians who question one's very right to exist. Does Trump really question the right of gay men like Cook to exist?

Maybe not "exist" in a narrow sense, as long as that existence does not include being employed, getting sheltered, adopting, receiving health care, or using a bathroom: https://transequality.org/the-discrimination-administration https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/03/trump-attack-l...

I guess my question was around gay Americans (like Cook) and not transgender Americans. I couldn’t recall too much that had changed for gay people under Trump and it seems like most of the impact in the articles you linked is on transgender people. Thanks for the links.

Re: Tim Cook Appears Alongside Trump in Re-Election Campaign Ad Shot

#25

Post by coldtea »

nabla9 wrote: post #19

There has not been any change in how big tech companies deal with hard decisions. It's just people who ate PR, brand management and empty corporate speak about values getting getting deserved reality check. Without a doubt Tim Cook is very strongly socially liberal and anti Trump as long as it's does not hurt business opportunities or the future of Apple.

>Without a doubt Tim Cook is very strongly socially liberal and anti Trump as long as it's does not hurt business opportunities or the future of Apple.

So in every way except those that don't suit him!

Re: Tim Cook Appears Alongside Trump in Re-Election Campaign Ad Shot

#26

Post by coldtea »

Schoolmeister wrote: post #16

From the guidelines on what to submit to HN: "If you had to reduce it to a sentence, the answer might be: anything that gratifies one's intellectual curiosity." This does not fit that criterion.

Intellectual curiosity is not constrained to geeky stuff.

Corporations, politics, and corporations' political stances and alliances are very interesting, and could be much more "disrupting" and life changing than some new technique or gadget.

Re: Tim Cook Appears Alongside Trump in Re-Election Campaign Ad Shot

#27

Post by coldtea »

kresten wrote: post #6

A smart Silicon Valley leader plays The President well. That is all.

If the President is re-elected partially thanks to that, then it's the President who played the "smart Silicon Valley leader".

Or rather, it's two smart people making alliances of opportunity to get what they want...

Re: Tim Cook Appears Alongside Trump in Re-Election Campaign Ad Shot

#29

Post by happytoexplain »

Schoolmeister wrote: post #16

From the guidelines on what to submit to HN: "If you had to reduce it to a sentence, the answer might be: anything that gratifies one's intellectual curiosity." This does not fit that criterion.

Don't you think it's insulting to tell a crowd of people that they are not intellectually stimulated by something? I don't find it intellectually stimulating either, but I wouldn't declare something so personal and subjective as factual ("it's not" vs "I don't think it is" or "it isn't for me"). It's antagonistic for no reason.

Re: Tim Cook Appears Alongside Trump in Re-Election Campaign Ad Shot

#30

Post by me_me_me »

ablomen wrote: post #18

"A low moment in Apple’s proud history" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.#Criticism_and_contr... I think Apple has done a lot worse in its "proud history" and is still doing it.

It's as if corporations were guided by only one principle make money, a lot of money.
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